Testimonials

Julie-Ann has assisted us with the purchase of two investment properties over recent years. As we are located in the UK we needed someone to help us with the entire process from deciding upon an area to invest in, right up to appointing a property manager. Throughout this we have always found Julie-Ann to be extremely professional in her approach. Based upon her knowledge and experience of the Brisbane property market, Julie-Ann has provided invaluable advice which has enabled us to make two fantastic investments. We would not hesitate to recommend her services to any potential investors or home buyers looking for a property in South East Queensland.

Melissa- London

As a first home buyer I had no experience in the housing market. After many weeks of looking I found a property I really loved, but really needed an impartial (non-real estate agent) opinion of whether it was a wise purchase or not. Also, the property was going to auction – a process I had no idea about! I engaged The Home Straight to assist me in looking at the property and bidding for me at the auction. Julie-Ann guided me through the whole process, saving me loads of time (organising building and pest, a great solicitor, and attending inspections). I work as a contractor so this was a real bonus as time away from work means no pay. Julie-Ann was strong and extremely professional during the auction (during which, without her help, I probably would have made some big financial mistakes). Using The Home Straight not only gave me confidence to purchase but also massively reduced my stress levels.
Having only a very small deposit I was initially a little anxious about spending money on a buyer’s agent. However, Julie-Ann’s help, reassurance, patience and fabulous prompt service were worth every cent. Plus, Julie-Ann helped me negotiate my property for around $60,000 less than the original asking price!!! I cannot recommend The Home Straight highly enough and will certainly be contacting Julie-Ann again next time I purchase.

Marnie- Brisbane

Thank you for all your help and expertise in finding us an investment property. It was money well spent! As we are located in Sydney the service you provide was invaluable. From narrowing down possible growth areas, undergoing numerous inspections, organizing pest inspections, building inspections and solicitor, ensuring the settlement period was problem free, organizing quotes for blinds and recommending a property manager, we are very grateful. We are most impressed with the service provided such as installation of gas bottles prior to rental of the property. We hardly had to lift a finger from Sydney!

Lars and Simone- Sydney

We could not speak highly enough of the services provided by The Home Straight. After 12 frustrating months of trying to buy our first investment property to no avail, we contacted Julie-Ann Cronin. After initial meetings with three different buyers agents we decided to engage Julie-Ann to work for us as she was clearly a standout from the others. Julie-Ann was able to help us clarify our requirements, put options forward that we had not thought of, and kept the momentum going. Her feedback was invaluable, her patience and diligence outstanding. On a number of occasions Julie-Ann had the opportunity to encourage us to buy a property which would have resulted in her payment. Her honesty and integrity are second to none and she constantly proved that she was putting our interests ahead of her own. The time, effort and patience she put into our purchase was well worth the cost and she ensured that our investment was of quality with low risk. We would have no hesitation in recommending The Home Straight to anyone buying real estate. Through our purchase we have become more educated; however without a doubt, we will be engaging Julie-Ann Cronin’s service for our next purchase. It would be just too expensive and risky not to!

Robert and Donna- Brisbane

Would I use Julie-Ann from The Home Straight again and if so why?
I found Julie-Ann patient, persistent, supportive, thorough, helpful and cost effective.

My search period was prolonged by a period where I was not employed. Despite this, she was always available to talk about some ideas I had or even just to keep my spirits high. She never abandoned me. From my perspective, in using a search agent, a concern is the potential for an agent to push you to buy the first home offered. This was not the case with Julie-Ann.
When we finally decided on the right property, she helped me to finalise the offer process in a very short period of time and with a minimum of fuss. She thoroughly prepared me for each step in the settlement process so that it was the smoothest purchase I have ever made. In fact, it was incredibly easy.

She has then assisted me in developing the most appropriate strategy for the property given the current climate of rising interest rates and the state of the market in which I purchased. Julie-Ann is a good sounding board for any ideas I may have, particulary in the area of strategy refinement.

A possible stumbling block for others when considering whether to use the services of a Buyers Agent is the cost involved. Being a remote investor from NSW, I can justify this cost in a number of ways, being

1. With her, on the ground knowledge and her direct access to each prospect, we actually looked at a greater number of properties than I ever would have been able to achieve. In fact without this service, I either would not have found a suitable property, or may have even panicked after a period of time and purchased in a less effective manner than I did.
2. Being time poor like many other investors, working long hours and with family, time available to search on the internet for that ideal property is limited. Julie-Ann was my eyes and ears to search out the deal.
3. At the end of the day, my aim is to build a portfolio of properties. It makes sense for me to speed up the process by paying a fee to make this happen. I would much rather buy 2 properties in a year, make the capital gain on both and pay Julie-Ann's fees, rather than struggle to buy 1 myself and save Julie-Ann's fees.
4. Finally, due to Julie-Ann's knowledge of the market, combined with her refined negotiation experience, I effectively recouped her fee by getting the property at a lesser price.

