Valerie Upham

As a first-time homebuyer in an incredibly challenging market, I spent several months working with a local realty company trying to find a single family home, and finally hit my peak of frustration after having my 8th offer declined. I decided to switch gears and try working with a different realtor to make sure I was exhausting all avenues before calling it quits and looking for a rental. Ultimately I decided to engage Valerie as my buyers agent, and I could not imagine a better experience working with a realtor. Valerie's professionalism, communication and attention to the smallest details resulted in having offers accepted on two beautiful homes within just a couple of days of working with her. During the offer process, she provided detailed analysis of comparable homes in the area to help me understand what to expect in terms of competitive offers, but more importantly, she really exceled at working with the sellers agent to understand what other terms were important to the owners that would help make my offer the most attractive. The post-closing process has been equally as impressive - Valerie has provided me with numerous resources to help me organize my move, made great recommendations for different service providers she's worked with (painting, electrician, etc.) and even helped set up meetings for me with them prior to my move in date. That said, I can't recommend Valerie enough (and have already recommended to her to friends who are buying/selling). She is someone who truly cares about her clients needs and is absolutely amazing at what she does. Thank you Valerie!!!

We’ve bought and sold a number of homes during our 50+ year marriage and Valerie was one of the best realtors with whom we’ve worked. Her advice on preparing our house and her expertise in marketing it were invaluable. She was always available and her calm, reassuring manner helped us weather the sometimes stressful path from accepted offer to closing. We feel very fortunate to have had Valerie as our realtor. She is an asset to the real estate community in Dan Diego.

We love working with Valerie! One of sweetest people you’ll ever meet. My husband and I were first-time buyers and found her through a friend. Throughout the entire process she stood by us and held our hands. While we ended up buying new (we had no idea we were going to buy a new build, btw), she walked us through the entire buying process—she provides guides and tips along the way. She also recommended lenders and immediately got us on the MLS. She was there for every step and even took notes for us during our walk-through. We were so grateful to have her by our side. It’s not every day you find someone you trust right away. Thank you Valerie for being amazing! We look forward to working with you again in the future.

It was a pleasure having Valerie as our realtor, and we could not recommend her enough! As first time homebuyers we knew very little about the home buying process, but Valerie helped to seamlessly guide us through the process from beginning to end. She was patient with us and helped us find a home that prioritized our needs. She was always available to answer all of our questions, and she kept us informed throughout the entire process. Valerie is extremely knowledgeable in her work and she provided us with the tools to make a confident decision as first time homebuyers. She truly cares about her clients, and I cannot thank her enough for helping us secure our dream home in Carlsbad. – Kelsey and Matt

Valerie was perfect for helping me find and close on my dream condo in downtown San Diego! The entire process was intimidating and confusing as a first time home buyer but Valerie was very knowledgeable as well as extremely quick responding to my many questions. Even after closing she still brought me moving boxes and was checking in to see if there was anything else she could do. She was always looking out for my best interests. I don’t have a single complaint and would definitely recommend her!

My sister and I had to sell my Dad's condo this summer. We were lucky enough to have Valerie as our agent. She made everything happen, had great suggestions for us, provided beyond excellent service. Valerie jumped in with great ideas and was very hands on in helping us get the condo ready and all the paperwork done. What would have been a nightmare for us became a good experience, thanks to Valerie. She understood the market we were in, understood how to price the condo, and helped us get exactly the type of sale we needed and quickly too. I would not hesitate to enlist her for any other real estate need I may have in the future.

Valerie was excellent- very helpful and very knowledgeable. Valerie arranged for the property to be staged beautifully ( we live out of the country and she arranged everything for us) She kept us updated and managed the process through to the end.

I've worked with Valerie to both buy and sell homes in the San Diego area. I've used her services three times and will probably continue to do so. She is usually available or returns your call soon after. She is flexible enough with her schedule although she's a mother of three, very knowledgeable in all regions of San Diego, and has no problem explaining things to you over and over again. Buying a home with Valerie is a wonderful experience. Ask her tons of questions because she'll get the answer. Ask her for her honest opinion, because she will give an honest answer. Selling a home with her was even more pleasant as she managed to reach an agreement which was much more fortunate that I'd anticipated. I have no problem recommending this one!

