Testimonials

I can't thank Val Ives and her team enough for the wonderful job they did selling our home at a very difficult time for our family. Our family moved to the Temecula Valley 25 years ago. My mother was fortunate enough to meet Val and over the years she always relied on Val for advice regarding her home. Val Ives has always been available to counsel our family on all of our real estate needs. My mother recently passed away. She insisted as part of her final wishes that Val Ives sell her home. My mother's faith and trust in Val were not misplaced. Val and her team got our home ready for the market very quickly. We had buyers lined up the minute the home was listed. Offers that same day. We accepted an offer 4 days after the home was listed. For well above the list price. This was the first time I have ever been through the home selling process. I called Val and her associates constantly with questions. They were always available and patient with my inquires. Our family could not be more pleased with the results. Val Ives is simply outstanding. And we cannot thank her enough.
M. Patton
Carter helped me purchase my new home in Murrieta. He was always very quick to respond to calls and was very helpful in finding the permits from the city for the extended garage structure, and communicated with them to make sure an ADU conversion would be allowed. Thanks Carter, great job!
Williams
VAL IVES is AMAZING VAL IVES is her name, she is who sold our house in less than a week. Ask for her, you WILL NOT REGRET IT. If you want someone who cares, honest, that will return your phone call, answer all your questions, really guide you, will work directly with you, humble, sell your house FAST, then ask for VAL IVES. Val has such a calm and peaceful demeanor, but, SUPER EFFICIENT, SMART, MINDFUL, PATIENT, 100% COMMUNICATIVE, FLEXIBLE, HARDWORKING, FAST, and extremely KNOWLEDGEABLE. Val explained things with detail and continued answering our questions. NOT once did she make us feel we were annoying her with questions in any way, she would ALWAYS say “ You may ask me anything”. We met with her on a Friday, Saturday morning she already had a sign in our front yard and a time set for PROFESSIONAL pictures to be taken THAT SAME DAY! Val plays NO GAMES, I mean that in a funny and all ways. She sold our home in 4 days, The 1st day we already had an offer that was above asking price. On the 2nd- 3rd day we got higher offers, she guided us and said we would get something even higher and we did. We sold our home for much more than asking price. During the process Val was also super mindful over the fact she knew we were working from home and would always check in with us prior to scheduling an appointment for a showing of our home (as we didn’t have to do an Open House). Val Ives ALWAYS answered or returned our phone calls, anytime, any day. But, OVERALL Again, VAL IVES, VAL IVES, VAL Ives, is the way to go call her you WILL NOT REGRET IT. We LOVED working with VAL IVES!!! Best one ever. Thank you Val
K. Martinez
When we were ready to sell our home of twenty years the only call we made was to Val. Her response was prompt, courteous and reassuring. We met, she toured the home and we signed up. Seventy two hours later Val came back with two offers, advised us on the pros and cons of each and helped us make our choice. Once the choice is made Val set everything in motion. She helped to complete the Inspector's recommendations and completed the sale in record time. We truly and sincerely appreciate her professionalism, knowledge and understanding. We highly recommend Val and her team. She truly represents a Realtor who is on your side and who protects your interests. Five Star all the way. Kris/Aida
Kris
We had a long drawn out process until we finally closed due to a couple buyers that backed out of the deal. The 3rd time was the charm. Tom had enormous patience and got us to the finish line. He had some tough things to handle to make this sale happen. He kept on the buyers until all documentation was complete. I think he would do an excellent job with any customers that he works with.
Bob G
Michelle was awesome, She was flexible with my family's crazy schedules. On point and clear every step of the process when we were looking at houses. She followed up with everything, and answered all our questions, and concerns, she gave 110% For example, my wife was freaking out a little with the loan process and paperwork, whilst in escrow . I called Michelle explaining the situation and asked her to call my wife. Michelle then called her, answered all her questions and then had the loan people call her. 30 minutes later the wife calls me, all calm and collected and Tells me Michelle called her, and everything was good?? I would recommend Michelle in a heart Beat. Happy Home Owner. Peter.
Peter
Carter helped us find out first home! He was always quick to respond when we had questions. And as first time home buyers, we had lots of questions. And he thoroughly explained things so we understood. He was able to help us make competitive offers. He knew what people were looking for in order to make our offer look more appealing. He was also honest in letting us know that a certain house was not worth what we wanted to offer, and that it would better for us to hold out for a better option. All the while, making sure that if we did truly love the house, he would help us come up with the best offer. He was always available and I would recommend him to friends and family!
