Testimonials

Bryan Townsend of Realty San Miguel was key to our purchase of a San Miguel property. We found Bryan to be honest, reliable, efficient and, perhaps most importantly, very knowledgeable of the local market. We would have no hesitation in recommending him.

We have been in the business of building for many years and one of the most difficult things to find in this business is a realty company that you can depend on. You are among the very few.

Since the onset we had excellent service starting with Nancy who came to see and list and photograph the properties. She gave us a great deal of input and then followed up by promoting our properties with incredible ads in the Atencion as well as giving us online coverage.

Then Philip, who understands construction, contributed his vast knowledge and professionalism when evaluating the quality of the construction and its market value.

In as much as the actual sale, Jessica found the right client for our house and the right house for her client. She was very thorough with processing the sale and following up with all the sales details for both buyer and seller. She is incredibly efficient and patient."

All in all, you are a very service oriented group. Thank you for all your valuable assistance

Bill O

We loved working with Jessica. She knew half the people in town and even the most obscure streets, plus she seemed tireless in showing both RSM listings as well as all of the others we asked for. She worked very well with the other realtors who accompanied us to their listings. Her English is about flawless, and I also appreciated speaking Spanish with her and her “coaching.” We enjoyed Gloria, who seemed to be the most plugged in woman in town.
We loved being able to also work with Philip. His knowledge of the business, buildings and structures, laws and key people were invaluable to us in processing our transaction. The recommendation we received from friends for him was absolutely correct.
If it weren’t for Philip, Jessica, Gloria, Lucero and RSM, we would not be home owners in SMA today. We are just delighted with the ease of the process, not to mention with our new home.

Wendy Weber & Jim Knoch

His knowledge of Mexican real estate law is prodigious and his knowledge of the language and who’s who in town is invaluable.

I had a very good experience looking for the house I would call home in San Miguel, with the help of the charming and intelligent mother/daughter team of Gloria and Jessica. Their patience was endless and we became good friends as they tried to understand my needs and just what I was looking for in a home. I never felt pressured and looked forward to our daily meetings, often for the
pleasure of their company. Philip Hardcastle is fortunate to have them as members of his team of professionals.

Diana Deiss

It was a delight to work with Philip. He showed initiative, creativity and ability to put together a good deal. His professionalism and honesty are beyond reproach. He sold our house after having the listing for only two months. We would not hesitate to recommend him to other sellers or buyers... in fact we already have!

Stew Hammer and Al Lanier

We are delighted to write a testimonial for Bryan Townsend. Mr. Townsend has represented us in real estate transactions for the past four years and has proven himself to be honest, determined, informative, hard working and helpful in those transactions. He goes above and beyond the call of duty. His knowledge of Mexican real estate law is prodigious and his knowledge of the language and who's who in town is invaluable. We have been extremely pleased with Mr. Townsend's work and can recommend him without reservation.

I found that working with Phil was a pleasure....totally objective, helpful, and with a great attention to detail...no loose ends....I highly recommend him!

Dick & Janet A

It was very refreshing and immediately reassuring to get such realistic and objective advice from you about buying in San Miguel de Allende. You were generous with your local knowledge of property and construction and your pro-active guidance through the buying process will always be remembered and appreciated. I have no reservation about recommending your services.

Michael

I am happy to say that my husband and I feel very privileged that we were in the excellent hands of Edgar Cancino when we bought our villa last year. We never had a problem and Edgar kept us informed of the progress of the building during the months we were not in Mexico. If we ever know anyone who is looking at real estate in the San Miguel area, without hesitation we would refer them to Edgar.

Sincerely Rosemary and Robert Cooke

When I was ready to put my home up for sale, neighbors and friends highly recommended Philip Hardcastle's agency as being honest, knowledgeable, and sincere in their efforts in representing your property. So I signed with them, as an exclusive listing, and never thought twice about giving my listing to additional agencies. I truly lucked out in having Ms. Jessica as my agent! As a non-Spanish speaking American, I found Jessica to be adept at interfacing with both the Mexican and American communities, a quality not all agents possess. Her enthusiasm for living in San Miguel was evident and her professional demeanor was appreciated. She served as my Power of Attorney when my home sold, and she was totally competent in handling the complicated legalities. What else can I say....Realty San Miguel made the whole process much easier, and pleasant, than it would normally have been.