Valerie Upham is an outstanding real estate professional.  We worked with her to sell my parent’s house which they occupied for 52 years. We were a little concerned to be working with Sotheby's Realty, thinking that they were more appropriate for selling high-end homes; but we soon realized that Valerie treated our home with a great deal of interest and care.  Our $400,000 home was just as important to her, and received the attention of a million dollar home for sale. The house needed some work and having been occupied for so long, we needed help in organizing an estate sale and contractors to paint and spruce up the house as well as someone to do a thorough cleaning once the house was empty.  Valerie had all the contacts and she set up appointments so we could meet and talk with the contractors and choose which were best for us.  We were very happy with the work and how well the renewed house appeared.  And Valerie was there continually to check on the work and make necessary adjustments since we were only in town at the beginning of the process. Her most important help was in getting the home decorated and staged with furniture.  She advised us on colors and carpets and the big impact was her staging the empty house for showings.  The house was set up wonderfully.  My dad did not recognize his own house when we showed him the final photos.  It was simply beautiful and any prospective buyer could envision how the house could look furnished. She also created a special ad in the Sunday Union Tribune newspaper highlighting my father’s story and his donation of the home proceeds to a charitable fund. Our earlier estimates of selling the house in its original condition were around $300,000.  The house sold for $378,000 and the preparation and repairs were less than $15,000.  We netted an additional $35,000 as a result of her efforts! We were all ecstatic and happy. My wife had been a Realtor for over 30 years and she thought Valerie’s work to be exemplary.  Valerie really is a star in our eyes.  Highly recommended. Mitch and Lynn Kotula Fort Mill, SC

I have known Valerie for many years through her active participation in the University City schools, girl scouts and other community activities. Very impressive and successful mom. Recently I retained Valerie on a investment property purchase in UC. The seller's realtor was an elderly person extremely difficult to work with (I am being polite). Valerie was very professional in dealing with her and closed the property on the initial targeted date. My loan broker who I have worked with since 1991 also expressed the same opinion. I found Valerie to be very knowledgeable in real estate sells law. She has a deep database of property repair and renovation professionals. Very diligent work ethic, impressive effort.

I stumbled upon a confusing listing from a listing agent who was difficult to get in contact. I asked Valerie to represent me in obtaining information on the home, which I hoped would be sufficient enough to elicit an offer from me because the home had great potential. Between language barriers, and tragic circumstances surrounding the home, Valerie was able to get all the pertinent information needed and conducted a couple rounds of counter offers until a deal was finally reached. The escrow went smoothly even though there needed to be an attorney's oversight, and a successful transaction was completed on time without any surprises. I'm simplifying how difficult this process could have been without Valerie's professional representation and calm demeanor. She shielded me from potential stress points by getting all the information before presenting certain issues. That kind of experience with people does not come without doing a lot of transactions. I highly recommend her services.

On behalf of the Charles J Ingram Family, I would like to say that Valerie Upham has been an excellent realtor to us. She has been very helpful and has gone above and beyond what would be required in her position. With the mileage difference of almost 3,000 miles, she has had to handle many things that would have been much easier if we were there in La Mesa. Please know that we appreciate all she has done and feel that you have a very good employee in Valerie Donald L Ingram

Valerie provided a thorough and strategic experience selling my home, like none I had previously experienced. Her pleasant and friendly personality sets the perfect mood for discussing the details and timeline of real estate transactions. She was always available for questions and made sure my interest was considered at every step of the process. Subsequently, Valerie assisted me in finding my next two homes (to rent). I highly recommend Valerie for your real estate needs.

Valerie’s advice about what to do to prepare our home for sale paid off far beyond our expectations. Not only was she spot on about the results, her advice netted me $20,000 more than I had hoped to get for the sale. Her knowledge and professional advice every step of the way was invaluable. I would definitely call her again for any real estate transaction.

When we moved to San Diego, we wanted to buy a home, but were apprehensive due to housing prices, then... we found Valerie. Her competence and dedication to meeting our needs was exceptional. Valerie provided us with every resource we could have possibly thought of and more. She answered all our questions, was available whenever we needed and best of all she maintained a very patient, professional and honest approach throughout the entire process. She listened to our needs and helped us achieve our goal of locating and owning the perfect home for our family. We highly recommend using Valerie Upham as your Realtor! - Tracy S.

We spent months with other brokers (first one, then another) before a friend recommended Valerie. She spent the effort to find out what wanted (really wanted, not just terms for a filter search) that resulted in finding an amazing home. Buying a home in Southern California is hard, buying the perfect home for your family is incredibly hard. Valerie made it possible for us.