I have no hesitation in recommending the services of The Home Straight and plan to use her service again.

Peter- NSW

I engaged the services of The Home Straight as I wished to buy a property in the Beenleigh region and as an expat I knew I would need expert assistance. Julie-Ann Cronin quickly sized up the market and was soon sending inspection reports with photos for various properties.

I guess one of the risks with a Buyer's Agent is that they will be too keen to buy, as that is when they get paid, but Julie-Ann seemed more concerned with finding a good investment and eliminated several properties which may have looked good on paper for reasons such as proximity to power lines and so on. For example, one townhouse was discarded because she went to council on her own initiative and found a storm water drain in an undesirable location.

She was really a steady hand through the whole process and was invaluable to an expat since she took care of many details before sale and liaised on my behalf with solicitors, inspectors and even mortgage broker to an extent that I considered well beyond the call of duty. She was always courteous, easy to contact and prompt in replying to emails

Thanks to her my property has settled and my property investment portfolio is off to a good start.

Peter- Korea

Julie-Ann has been helpful in guiding us through the motions of buying a house and setting our expectations which was helpful for us as a first home buyer. Julie-Ann was responsive to our wishes. We are now living in a house we really like and we are thankful for her efforts.

Richard and Lydia- Brisbane

It has been a very positive experience working with Julie-Ann and The Home Straight. I was looking to purchase my first development property in Queensland and found Julie-Ann's knowledge of the area and also her expertise in development issues and constraints, extremely helpful and am confident that her involvement has landed me an excellent growth property in Ipswich.

Julie-Ann proposed several potential properties outlining the pros and cons in particular from a development point of view ,and I found her very supportive in my decisions to reject and ultimately accept a proposal and to put in an offer.

I would recommend The Home Straight for other investors looking to purchase in SE Queensland.

Fabian- Russia

The services provided by Julie-Ann were highly professional from start to finish. Excellent customer service from all apsects.
Julie-Ann saved me valuable time, money and stress, in terms of sourcing properties in the area I had nominated, liaising with real estate agents from initial inspection through to negotiation and providing guidance on what was the right price to pay for the property. She ensured that the entire process from sourcing the property right through to settlement ran as smoothly as possible. Julie-Ann's input and industry knowledge was invaluable.
As a result I was able to purchase a property within 5 km of the city, within budget and for the right price, in a market that is currently highly competitive. I could not have achieved the same outcome without Julie-Ann's assistance.
I have recommended Julie-Ann to friends and would not hesitate to utilise her services again for my next property purchase.

Trudy- Brisbane

Julie-Ann provided very prompt and professional advice and services in acting as my buying agent. Good knowledge and focus on the right areas was demonstrated for what I was needing. The organisation of inspections and services by others worked very well and the work quality was great. In the final run Julie-Ann also managed to broker a reduction in the purchase price related to some property issues, which could have been ignored, but I was very pleased she championed this on my behalf.

So, overall I was very happy with The Home Straight and have confidence in recommending them to anyone else searching for a property.

Chris- Perth

We found Julie-Ann to be very helpful in our search for our new home. The attention to detail and follow through on all points was as she promised. We found her to be flexible and conscious of our needs. We would not hesitate to recommend her to any potential buyers.

Robert and Beris- Brisbane

Julie-Ann helped us to buy an investment property in Australia from our overseas base (the UK). It was our first property purchase so we were quite cautious and probably very demanding in the support we sought from Julie-Ann. This wasn’t a problem at all. Julie-Ann provides an excellent service, particularly for an overseas based buyer. Julie-Ann guided us through every aspect of the purchase, right up until settlement and selection of a rental property manager. Having someone you trust attend property inspections is critical, and we were completely comfortable with Julie-Ann being our representative. With the photos and property summaries we received from Julie-Ann for each inspection, we felt as though it wasn’t that dissimilar to being there ourselves. All up, I highly recommend the services provided by the Home Straight and in particular Julie-Ann.

Nathan- London

My husband Steve & I are extremely pleased with how smoothly our investment property purchase went. I initially thought it was going to be difficult organising everything from interstate but was pleasantly surprised at how easily you managed to negotiate a reduced sales price, provide continuous and informative updates, as well as constantly act as our eyes and feet. We thankyou for making everything so stress free and look forward to dealing with you again in the future!