Linda Lawrence

We want to thank you for successfully guiding us through the somewhat complicated process of buying our condo in San Miguel.
You were the dream realtor! We never felt pressured one way or the other when you were showing us several properties; you always were able to show us possible solutions to problems we were finding with the individual houses we were being shown. When we left San Miguel to return to our home, before the official closing, we felt confident you would represent our interests as well as those of the sellers fairly.
We would recommend you highly to either buyers or sellers of property in San Miguel De Allende.
Thanks also to your assistant Lucero for her very capable and professional help. We now own our home in San Miguel De Allende.

George and Grace Sutton

I first met Philip Hardcastle’s wife before I met him. The first time I met Philip was when he brought a woman to see the house. I showed both of them the house as neither had seen it before. That visit changed my life. The woman bought my house. I think the most valuable virtue of Philip is that he is honest and fair to both parties. He made sure for both of us that everything was in order and totally legal. He responded whenever I needed help. He was present and there for both of us from beginning to end. I also felt he genuinely cared for my welfare. I had no doubts about him following through with the whole process. So all went well and in harmony. I am grateful to have met him and lucky that he turned out to be the agent for me.

Sincerely Christina Sol

After meeting several real estate agents in San Miguel, we decided to work with Bryan Townsend from Realty San Miguel. Bryan and the team at Realty San Miguel were the most helpful and responsive to our needs. He worked successfully through his contacts and with our wishes in mind to find us the ideal home in less than three weeks. We were thrilled with his work ethic and his quick response to our endless questions and emails. Bryan helped sooth our nerves and remained a partner throughout the process. We worked with Bryan both face-to-face and from a distance and both ways he had our complete confidence. Without a doubt I would recommend Bryan and his company to anyone interested in finding the perfect property in San Miguel.

Michaela and Jaafar Yasin.

Philip Hardcastle was referred to us as an honest, hardworking broker who followed through when needed. We showed Philip our condo, he thought he had a buyer in mind and three days later, after a number of phone calls, we were under contract. Bravo Philip…

Jean Mos & David Margolis

I just wish to express my satisfaction with the service of Realty San Miguel on the sale of my home in Calle Marte. Within 3 weeks of the listing of my house by Gloria Farias one of the agents, there was a firm offer. After the offer and acceptance, the closing could have been very soon, but I was in the U.S at the time, and so the closing took place after my return. Everything went off without a hitch.
I will recommend Realty San Miguel to anyone for their real estate needs. Many Thanks.

Samuel Williams

Totally professional is the best way to describe Bryan Townsend's recent handling of the sale of my house.
The negotiations were a bit unusual and erratic to say the least and without his patient guidance, knowledge and sense of humor I'm not sure I would have lived through the closing. Best and most reliable agent in town!

Billie Bremer

Philip, we want to thank you for all of the assistance you have given us during our new adventure in San Miguel de Allende. Your quick perception of the type of properties that we would like saved us many hours of tramping through homes, and eliminated the need to wander through narrow streets trying to find places to park. In the short time we had to spend with you both in May, and subsequently when we purchased in November, you were a fountain of knowledge while we both had hundreds of questions. Lo siento if we didn’t give you ample time to complete a sentence or thought!

During the following days after the offer was accepted, while we were wrapping up escrow on our home in the states and you were working the legal aspect here in SMA, your quick e-mail updates and responses were welcomed. If that wasn’t enough, up through 2 weeks after our arrival, you are still acting as our information center.

Please be sure we have a few of your cards in hand, as whenever we have the opportunity, we will certainly recommend you highly. You and your staff are to be commended as our experience has been above and beyond normal.

Jim & Kathy Machir

We highly recomend Edgar as a very professional person. He was on time on every appointment, patient, and he looked exactly the property that we wanted, even the price! He directed us on this business way and adviced all the advantages and disadvantages on each property. Hopefully you have more people as him. We´re too grateful!