Valerie helped us to buy our first home and made the process as simple and painless as possible. When we initially started the process, we were all over the map as far as location. Val took the time to listen to us and helped us realize what our priorities for a home and neighborhood were. She took us to numerous homes in different areas so we could get a feel for the variety that was out there in our price range, and how the neighborhoods differed. After spending several afternoons with us, listening to our feedback after each home she proposed an area that we had not really considered. One of the best things about Val, was that she was very open and forward with her thoughts on what she felt we were looking for and what she felt about the places and areas we looked at. At times, she was more honest with us than we were with ourselves, which we needed and appreciated. Valerie has a keen ability to see the potential in a home. Many of the properties we looked at in our price range needed some work but we were concerned about considering any place requiring extensive work as neither my husband nor I had the time or expertise to dedicate to a re-model. Val encouraged us to keep an open mind and helped us visualize what the properties “could” be. Eventually, we found the home/yard/neighborhood that had everything we were looking for, but it needed significant updating. Thankfully, Val was well connected with an extensive network of contractors, tradesmen, decorators, etc. Val’s dedication to us as clients did not stop once the sale papers were signed. Val coordinated site visits, inspections and quotes for us when we could not be there. Her follow through and reliability went well beyond her role as our realtor. We could not have asked for a better experience. Val’s knowledge of San Diego, the schools, the communities was extensive. Her ability to ask the right questions and understand just what we as clients were looking for, when at times, we didn’t even know is testament to her experience. Because of Val, we are now living in the home we have always wanted but never believed was within our means. J&K

I was in need of an agent to sell my father’s house and Valerie was recommended by a friend. My father has dementia and now lives in an assisted living facility. Due to his age and health conditions his house’s interior and exterior were in bad shape. Valerie found us the perfect contractors to work on getting my father’s house presentable to sell. His house was so nice we hated to sell it. We received an offer before the house went on the MLS because Valerie marketed the house early. The price we received was better than we had hoped at the start of this process. Her expertise helped immensely throughout the whole process, from her recommendations, to marketing my father’s home, and finally the close of escrow. I highly recommend Valerie Upham. - Michele O.

I hired Valerie to sell my mothers home in San Diego in 2015. Valerie made a professional presentation on current market values and comps in the area upon my first meeting with her. She priced the home at a fair market value and we had a sale within two weeks. Throughout the process she stayed in contact with me until the sale was completed. I live in Louisiana and it was great to do business with Valerie and it simplified what had been a stressful process for me. If I ever need a real estate sales professional in the San Diego Area Valerie will be my agent of choice.

We were so impressed with the way Valerie helped to sell our duplex in Normal Heights, we hired her again to sell our loft in downtown San Diego. We couldn't have been more pleased. Our duplex needed a little TLC and Valerie found an investor hoping to "flip" it and make a little money. She negotiated a sales price that made sense for all parties and we were able to walk away with a little money ourselves. Throughout the entire process, Valerie kept us well-informed and presented us with options. She gave us her recommendations while still being sensitive to our specific needs. And because of her attention to detail, the transaction went as smoothly as it did. Our loft was located downtown and I was skeptical that we could sell it at the price that she did. I thought the market was starting to soften. Not only did she price it well above what I thought we could get, she found a buyer and had it sold in approximately 2 weeks. What was amazing was the fact that the she had arranged to have our unit cleaned, painted, prepped, and staged and ready for viewing less than a week after the unit was vacated. This exemplifies how well she manages schedules, timing, and having her "team" ready to go. I highly recommend Valerie Upham for all your real estate needs. Gene R

During our relocation from out of state to San Diego California, we could not have been blessed with a better realtor than Valerie Upham. She was attentive to our families needs, and was very detail oriented. Her objective was our satisfaction with the home procurement process. Mission accomplished! Valerie helped us select a location that suited our family needs, from a geographical standpoint, to the school districts that our children would benefit from and my commute to and from work. My family and I would like to publicly thank Valerie for the dedication to her career and her commitment to us, the customer. We are happy with our purchase and have relocated to the San Diego California. Thank you Raymundo Sidon and Family

We consistently work with Valerie buying and selling properties in San Diego and she has always gone above and beyond with personal service to insure a smooth transaction. We are a small company that specializes in "fixer" properties and we can rely on Valerie and her team to help us find inventory and represent us professionally whether we are buying or selling.

I worked with Valerie for nearly 5 moths and she was amazing! I was living in Northern California when I started my search for a home, Valerie was very helpful and accommodating, especially when we needed numerous inspections. Valerie has great attention to detail, she will keep your best interest in mind and will listen to what you need. I would highly recommend Valerie to anyone interested in finding their dream home. Thank You Valerie!

Valerie did a great job selling our folks home! Her marketing expertise, business acumen and savvy advice all proved essential in us getting our best price. Everything went very well and we couldn't be happier with the results. Valerie really knows her stuff! Plus she was just a pleasure to work with!

