Ellen Testimonials
Ellen helped me buy my Jacksonville home in 2009 when I was stationed in Japan. Twelve years later she helped me sell that property while I was living across the country. I felt I could trust Ellen completely and would not have been able to execute these complex transactions without her expert advice at each stage of the process. I've recommended Ellen to my friends and will seek her help the next time I buy!
Sincerely,
Let me start by saying, we have nothing but praises to say about Ellen Hough. She is professional and is always working for the customer's best interests. She responded to calls, emails and texts at anytime during the process. I was impressed that she traveled for all inspections on the home even though it was over an hour away. Ellen Hough proved herself not only on one home we purchased, but out shined herself for the second house we purchased with her. Yes she also represented us for the selling of the first home in NC which again I was very pleased with her dedication! Let me finish by stating , we have sold two homes in Maryland with two different realtors, due to locations, at no time did we have the dedication from the Maryland realtors like Ellen presented. The MD realtors didn't show up for home inspections. Ellen Hough stands well above the other realtors I have worked with. I recommend her with highest praises and upmost enthusiasm. Trust me you won't be disappointed.
Ellen has helped us with both buying a home and selling a home. Ellen truly works for her clients. It was a complete stress-free experience with her as our Realtor. In the past, we have worked with a different Realtor in another state and was stressed from day one (I was literally in tears every day). While in North Carolina buying and selling our homes, I was at complete peace knowing that Ellen was there for us -- every step of the way. In my opinion, Ellen will ALWAYS be our Realtor of choice.
"Ellen was great to work with. She was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful in our home buying process. Her communication with my husband and I was excellent, she kept us up to date every step of the way. When we had questions she responded to us immediately and got back with us with updates. We would highly recommend Ellen Hough!"
Ellen has been more than just a real estate agent to my family. She has been our advocate, advisor and good friend during both buying and selling our home. Ellen made the process simple, easy, stress free, and used the Home for Heroes promotion, which helped us save money on the closing expenses. It is a buyers market; Ellen worked diligently to market our property to make it competitive to other homes in the area. I have great admiration for Ellen as she truly cares about the people she is working with, always making time to talk about family and was concerned as my family was going through a really stressful time with selling the house and transitioning out of the military. We really valued her expertise and her ambassadorship of our home. Thank you Ellen.
I would like to give a shout out to Ellen Hough. This is my 4th house purchase and I have never had such a great experience as I had with Ellen being my realtor. She worked with me first through the rental process as well as me finding the right home in Jacksonville NC. Ellen was amazing the entire time. She went above and beyond, I was unable to make it to the chimney inspection as she had no problem getting the details and assisting the chimney expert.
As a homebuyer it is very important the agent you work with is very knowledgeable, honest, and looking out for their client's best interest. Ellen exemplifies all of these qualities above and beyond my expectations. She really went to bat for me at the closing process. She ensured that I received all of my sellers concessions when the lender did not process the closing amounts correctly getting me $1600 plus back at closing. She was very involved with the process.
If you are searching for a Realtor, your search is over. You will be in absolute best hands with Ellen.
Hands down she is the best Realtor I have ever worked with and will continue to work with.
A few years ago, we set a goal to purchase our first home by the time we were 25 but as we got closer to that age, that dream seemed far beyond our reach. After hearing about the Homes for Heroes program from a family member we decided to do a little research and though it seemed a little too good to be true, we submitted our information to be contacted.
To our surprise, within days we were pre-approved for our mortgage and met with Ellen to start looking for our new home. We only looked at three houses before we decided to make an offer on the first house Ellen took us to see. It was love at first sight!
We were warned by family and friends of the stress that would ensue after making our decision so we prepared for rough waters but from the moment we sat in Ellen's office to write our offer it was smooth sailing. Of course counter offers and negotiations with the sellers caused a few hiccups but we had nothing to worry about with Ellen in our corner. From the get go, she made us feel like our best interest was her top priority and that we were more than just a sales transaction. With her on our side, we were able to feel all the excitement for this milestone with virtually none of the stress. She is, without a doubt, the number one reason we had such a pleasant first home buying experience.
The Homes for Heroes program provides such an amazing opportunity not only to military personnel, but to law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses, and teachers. Living in a largely military based community, all of the other, everyday Heroes are often forgotten. It's very refreshing to see a program recognize all professions that make sacrifices to serve others in the outstanding ways that they do. We will definitely be telling anyone that will listen about this program. Along with Ellen, Homes for Heroes was a blessing that helped make our dream of homeownership a reality.