Paulina Couttolenc De Cabeza

I have been in the real estate business full time for 25 years. I have owned my own business for 18 of those years. Most all of my expertise is in development, leasing and management of class "A" properties. In this specialized line of business, experience, knowledge, service and persistence play a huge role in the success of a business professional.
Recently, Philip handled a particularly difficult sales transaction for myself and 3 other buyers on 4 contiguous rural parcels. The sales transactions were unusually time sensitive, both for the sellers and buyers. There were numerous issues which needed clarifaction through many different contacts and authorities. Philip handled the vast amount of information necessary to close the sales by communicating effectively between buyers, sellers, contractors and authorities while addressing and resolving issues in a timely manner.
If you are buying, selling or looking for a developer, I believe you would find Philip to be one of the most capable and finest professionals to handle your real estate needs.

J.A. LANKFORD

We just wanted to say how pleasant it was working with Edgar Cancino. We cannot say enough good things about Edgar. He was very helpful from start to finish, very professional and polite every step of the way. He kept us updated by sending photo's and emails over the nine month construction process that made us feel like we were right in the middle of things!
Gracias por todo...!

LT & Weeda Moss

Through Philip, we found our ideal place in SMA. We have complete trust in Philip. He is an excellent listener, has infinite patience, and takes time to help with those pesky details that surface when buying property in another country. He always answers his phone, ready to assist.
We felt that Philip gave us realistic and accurate information, and wasn’t afraid to share his own experiences and helpful suggestions. We enjoyed working with Philip, and would work with him again. He receives our highest recommendation.

PJ and AV

I’ve just bought my first home in San Miguel with the help of Philip Hardcastle of Terrenos Y Casas San Miguel. I would describe myself as skeptical and a bit curmudgeonly based on my age and previous experiences with Real Estate folks in the U.S. But this experience with Philip has been the best ever. I recommend Terrenos Y Casas San Miguel wholeheartedly. If you are looking for straight talk, responsiveness, and honesty, you need look no further.

Billy Parker

I wasn't thinking of buying a house in San Miguel, but saw an ad in Atención and requested a showing out of general curiousity.

Jessica Avendaño showed me the property and in one meeting understood enough about me to then show me a perfect dream house to suit my personality the following week. She then competently guided me through all the steps needed to make that home my own with great efficiency, knowledge and professionalism.

I was comfortable even with the unfamiliar process and contracts because she has a special knowledge of the local people, customs and business practices as well as a remarkable ability in English and knowledge of U.S. business practices.

It was reassuring too, to have the expertise of Philip Hardcastle available for second opinions and technical questions. It is obvious when you meet him that he is a valuable resource to have in a Real Estate transaction.

The whole team was constantly available, responsive and reliable. In my years of selling Real Estate on the pricey West Side of Los Angeles, I have not seen a better organization or agent than Realty San Miguel and Jessica Avendaño and I would not do Real Estate in San Miguel without them.

I can honestly say that it was a pleasure to work with them and I am certain that they will be wonderful for you, too.

Laurel de Leo

We had a very good experience working with Philip and Marisol. When showing us properties, Marisol took time to find out about us and what we were looking for, and if she didn't have the answer to a question she got back to us promptly. Philip was extremely helpful in explaining the ins and outs of Mexican real estate transactions. Much more than other realtors we have used over the years, Philip puts himself in the client's shoes. It was so nice to work with someone who did not seem motivated purely by self-interest. He clearly understands the needs of both parties, which we believe has a lot to do with his success in this business. We would recommend San Miguel Realty without hesitation.

Julie

I recently completed a transaction with Realty San Miguel. I worked with Jessica Avendaño. She is truly a professional and a lovely human being. The process was forthright, honest, and speedy. I felt in good, solid hands throughout the entire sale and remain very pleased. Thank you so much!

Teresa Shepro

I was shocked how fast Phil sold my house. He always called before he came and got close to what I wanted and more than I expected.
It was a pleasure working with him and if I ever sell my new house (not a chance) I'd call Phil.