I really don't know quite where to start, Valerie was wonderful through the entire process of selling my Mother's Home. My mother passed away Nov 13th, my brother who was also dying from ALS, a terminal disease lived with her and they were both under Hospice care at her home. As the executor of her estate and family trust, I was faced with a complex set of issues, my brother who was dying and I had made a promise to keep him at home as long as possible, was in danger of being evicted from the home, my mother had taken out a Reverse Mortgage on her home, at her death the home was to revert back to the bank or I could make an offer to buy it, she was upside down on the appraised value of the home by $55,000 dollars, she owed the bank $165,000, I didn't want or need the home, it was nothing but a liability to me. But, I had the issue of my promise to my brother, he only had 3-6 moths left before he would follow her and the ALS would take him also. The bank was really making my life hell at a time I was just tying to figure out her affairs and also care for my brothers needs at the same time, to say that I had a full plate was an understatement, I had moved my office from Las Vegas to her house so I could still work and keep my life on track in Las Vegas, as it turned out I had two Angels that came to my rescue and saved my sanity. I met Valerie through the Lawyer James Mariani who had set up the family trust, and the help they both provided me was heaven sent, I mean that literally, the events that unfolded afterward had to have been guided by a hand from above, Valerie stepped in and held the bank at bay while I cared for my brothers increasing needs, I was bound and determined not to have my brother follow the path that my father had taken when ALS claimed him in 1997. Valerie kept the bank busy while I watched by brother die a little each day but he was happy and at home until 6 days before he passed away in a private Hospice Home, it was a miracle that I was able to keep him home and keep my promise to him, I will be forever grateful for that time with him, when he passed Feb 26th not long after my mother, the real challenges began. My mother was 84 when she passed and the house was not in the greatest condition, to top it off my brother was somewhat of a "Picker" and collected an incredible pile of junk mixed in with a few treasures, Piles of stuff in the back yard, the garage, any place he could put something, I faced with a mountain of work to just get the house in a condition to to sell. Valerie arranged Estate Sellers to come out and apprise the job at hand and nobody wanted that mountain of work, mom wasn't rich by any means and the value of possessions to sell to make it worth the time for the Estate people was questionable, Valerie kept at it and found somebody that would take on this mountain of a task, thank God because I knew I couldn't do it. To bring this long story to an end, in short Valerie helped me negotiate a short sale with the bank, found an investor to buy the house, an Estate liquidator willing to tackle a mountain of junk and clean out the house so it could be sold, she was a miracle worker that I could never have imagined could help me over every hurdle I had ahead of me after my brothers passing. Valerie will always have a special place in my heart for helping me through the most difficult period of my life and I've been through a lot in 61 years, but never anything like this, I don't have enough words to thank her for her kindness, diligence, and help with every aspect of what I had to deal with, and the day we closed the house in escrow was a day I'll never forget. Thank you Valerie for everything, God Bless you, David Paularena

As first time home buyers my husband and I were really looking for a patient and knowledgable real estate agent. We were very pleased to find that in Valerie. She wasn't pushy and we never felt pressured to make quick decisions which was very important to us. I could tell she cared about our family's well being and wanted to make sure we were making the right decisions, after all buying a home is the biggest purchase of your life. The day before our house was supposed to close Valerie went out of her way to help facilitate the closing paperwork and notary signing. We would definitely recommend Valerie to any first time home buyers. She was very patient with all our questions and she tries to make this daunting process a lot less scary. -Andy& Heather Johnson

I am very grateful that my parents chose Valerie Upham to be the realtor to sell our family home--their home for 57 years and the residence where my brother and I had grown up. Selling the family home so that my parents could move to a retirement community was a busy and draining experience both in terms of sorting through and selling years' worth of items, and emotionally in terms of our family entering a new stage in life. Valerie helped my parents and I make decisions in terms of what remaining upgrades should be done to help the house be even more marketable, while still watching out that our money was being used wisely. Valerie is truly more than a realtor, she develops relationships with her clients. She was always compassionate about the emotional aspect of selling our home, and continues to check in with my parents and with me even a year after the sale to see how we are all doing. It is nice to know that our home is now in good hands with young buyers who are starting their lives as a family there.

From beginning to end, our experience with Valerie was top-notch. Valerie came to the first meeting well prepared with a complete market analysis and ideas on how to get multiple offers that were fresh and frankly brilliant! And best of all, they worked. We had multiple offers within the first 48 ours of listing our property. As we moved through the sales process, she continued to keep us apprised of each step as it was accomplished. Everything went off without a hitch. We have bought and sold many homes in our lifetime, but never were quite satisfied with the support and follow through of our agent. That changed when we met Valerie. We have found a realtor for life. Thank you Valerie!