My name is Shawn, a little over a year ago I decided to make a fresh start and move closer to the Police Department where I have been an Officer for 12 years. I learned of the Homes for Heroes program and Ellen Hough at EXIT Independence Reality. I was luckily in a position where I could take my time and find a home that I truly wanted. This was a tall order as I had a very specific idea of what it was I wanted. I was looking for a large piece of property that was secluded and private with a home already on it. I also had a tight budget for all this. Ms. Hough took on the challenge and she showed me a few properties that were close but not exactly what I was looking for. She did not give up. One day she gave me a call and told me of a property that had just been listed that day and that I needed to see it quick. She showed me the property the same day and it was amazing! Almost 6 acres far off the main road surrounded by woods. Wow it even had a two car garage with a workshop area and a huge in ground pool! Ms. Hough advised me it was a "short sale" and walked me through the whole process. I am now the proud owner of my own private oasis and I couldn't be happier. Ms. Hough did an outstanding job from beginning to end. She told me when she found this property I was the first person she thought of. She listened to what it was I wanted and found it. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Ellen was an awesome agent she new this was the first time that I had bought a home so she walked me through the process very well always there when I needed her and she was never bothered with any of my questions nor phone calls and believe me there were a lot. Her concern is to make sure that you understand everything and that you are pleased with all decisions. I would highly recommend Mrs. Ellen to anyone because she really does care and that means a lot.
While on vacation we decided to look for our final home. We immediately selected Ellen to represent us and she quickly worked to show us our selected homes. Once we made our choice she worked diligently to submit our offer and worked closely with the selling agent until we had a contract. Ellen was invaluable providing us with the right contacts to work the financing and the home inspection and worked to get the our walkthrough before going back to Maryland. Ellen worked on our behalf while we were out of state and made the sale so seamless. Ellen is efficient and takes care of her clients by going the extra mile to take care of them. Ellen Hough is by far the best Realtor we have ever worked with and would recommend her to anyone without question. We have known Ellen for almost ten years and we trust her immensely.
Ellen was a wonderful realtor to work with. Refreshing approach to selling homes. She believes the home will sell itself. No fluff no stuff. She is honest and straight forward. We appreciated this about her. She made herself available to us from the start and never let up all the way through closing. She was informative about the area since we were moving from out of state and this was a big help. Our daughter recommended her because she had been her buyer's agent. I appreciated how she had helped my daughter with the purchase of her 1st home. So Ellen thank you on two counts!."
My Husband and I after 8 years of living in our home in Richlands made the decision of putting our house on the market due to my Husband retiring from the Marine Corps after 30 years of Service. We asked Ellen Hough from Exit Realty to provide the services needed in selling our home. From the beginning of the process to the end result of closing on the house we have nothing but excellent comments to make of the selling of our home. Ellen met all our needs and requirements and built a rapport with us of which we fully understood the steps taken and what to expect. There was no hidden agenda and it made the transition very smooth. Being a first time home owner we were guided and also listened to Ellen's feed back of which we are truly grateful. Thank you for all your help if all realtors took the time and treated their clients with the upmost respect they also would feel the same.
My husband and I have owned several homes over the past 22 years he has served in the military. Having dealt with several realtors over many years, Ellen Hough is hands down the hardest working and most dedicated realtor we have ever worked with. Transitioning from overseas, she gave us prompt and courteous service and immediate response to correspondence. We sent her a list of features along with our preferred locations. Ellen sent us a variety of homes on daily basis. We informed Ellen when we would be in the states house hunting and she promptly created a personalized schedule and house hunting agenda for us. Over 4 days, we must have looked at every home in our price range within Onslow County. Her level of energy was amazing and she helped us find our dream home which we still own to this day. Having to head back overseas for the last 3 months of my husband’s tour, Ellen took care of all the details of inspecting, purchasing and securing our home until our return. She went well above and beyond what a realtor is required to do and put our minds at ease throughout the entire time. Over the past 4 years, we have referred several friends to Ellen and every single one has stated similar experiences. If you want real service, zero hassle and a realtor who truly cares and will work as hard as possible for you and your family, Ellen Hough is the only way to go!
Ellen was amazing! She had so much information that was very helpful to us as first time home buyers. She also had extensive knowledge of the area which was a relief since we moved from out of state and had no knowledge of the area whatsoever. Ellen was very helpful in pointing out the things that I would not have caught myself. She was very honest and gave her unbiased opinion. We looked at a couple houses and by that time she really knew what we were looking for and helped us to get the house of our dreams. She was also very helpful with the process of getting the loan and was in contact frequently until she knew everything was taken care of. Thank you, Ellen, for making this move easier for us!