M.Apodaca
Val has represented our family on several real estate transactions and has always done an excellent job. She has an outstanding team that keeps us informed through escrow and gets the job done. Val is very professional, easy to work with and is an expert in real estate. We recommend her highly!
E. Kubota
Val Ives is the reason we were able to buy our beautiful house in Temecula. She is nothing short of an angel. We originally were assigned another agent who quite obviously did not know Temecula at all. As our anxiety grew and after many hours of research, we decided on Val. Within minutes of speaking to her on the phone, our anxiety dwindled and we knew we were in good hands. At that moment we could finally start to be excited about moving to Temecula. She is a local and a Mom who understands that you want the best for your family. In our particular instance it was a neighborhood with great schools and great homes. She gave us the inside, local, scoop on all of the different neighborhoods we were looking in. Val knows the other realtors and was able to give us behind the scenes information regarding other offers, etc. Those relationships were so helpful in deciding on how much to offer and when to back out. She is not looking to increase her commission, as she advised us that one of the two homes we put an offer on would not appraise at that value. She picks up on the little nonverbal cues you provide her, when you are touring homes. Her extensive experience brings her to a place in her career where she knows what's important to you and what kind of home you are interested in. Her communication was STELLAR, always available for all of the “one-off” questions, which weren’t so “one off”. I found her texting me on weekends and even felt the need to tell her to stop working. Val is an extremely ethical real estate agent. She had the opportunity to submit a higher offer from us in order to secure this dream house, but chose to wait to have a conversation first with the sellers agent. Sure enough, not only did we get the house, but we got it with our original offer. I'm not sure other realtors would have done the same, knowing their commission would have increased. Val is about the sweetest, most kind hearted person you will ever meet. She has a great sense of humor, is super knowledgeable about all aspects of real estate and I feel so grateful that our paths crossed and we now consider her family.
H Znow
Val truly cares & her kindness shines through every step of the way. She responds immediately and always makes herself available. Val has an amazing team & together they work hard & diligently to get it done! She got our home sold quickly & above asking price!! Val Ives is the BEST real estate consultant!! If you’re looking for the best, then look no further.
C Mosley
Janet and Tom Callaway were absolutely the most professional agents to work with. They assessed our needs and we moved forward. The house was listed and in less than 48 hours we had several offers. We accepted an offer that was $1,000 over asking price. The sale closed in less than 23 days. Couldn't be happier.
Irene & John Patrick Dolan
Michelle is very attentive and understands the details of the client's needs to give advice and reference. In September, she helped me listed and sold at 31233 Sunningdale Dr. a golf Couse view house in Temecula, and in May 2021 Michelle helped me buy a home at 42012 Dahila Way Temecula and listed in September 2021 one day and sold.
D. L.
I was 1 month pregnant when my husband and I decided to sell our home last year. Michelle was extremely patient and gave us great tips on how to make our home more marketable. We followed her advice and shorty after, we got an all cash offer for more than what we would have suggested. The escrow process was easy and painless. I highly recommend Michelle as your agent! Barbara
Barbara Y.
Tom & Janet Callaway of "Val Ives Team" are true professionals and greatly helped in successfully guiding us through our recent home sale. With market conditions changing dramatically week to week earlier this summer, it was reassuring to know that Tom and Janet had our back. Their competent knowledge of the market, properties available in our area and strengths our house in particular meant selling our house in considerably less time than expected. We were thoroughly satisfied with their performance in handling all aspects of our home sale.
Elliott Terrylee
Janet Callaway helped us find our dream home in Murrieta and made the entire experience a joy from start to finish. We looked at houses throughout Murrieta and Temecula with her and never once felt pressured or insecure. We ended up finding the perfect house, and Janet was on top of every step of the process, keeping in constant communication with us and the selling agent, and going above and beyond at every chance. We couldn't be happier and would highly recommend her and the Val Ives Team/Big Block Realty to anyone thinking about purchasing a house in the region. Five stars!
