John Dye

About Me:

No, I didn't grow up in Milwaukee...

No, I haven't been selling homes for 30 years...

No, I don't work for a company you have seen ads for on television...

This is what makes me a good real estate agent!

As a boy growing up in Montana, I never thought I would end up in Milwaukee. In fact, I had never been within 1500 miles of this city. After moving to Milwaukee from Seattle to attend a PhD program in Architecture at UWM, I fell in love with the city’s architecture, history, and people. I was driven to learn about this city. I spent hours and hours in the library and historic society, examining historic photographs, reading historic texts, and talking to old timers. I subscribed to every online neighborhood group I could find, I read the transcripts from the meetings at city hall, and I drove around for hours, exploring my new home. Even though my life in academia didn't work out, I made the decision to stay in Milwaukee. I have found that my time spent researching and exploring Milwaukee is invaluable when helping a client find a new home.

When I first made a transition to real estate, I found myself in a profession that was in the middle of a historic transformation. I had the pleasure of never learning the "old ways" of doing things. I never had to cold call or go door to door to advertise my services. Instead, I tapped into the online resources I was already familiar with. I found that it was extremely effective to advertise listings online. I created a website, www.MKEproperty.com, which acts as the cornerstone of my online marketing. My tech savvy marketing strategies work wonders for my clients and, in turn, make me a good real estate agent.

Finally, I often get asked why I don't work for one of the big players in Milwaukee. First, I love working with a small firm because it gives me the freedom to develop creative marketing strategies without being burdened by corporate policies and marketing strategies. This makes me an effective Realtor. Second, Norm Terapak, the broker at Terapak Realty is one of the most ethical and knowledgeable professionals in the business. His reputation is golden and I am honored to have learned the business from such a respected expert.

When I sell real estate, I use my education and experience. But more importantly, I am driven by my passion for this city and the people who call it home. I am happy to say that I am not the average real estate agent- my experience and background is as diverse as the my clientele. This is something I am very proud of!

Areas of Expertise

For sellers, I specialize in creative, technology driven marketing for homes in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Metropolitan Area. Whether your home is mid century modern home in Jackson Park or a Victorian Mansion in Concordia, I specialize in isolating the special features, creating online and paper marketing materials unique to your home, and spreading the word that your home is for sale.

For buyers, I specialize in finding ideal homes. I focus on educating my buyers about the home buying process and helping them decide on neighborhood, home type, and amenities. When looking for homes, I help my buyers to steer away from lemons and to recognize the potential of solid homes.

For relocating and first time buyers, I introduce my clients to neighborhoods throughout the city. Many of my buyers end up in neighborhoods that they didn't even know exist. I am avidly interested in the history of the Milwaukee area- many of my clients who grew up in Milwaukee comment that I show them a city they never knew!

Testimonials

Choosing a Realtor can be a difficult process. I take pride in the relationships I develop with my customers and clients. Here is what a few of my happy customers have to say.

I am also happy to provide references upon request!

Have you worked with me and want to leave a comment or testimonial? Please email me.

"I have worked with John on purchasing two houses now and plan to work with him on many more properties. I have worked with four different real estate agents in the last two years, purchasing five houses. John is by far the most knowledgeable, reliable and well spoken agent I have ever encountered.

I have made one bad real estate purchase in the last two years and I have told people that if John was my agent at the time, I wouldn't be stuck with such a bad property. He recently helped me get my primary residence from a City of Milwaukee auction, it was a lengthy and difficult process- John helped me through everything. I have full confidence in him and in my opinion he is the only agent/person to work with."

D.S., Riverwest Home Buyer and Investor Extrordinaire

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"John Dye has been my agent for a couple of properties now, one that I purchased about a year ago, and one that I have recently sold. I've worked with several different agents in the past and none have been as informative, patient or as kind as John Dye. I will definitely go to him for any of my real estate needs in the future, buying or selling. I not only consider him a great agent, but also a friend. John Dye is not only the best agent in Milwaukee, but possibly the best real estate agent in the world.

HOORAY FOR JOHNNY D!!!!!!!!!!"

K. K., Investor and finder of the "Last Best Deal on the Eastside"

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"When I first decided I wanted to buy a home, I was a bit nervous. The process seemed overwhelming at times, but John was very helpful and patient. He provided much insight into the real estate market, and eventually helped me find a home that not only do I love, but one that has given me some financial flexibility. Thanks John."

C. R., Happy Homeowner, Brewer's Hill

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"We started looking for a house with little more than the idea that we had to buy a "fixer upper," partly because we couldn´t afford to buy anything in better condition. In the time that we spent looking for houses with John, we saw just about everything we could imagine. Whether it was attics with dead rodents or basements with (very) live rottweilers, even basements where the seller (for whatever reason) didn´t want to have any lights on, John was ready to go anywhere! We looked at some houses that seemed like everything needed to be torn out and rebuilt, and we looked at others where really very little needed to be done. John got to know us, and although the only time he told us "you don´t want this house" was when we looked at a house we still refer to as "the toxic waste dump," we found that his enthusiasm level during a showing was a pretty good indicator of what we would think of any given house after a few days of reflection. I can´t count the number of times I thought, "No wonder John seemed so reserved." What was most fun was that like us, John really loves old houses, and he was eager to climb around the old houses and check out their bones, speculate about remodeling possibilities, and try to figure out what had been done to them in the past.

We made offers, and negotiated, on several different houses before we finally bought one. In the process, we dealt with sellers who seemed to think that the constant rainwater flowing though the roof was not a problem, and we faxed offers and amendments back and forth from Kinko´s and competitors in three different states while on our "vacation." We pursued a house approaching foreclosure so long that I think we all learned a little more about bankruptcy law than any of us wanted to know. There were many times we felt we were wasting John´s time, as well as our own, and just needed to give up and settle for a house we could live with. John encouraged us that there was a house out there for us and that we just needed to keep looking. Thank goodness we did, because he was right.

Even though we´ve closed on a house, we still contact John sometimes with questions, because we found him to be a wealth of information on where to find odd plumbing or other parts for a 100 year old house. Some Realtors are in the business to make a deal quickly and move on, John was committed to making the right deal, and we would recommend him to anybody wanting to buy the right house."

M & D, Determined and Courageous Homebuyers, Riverwest

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"We found John midway on our search for a home and were glad we did. John knows so much about older houses and especially homes in the areas we were looking at on the east side, brewer's hill and riverwest. John is the first one to pull out his maglight and inspect the darkest corners of every basement, pointing out everything he finds strange. He helped us write offers on a few different homes and made the process so easy and painless for us. We would definitely recommend John to anyone looking for a home."

K. & A., Seekers of a Home WITHOUT an Indoor Waterfall, Riverwest

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"From the moment we came across John Dye's informative web site, we thought he should be our agent. Upon meeting him, we knew he was the right guy. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable, but he is friendly and down-to-earth, too. With John Dye, we got an agent who wasn't going to lie to us or try to stick us in just any house to make a sale. He helped us find ethical people to work with, and he coached us through the agonizing process of filling out endless paperwork. He helped make the purchase of a first home much less frightening than we thought it would be. If we ever need to buy a house again, he will be the agent we call. And if we have any friends in need of a house, we will gladly recommend him."

N. & T., Riverwest Homeowners

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