Daniel Rueffert

Philip Hardcastle was tireless and invaluable in helping me purchase a property in San Miguel de Allende (2007).
Since the market is not as organized as elsewhere (no Realtors database or central listing service) I was impressed by how often Philip covers the terrain, notices signs of change, and stops to talk with so many folks to keep his detailed market knowledge very current.
From years of developing construction projects in the USA and Asia, and now in San Miguel, he has:
- the experience to judge a property's construction,
- personal knowledge of how much things cost in San Miguel, and
- the cultural awareness to work with folks anywhere.
Philip has worked very well indeed with some awfully useful folks, from Licenciados to craftsmen, vendors and service personnel. This is incredibly helpful during the sale, through the closing, and even more so afterwards. I am fluent in Spanish and have heard first-hand the warm regard with which he is held by everyone who has worked with him in San Miguel. As a result, I have sought and followed his advice in many matters.
I am delighted to recommend Philip Hardcastle most highly, without any reservations whatsoever.

David McClintock

I recently sold my house in San Miguel. My realtor, Bryan Townsend of Realty San Miguel, was very helpful to me. He's very professional and understands what's involved. He was able to usher me through the maze of house-selling, which I had never done before, even in my absence from san miguel. He gave me great advice when I needed it and handled the myriad of loose ends without a hitch. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Teresa Major

Philip represented us in the purchase of our country property. Even though he came in at the last minute, he got up to speed on a complicated situation very quickly, and did a great job of protecting our interests. He is smart, efficient, resourceful and honest--and a genuinely nice person to boot. We recommend him highly.

Doug and Glenda Robinson

Philip helped us sell some property recently and we are extremely grateful for his assistance. It was a complicated deal and without his incredible organizational and diplomatic skills we'd probably still be in the middle of it! He is smart and conscientious and knows how Mexico works.

Nick Power and Penelope Haskew

Philip's in-depth knowledge of the San Miguel real estate market was invaluable in helping us find the perfect home that truly matched our requirements. Both he and his staff were patient, informative, and genuinely interested in working with us from our initial contact through closing. We have recommended him to friends (who have subsequently purchased with Philip's guidance), and would encourage anyone looking to buy or build in San Miguel to use his services.

Sondra & Chuck Friedman

I was very much the accidental co-shopper for a house in SM. What transformed the experience from one of acute reluctance to one of confidence was Philip Hardcastle. One just knows when one has lucked into the right person for the job.
The informative ads in the local paper steered us in his direction and when I met him, it was immediately apparent that he was trustworthy and knowledgeable and that if a house were to be bought, it would be through him.
He knows his stuff and is quick to point out the positive features of a house as well as its weaknesses. It was a huge relief to know that I would have the benefit not only of his experience in construction but also his familiarity with the steps involved in a legal transaction.
That, combined with an integrity and openness and helpfulness that inspires trust, made the search for and purchase of a house an easeful and even pleasurable experience.
His support staff was equally helpful so I without hesitation recommend Philip and his team to anyone.

Marcia Webster Abrosimova

Phil’s knowledge of construction costs, properties and real estate law provide a Vendor and Purchaser with exactly the information they need to know in order to make a comfortable and informed decision.

N.B.

Having been a real estate agent in the U.S. I was impressed by the professionalism that Bryan showed from start to finish.

Evelyn Chisolm

Bryan was our real estate agent for 1 & a half years and sold our house this past September. Bryan was 100% professional and did everything possible to sell our house in this very difficult economy. We would recommend him highly to anyone who needs a superb real estate agent in San Miguel. Again, "Thank you Bryan for all your hard work".

Jerry & Dieter

Dealing with" Realty " and more so with Philip Hardcastle was simple and efficient. His quiet and understated approach to buying and selling property is great contort during the process . I especially appreciated his punctuality and his willingness to help in all the aspects of the sale. Thank you again.

LG

"My experience with Mr. Bryan Townsend of Realty San Miguel is one of great satisfaction. Mr. Townsend was friendly, prompt, efficient, patient, and responded to my questions with knowledgeable answers. I would enthusiastically endorse San Miguel Realty to anyone interested in purchasing property in that area.

Lowell H.