THERE’S AN OLD PROVERB THAT TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. WELL, WITH THE STARK TEAM, YOU GET THREE. ANNE AND I WERE DELIGHTED WITH THE PROCESS AND OUTCOME OF OUR RECENT HOME SALE IN LAKE FOREST. WE HAD RENTED THE HOME FOR SIX YEARS AND IT NEEDED A QUICK, COST-EFFICIENT, TARGETED MAKEOVER – AND THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED. LET’S START WITH ELAINE’S INCREDIBLE “HANDY LIST” OF CONTRACTORS: YOU DON’T GET ONTO THAT LIST UNLESS YOU ARE TRUSTED TO DELIVER THE GOODS. HAVING HAD PLENTY OF POOR – OR UNDERWHELMING -- EXPERIENCE WITH CONTRACTORS OVER THE YEARS, I WAS IMPRESSED WITH JUST HOW RELIABLE THESE GUYS WERE. THE STARK TEAM STAYED RIGHT ON TOP OF ALL THE WORK I COMMISSIONED, LEAVING ME FREE TO ADD VALUE WHERE I COULD – AND DEAL WITH MY FULL-TIME JOB IN DOWNTOWN L.A. BUT LET’S BACK UP: WHAT WAS THE WORK? IT WAS NO MORE AND NO LESS THAN WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. SIMONE OFFERED UP TARGETED SUGGESTIONS LIKE QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS, A “FARMER’S SINK”, UPGRADED LIGHT FIXTURES – CONTEMPORARY ITEMS THAT REQUIRED RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT TRULY PAID OFF. YET, I WAS NOT PRESSURED INTO ANYTHING I DID NOT REALLY WANT TO DO: ELAINE, DON AND SIMONE WERE PARTICULARLY GOOD AT TAKING ME OUT OF MY OWN HEAD ABOUT WHAT I LIKE. RIGHT DOWN TO THE COLOR SCHEME OF THE PAINT AND CARPET, THEY GENTLY STEERED ME INTO A RESULTS-ORIENTED MAKEOVER THAT WOULD APPEAL TO THE WIDEST NUMBER OF POTENTIAL BUYERS. WHERE I DIDN’T NEED TO SPEND MONEY THEY TOLD ME NOT TO WASTE MONEY. QUITE REFRESHING. THE STARK TEAM SOLD OUR HOUSE IN FIVE DAYS, BRINGING IN SIX OFFERS TO CHOOSE AMONG – TWO OF THEM ABOVE LISTING PRICE. SIMONE AND ELAINE CAREFULLY EXPLAINED THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH OFFER (CONTINGENCIES, ETC.) AGAIN, THEY DIDN’T PRESSURE US – THEY JUST PRESENTED EVERYTHING LOGICALLY, AND WE ARRIVED AT THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT THEY DID. I HAVE WORKED WITH MULTIPLE REALTORS OVER MY 35 YEARS OF HOME OWNERSHIP (MULTIPLE HOMES AND RENTAL PROPERTIES). I GIVE THE STARK TEAM MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION. THESE GUYS ARE THE BEST.