N. Adalaus
Val is an incredible and experienced realtor who will help you navigate the real estate market no matter what the current market is doing all while protecting you from the stresses of home buying and selling. We've bought and sold three homes with Val's help and I always appreciated how she explained each step of the process, answered all our questions and made every transaction easier overall because of her extensive knowledge and relationship with us and everyone else involved. She was very communicative and always answered my phone calls or emails as quickly as possible. I knew she was working hard to either secure solid buyers that wouldn't back out or get us the home we wanted at a fair and reasonable price. She is very honest and transparent throughout the process and she consistently had our best interest at heart. Home buying and selling can be a roller coaster of emotions and Val was amazing at helping us navigate it with calmness and compassion at every step. If we ever move back to the area we will definitely contact Val to help us secure the right home! I HIGHLY recommend using her to help you buy or sell your home!
L. Newman
Our agent Tom Callaway was great, he helped us for over a year! Our search range was all over Temecula and Murrieta; we had very specific things we were looking for but was also open to different possibilities. He helped us narrow down our search and find what we were really looking for. He was very thorough, honest, and we never felt any pressure. He always made himself available no matter the day, even showing us several homes on the hottest day of the year. His flexibility and laid back personality always put us and our children at ease. I hope he enjoyed working with us as much as we enjoyed working with him.
Wagner Lemus
Michelle made my first time home buying experience seamless. She was quick to respond, patient with my questions, explained details and guided me the whole way from start to finish making suggestions that eventually awarded me the home of my dreams in this competitive climate. Michelle answered calls morning and night - I never felt alone in this process. She was supportive without being pushy AT ALL. I truly enjoyed partnering with Michelle and feel as though I have found a genuine trusted advisor and good friend in my new community. Thanks Michelle!
Robyn Martin
Carter was extremely professional, knowledgeable and a skillful negotiator. He was always available to answer any question or concern. We would highly recommend him to family, friends or anyone needing the services of a real estate professional.
Jacqueline H.
Bought a home in Temecula. Tom and Janet were amazing! They are both so knowledgeable of the market and how the home buying process works. My husband and I felt comfortable from the beginning. Would highly recommend them!
Brandy Grezlovski
The process was long and rigorous but let me tell you, Carter is the man when things get tough, he goes all the way. He is always on the look out to find you that one house that you want. He is knowledgeable and a master negotiator, just tell him what you want and he will deliver. Thank you Carter for the grind
Rick Armely
Janet and Tom were the best realtors I could have asked for on our first home buying journey. They spent more hours on the phone with us than I could have expected. Since it was my husband and my first experience buying a home, we had a lot of questions, and having a team of two realtors meant someone was always there to answer your questions. They had even worked with our loan officer a few times before so they worked well also. We trusted that they had our best interests at heart and I never felt like they were trying to just make a sale. Rest assured that even with the added stressor of the pandemic, everything will be handled. Not to mention, they are good family friends of ours, so we loved spending some extra time with them anyways. 5 stars through and through for the Callaway team!
Emily Dillon

Janet and Tom Callahan were our agents. They showed us numerous listings. They knew exactly what we were looking for in a home. They went above and beyond to help us find the perfect house. Very responsive no matter what the request or question. They were a joy to work with and made the whole experience smooth from start to finish. I now feel like I’ve not only gained an agent but also a friend.
Julia Byrnes
Michelle was phenomenal! We were on a weird time schedule selling our house and Michelle made the process so easy. She was always communicating with us, answering any questions and also sharing helpful tips or knowledge she had about the process. Working with Michelle took so much stress off of our shoulders and we hope to work with Michelle again in the future! She truly made selling our house a magical experience.
Rae Black
Val has been a huge blessing to our family and is an A+ agent. I did some work at Vals property last year. I was thinking about listing and asked her to come by my house to take a look at a few things I was going to do to get my house ready for sale in a year. She was happy to come by and give her recommendations on what we needed to do to get the house ready for sale, very helpful! Two days after she came over she called me with an as is offer for full market value, without even listing our property. She has tons of clients waiting for homes and returns calls and answers my questions immediately. She is honest and more than happy to take the extra time I need to explain the entire process every step of the way. I highly recommend Val Ives!
Matt P.
I have bought and sold many houses but never received the kind of professional service and care that Val and her team provide. Every step of the way they were communicating updates and keeping me informed of our progress. Not only were they professional but she sold my home in a very short time considering the state of the market. She enabled me to purchase my dream home and dealt with some unfavorable circumstances all while keeping a professional and considerate attitude. She is extremely trustworthy and a valuable asset to have working towards one of the most important decisions we will ever make. She is amazing!!!
B. D.