Veronica and Steve- Sydney

I found the service to be very professional. Once the contract had been signed is when I felt it worthwhile as the whole process was seamless and stress free. I will definitely use The Home Straight service again.

Andrew- Blackwater

When Shane first mentioned the idea of using a Buyer’s Agent, I though he was a bit lazy. However after months of futile searching, I have to admit that he was right. In addition, dealing with some real estate agents was incredibly frustrating. Julie-Ann, you attended and gave us a current market analysis on every property we were interested in. Not only that, you pointed out various advantages and faults which we would never have noticed ourselves. Having your assistance in this matter meant less stress, more time and more money saved. From building to pest inspections, negotiating with real estate agents and even liaising with our solicitors you had everything covered.

From the time we started looking for a home, we noticed a significant price rise in the house market. Your independent advice kept us grounded and we could not be happier with the home we have today. Thanks again.

Shane and Alex- Brisbane

I would like to thank The Home Straight for assisting me in the purchase of my investment property. Having someone on the ground seeking out the most appropriate property for my needs made the task so much easier than dealing with selling agents. The process from beginning to end was made easier because of the attention to detail provided in their service and I look forward to using their service again in the future.

Katherine-London

Buying a house for the first time can be a confusing and time consuming task, with very few people prepared to sit down and explain the process in any great detail. This was a concern, considering it was to be the biggest purchase of my life so far!

However, Julie-Ann from the Home Straight explained the process and was vital in finding the ideal property for me, working through the week and weekends, allowing me to focus on my work and other commitments.
She was able to find a suitable property in a difficult market, as well as liaising with my mortgage broker, solicitor, real estate agents and other sellers to streamline the process and give me the confidence that nothing was being overlooked or forgotten.
I can confidently recommend the service, especially to first home buyers or buyers interstate and overseas looking for someone to put your interests first.
I honestly believe it was the difference in finding the right house, not just any house.

Clint - Brisbane

Using The Home Straight’s buyer’s agency to acquire my investment property proved to be a great decision. The service provided was very professional and I felt at ease throughout the process knowing that my needs were being met.

John- Singapore

Julie-Ann’s assistance in finding an investment property that suited our requirements was invaluable, especially as the whole process spanned the length of Asia from us in the Middle East to her on the ground in Brisbane. She was completely professional and tireless in every aspect, all the way from scouting properties to covering a few bills in our stead, while we sorted out money hassles from our end. I would highly recommend The Home Straight as a buyer’s agent to anyone planning on purchasing a new home and even more so considering value for money is an understatement in this case. Julie-Ann, thank-you very much.

Jamie and Kay- Oman

Julie-Ann, thank you for providing your excellent services to me. I was very impressed by several things:

• Your services cost less than competitors
• Your were professional from start to finish
• You were accommodating and patient in developing our investment criteria with me
• You were proactive and contacted me regularly and often
• You were excellent at bidding at the auction – you took the heat off me

Most importantly, you delivered as promised. I obtained an investment property quickly, smoothly, and under the market value. I felt you really did promote my interests. I was very pleased. Needless to say, I’ll re-hire you for the next property.

Douglas- Brisbane

It is with pleasure that I am able to write a few words to recommend the skills and performance of Julie-Ann Cronin.

From the first appointment, I noticed her professional approach. Julie-Ann advised me of the rules and regulations, the way she proposed to search for the property, and the conduct of inspections. I was kept up to date after every inspection, and every base had been covered. This continued right up until settlement was achieved, and produced a satisfying result to all parties.

This satisfactory result was achieved because of her attention to detail, honesty, and professional performance.

I have no hesitation in recommending Julie-Ann Cronin.

Russell- Brisbane

Professional with a personal touch.
Thanks for finding the right suburb, street, home in an informative and stress free way.

Twain- Broome WA.

Thank you again for all your assistance and support. I shall certainly recommend your service.

Helen- Brisbane

We found the Services of Homestraight & in particular Julie-Ann invaluable. As investors the type of property we were after had to meet a certain criteria, which was sort after and sold very quickly. Through her contacts Julie-Ann found properties before they went on the general market and was able to view the properties on our behalf within hours of finding them. She would then offer inside local knowledge and do the research at the Council, ascertained if the property met all our needs and comparative property values.

She was very professional and efficient and saved us stress, time and money, and looked at many potential properties before finding the right one. Without Homestraight services we may not have been able to find a suitable property in the present market. Once we signed contracts, Julie-Ann liaised with all the various parties to ensure a smooth transition for settlement.