To Whom It May Concern:
For three years Jeff and I had been living in a two bedroom/one bathroom home. It was a quaint, charming home just off the waterfront that my fiance' bought before we were together. Once I moved in with all of my things, trying to squeeze our two lives together in an 800 sqf home was testing the limits of our sanity. After bumping into each other for the millionth time, we went to our good friend and awesome real estate agent, Ellen, for help. Ellen had sold Jeff the house we were currently living in, and was more then happy to help us find a home to fit "our" needs. As this was my first home purchase, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Ellen though, was amazing! She listened to all our wants, helped us make some tough decisions, gave us loads of information on the different neighborhoods in the area, worked with my "overly picky" nature, and eased any doubts we had. She found us a great home, filled with everything we wanted and bonus's we hadn't thought we'd love, but couldn't live without now. After settling on a mortgage company, we thought it would be a smooth process. We were surprised at how complicated things became, even with our perfect credit. Ellen took it upon herself, above and beyond the call of "a realtor's duty" in my opinion, to get the mortgage company in gear and get our loan pushed through. After almost 2 months of waiting and hearing from Ellen almost daily with updates and words of encouragement, the loan FINALLY went through. We wouldn't be enjoying the wonderful home we now live in if Ellen hadn't moved "heaven and earth" to get us what we wanted. I would recommend Ellen to every single person in Jacksonville who is looking for a house! She is an amazing realtor who truly goes out of her way to get you into the house of your dreams. If you're looking to find yourself a new home and don't know who to choose...look no further then Exit Jacksonville. Give Ellen a call, and tell her Jeff and Ronnie sent you.
My experience in purchasing a home with Ellen Hough was absolutely delightful. She was immaculate in explaining everything, very prompt and responsive when I needed to get in touch with her, and overall open and honest with the properties we walked through. She did not want us to settle for less, and she did not act as though every property was the right home for my wife and I. I would highly recommend anyone purchasing a home in the Jacksonville or surrounding area to look up Ellen.
I was very LUCKY enough to work with Ellen not only purchase but sell my house. When I was looking to purchase I wasn't even in the state but she collected numerous houses to look at. She had everything ready for when I returned so all I had to do was get off the plane and look at the houses. Which was very easy because I told her what I was looking for and every house we looked at was what I asked for, so all I had to do was pick the one I liked the best. Once I picked the house the process was very quick and easy once again I was out of the state working and she closed on the house for me. Then when I was ready to sell the house I called Ellen back, she was ready to help get the house on the market. She was able to have my house sold within 2 weeks and the neighborhood that the house was in had at least 5 other houses for sale. They were on the market for 3-5 months and still on the market when mine sold. This just shows Ellen really knows what she is doing and is there to work for you. Its to bad I had to leave the area do to work but I really wish I could have Ellen in my new destination to help purchase my next house she was GREAT. I would recommend Ellen Hough to everyone to help purchase or sell you house.
I received PCS orders to the Camp Lejeune area and had no idea where I was going to live. Before I moved a friend of mine recommended Ellen to me since I was moving my family to the area. He owns several homes in the area and explained that she was the hardest working realtor he had the pleasure of doing business with, and now I know that there is not a truer statement. So I contacted Ellen a couple of weeks before we moved and told her what we were looking for. I explained that we are first time home buyers and we know nothing about this whole process. She asked what we were looking for and the general area we wanted to live. After explaining our needs, immediately she was on the ball sending us possible listing that we would be interested in, so we could narrow down our search. She provided us with all the information we needed and taught us a lot about the home buying process. When we finally arrived in town, Ellen met us and took us out the next day to start looking at the houses we were interested in. We narrowed down our list of possible homes, and then we finally made our decision on the house we wanted. She found us a great mortgage company to help us with our loan and stayed on top of the seller to meet our needs. She was there for us every step of the way and helped us get the home we wanted in a short time. We were extremely grateful for the priceless recommendation we received and we were home owners in less than a month. Thank you Ellen for everything you did for us and for our first home.
If your buying a home in the Jacksonville area i highly recommend Ellen Hough. Ellen's expertise and knowledge made buying our first home a breeze. We bought our house from overseas with no problems. She was even able to put money back in our pockets and find the house of our dreams. Buying a house in Jacksonville? Look no further choose Ellen.
Hello Ellen,
Joe and I wanted to thank you for making our first home sale an easy and painless process.
It was a great surprise and relief that our home sold in less than a week. The quick turnaround went without incident as you kept us up to date and right on track even when you were out of town in those first few days. Your recommendation to have the termite, septic and home inspection saved us time and was money well spent. Because of your recommendation we were able to fix the minor problems on our home and there were no surprises that caught us off guard.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are truly a professional and an awesome lady to work with.
Sincerely,
I am writing this testimonial to inform you that my experience with Ellen Hough from Exit Realty in Jacksonville NC was outstanding. I could not have asked for a better Realtor to guide me through the process. Ellen’s experience and patience served me well. Her local market knowledge is invaluable. Ellen has a tremendous "grasp" of the market and possesses that intuitive feeling as to what a house is really worth and weather if it is a good buy or not. Ellen’s knowledge of houses is almost unparalleled as she knows her market extremely well; she is diligent, responsive, and yet very patient with her clients. Ellen is both very professional and personable. She clearly takes pride in doing a good job. Ellen is always up to date on the home market which helps in buying or selling a home. Ellen has that perfect balance of knowledge, drive and enthusiasm that will get the job done for you.
In my particular case as a first time buyer of a home, there were many rough spots on the road to closing and in every instance Ellen was a great help. After I decided on a home, Ellen’s years of experience in this market really came into play. Her knowledge of the neighborhoods, home construction, and attention to my other needs (inspectors, insurance providers, and mortgage companies), was so valuable and helped guide me in making the right decisions. In fact, I have already recommended you to both friends and relatives who have mentioned purchasing or selling a home.
I can't thank you enough for your professionalism, expertise, and hard work in helping me in the process of buying my first home pleasurable and easy experience. I love my home,
Thanks again and best regards,
Ellen, I would like to take the time to personally thank you for our wonderful experience having you as our Realtor. As you well know, buying a home can be a very challenging time full of the unexpected and unknowns. If you add-in an additional 3,000 miles of separation for out of town buyers, it definitely adds to the frustrations.
As soon as we made the initial contact, you were extremely helpful in easing our concerns and were extremely forthcoming in providing valuable information. You were available day and night and always responded back immediately no matter how trivial our questions and apprehensions were. Your willingness to walk us through every step of the way, standing in on our behalf at the closing, conducting the walk-through inspection and genuinely looking out for our best interest was greatly appreciated.
Most importantly, you truly understood our family's concept of an ideal home and the difficulties surrounding searching for it from across country. When all of our home selections didn't meet our requirements and we believed that we were out of options, you found our dream home.
Again, thank you for your patience, willingness to go above and beyond our expectations as well as finding our dream home. It was a great experience having you as our Realtor.
Thank You!
I am writing this letter to inform you that my experience with Ellen Hough from Exit Realty in Jacksonville NC was amazing! All of the questions I had she answered immediately and made sure that I understood all of my options. She knew a good bit about my personality and what I was looking for and that helped her choose great potentials for me to purchase. She worked around my schedule of two jobs and school to help me find the house I currently bought! I sincerely enjoyed the services she provided including the free trailer to help me move into my new place! That saved me time and money since I could get the trailer days in advance to start packing up my old location and get ready for the move. Ellen was there for me from the day I said I wanted to start looking at houses to sitting in the lawyer’s office signing off on all of the documents for the house.
Since I have moved in she has made sure that the house is working out in my favor and that everything was good. The entire team at Exit Realty was extremely friendly and helped to take off any stress that this buying experience put on. When I go through this process again in the future, I will definitely start my search with Exit Realty and hope that Ellen is there to help.
A very satisfied client of Exit Realty, and Owner of Leonard St.
We would like to take the opportunity to thank Ellen Hough for going the extra mile for us. We had the distinct privilege of having her represent us as both buyer and seller. We first moved back to Jacksonville in 2005 and she worked with us to buy a home while we were still living in Georgia. We were on a very compressed timeline and she took us house hunting over a weekend. After looking at about six homes we found the one we wanted and she quickly moved us through the drudgery of closing. Ellen worked very closely with the builders to complete the home on time and to our specifications. Closing was seamless and she continued to ensure our home was finished before we moved in. Over the past five years, Ellen was always checking on us to see if we were still satisfied with our home. We finally had to move again and our first choice for a realtor was Ellen Hough. She was very helpful in getting our home on the market and under contract before we had to leave Jacksonville. We were confident that she would take care of us and allowed her to finalize the details in our absence. Ellen is a class act and she takes pride in taking care of her customers. I would recommend her to anybody looking to buy or sell a home.
Ellen,
Courtney & I appreciate your help greatly. You helped us make finding the house we have been looking for. When we first began house hunting we almost lost hope, but when we were referred to you; you helped us so much. We told you all the things we were looking for to call a house our home and you did it. If we had any question what so ever you were there day and night picking up our calls and solving our problems. THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN!!!
Ellen,
Megan and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts and energy in helping find the perfect home for us. You were highly recommended to us and your actions did not disappoint. Being first time home buyers, we had many questions and concerns, and you treated all of them with patience, understanding and clarity that made the whole process much easier. Additionally, with us moving from over 300 miles away, and with limited opportunities to make it down here, you were definitely an agent of action who assisted in pushing this process to fruition. When taking into consideration the fact that the time from initial contact with you to closing on the house was little more than a month, you played a major role in providing us with a sense of stability during our move to an area that we do not know very much about. My only complaint would be that when our time comes to move away, we know that we will miss this house that you found for us very much, but we will certainly use your services when that comes to pass. Again, thank you very much for your hard work and diligence in settling us into the Jacksonville area.