We would highly recommend Homestraight Property Acquisition Consultants particularly if you want to save time, money and stress.

Chris and Rhea- Kingscliff NSW.

I found Julie’s assistance invaluable in assisting me to narrow in on suitable properties and explaining why some were suitable and some were not. I felt Julie was looking on my behalf as if she was the buyer and am sure the ultimate property purchased was something she would also have been happy to own. I purchased a premium property in Brisbane as a time-poor chartered accountant, living in Canberra, with little time to research the markets properly but a good awareness of broadly what I was looking for. Julie did all the running around before and after exchange of contracts, providing me with photos, property profiles and other relevant information in relation to a wide range of properties.

Where I saw the major benefits of engaging Julie & The Home Straight were in the ability to negotiate hard to achieve a price well below the vendor’s expectations, which I believe represents a discount on the market value of the property generally and, more importantly, significantly below the price I might have settled for had I been doing the negotiations on my own. It was this market savvy that I valued the most in our dealings, clearly gained from years of experience and a healthy dose of local knowledge. I was also comforted in the knowledge that this difference in price was considerably more than my investment in engaging Julie to do all the leg work anyway.

I would be delighted to recommend the Home Straight to assist anyone seeking to purchase quality Brisbane real estate, well-researched and considered appropriate to the buyer’s individual circumstances and to provide further details by telephone or email if this would assist a potential client in their deliberations.

I will certainly be using the Home Straight again when next I purchase in Brisbane.

Ian-Canberra

At very short notice Julie-Ann agreed to bid on our behalf at an auction. She quickly and efficiently inspected the property confirmed the value and established a bidding strategy with us. All documentation was handled with a minimum of fuss and nothing was too much trouble for her as a number of documents had to be shuttled between bank and the real estate agent.
The actual auction day was surprisingly stress free with a successful result being advised by Julie-Ann within half an hour. This was the first time we used a buyer’s agent and based on the service received from Julie-Ann we would certainly not hesitate to use her again. We would certainly recommend her services to anyone, particularly people re-locating from interstate.

Paul and Lianne-NSW

From our first meeting with Julie-Ann we felt reassured that our search for our home was in good hands. The Home Straight provided us with guidance through the entire process and removed the stress that would normally be associated with trying to locate a family home to say nothing of the weekends that we saved not having to attend house inspections.

We were kept informed at each stage of the process and were impressed with the way in which all our needs were met including the use of third party providers, such as a finance broker, a solicitor and the services of building and pest inspectors.

When it came to negotiation we knew what our property was worth because of the thorough research carried out by The Home Straight and were pleased to be able leave that in their capable hands. Because of the negotiation skills of The Home Straight we were able to acquire our home significantly below the asking price and the market value and the fee for using this service was more than recovered.

We would certainly recommend The Home Straight to any of our friends and work colleagues as we are delighted with our family home and intend using Julie-Ann again to purchase our investment property.

Steven-Brisbane

I selected the Home Straight Property Acquisition Consultants to act as my Buyer's Agent in the recent purchase of a property in Brisbane. This was my first purchase of an investment property sight unseen. My Home Straight consultant literally acted as my eyes and ears on the ground in Brisbane, allowing me to quickly investigate a number of properties. I found my consultant's advice and knowledge of the Brisbane property market very useful in making decisions about which property to focus on. The value of Home Straight's service was clear to me. Having a personal representative on the ground allows negotiations to proceed rapidly. I have since settled on that property and have been extremely satisfied with my decision. Home Straight's service, both before and after the contract was signed, has been excellent. Their consultant's personal approach made my purchase painless and worry free. I highly recommend this service to anyone else.

Paul-Canberra

As an expat living in Hong Kong I engaged the services of The Home Straight to purchase an investment property. After explaining the criteria I was looking for in an investment property the process that followed was remarkably easy. Not only was the buying process stress free but through access to third party providers I was able to make use of a solicitor, quantity surveyor, building and pest inspectors and property manager to lease my property.
I have recommended The Home Straight’s service to my friends here and intend to use their services in the future.

Alex-Hong Kong

We would like to thank the consultant at The Home Straight for the assistance and guidance in purchasing a property on the coast for us. We hadn’t used a buyer’s agent before and were pleasantly surprised at the smooth process involved in buying a property while overseas. Because we have little time on our hands we were grateful for the professional and efficient approach taken by The Home Straight in organizing everything for us. We have recommended their services to our work colleagues and expat friends here and will take the opportunity to use their services again.

Ruth-New York