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  • Melissa Loughridge Savenko| 224
  • 4.9
     (5 reviews)
    Local knowledge: 5.0
    Process expertise: 4.8
    Responsiveness: 4.6
    Negotiation skills: 5.0
Real Estate Professional
Real Estate Agent (6 years experience)
Contributions:224Screen name:Melissa_SavenkoMember since:05/23/2007
Ratings & Reviews

- Highly likely to recommend

Bought a Single Family home in 2011 for approximately $150k in The Fan, Richmond, VA.

Summary:

Melissa was wonderful to work with. She has a deep knowledge of the Richmond area and can help you find the best deal in the best area. We are out of town so her relationships with local vendors was key to our success. You will not go wrong working with her to find a great home at a great value.
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Response from Melissa

 

- Highly likely to recommend

Bought a Single Family home in 2011 for approximately $250k in The Fan, Richmond, VA.

Summary:

I cannot recommend Melissa highly enough. Not only is she an expert on the different neighborhood in Richmond, she is on top of what is going on in each area in terms of development. More importantly for anyone buying in the city, she KNOWS old homes. I began working with Melissa in August 2010 and closed on my house in April 2011. The length of the process is indicative of Melissa's patience. She worked carefully with me to find a home that was a great value in my budget. She always pulled comparable sales and helped me determine how much work the home would likely need (thanks, in part, to the great network of contractors, etc. that she knows). At one point, Melissa actually informed me that a fair price for a home I was VERY interested in was about $60,000 less than the asking price. Thanks to her hard work, I decided not to make an offer and avoided paying way too much for a house simply because I thought it was pretty. In the end, Melissa found me a house that had not yet been formally listed and is absolutely perfect for me. I never would have gotten this house without her and cannot thank her enough.More Less
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Response from Melissa

 

- Highly likely to recommend

Showed home in 2011 in The Fan, Richmond, VA 23220.

Summary:

I have come to know and work with melissa in the past year; through a client she helped buy a house in the Fan. We have since worked together on several projects and have developed a great workng relationship. I am Local Class A contractor; Melssa has recomended me to several clients. I have seen 1st hand that Melissa truly cares about her clients and the final outcome of their projects post closing.More Less
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Response from Melissa

 

About Melissa Loughridge Savenko

Add personality to your profile! Tell the community about yourself, your home, and your profession.

I'm a Richmond native, and grew up in Bellevue (until 9), then Ashland (until 15), then Ginter Park (15 - 21). I headed up the road to Charlottesville in September 1987 to attend The University of Virginia, where I majored in Foreign Affairs. I graduated from UVA with my B.A.in May 1991, and after waiting tables for a summer to save some money, moved down to New Orleans, Louisiana in September 1991. There I went to work for a large New Orleans-based law firm as a paralegal. The job was wonderful, I got to travel to London on business, and I really loved the Big Easy. But by 1994 I was ready to head back east, so I returned to Richmond, Virginia.



Back in Richmond, I went to work for a Richmond-based law firm (see a pattern here?), also as a paralegal. I started law school at the University of Richmond's T.C. Williams School of Law in August 1995. During law school I got married and had a baby, graduated May 1998, then took the bar, happily passed the first time, and went to work for same large Richmond-based law firm in September 1998. After six years as a Big Firm Corporate and Administrative Healthcare associate, I moved to Medium Sized Firm, doing the same type of legal work. But law was stifling and working for the "man" had lost its luster.



I fell into real estate by accident, when my father decided he might like to buy some investment property. With family members with backgrounds in construction, real estate finance, historic preservation and law, we had all the elements EXCEPT a real estate license, which we thought would save us the commission. So, I looked up the licensure classes, found out how little was required to become a licensed agent, and jumped right in. After getting my license in October 2005, I continued to practice law, while initially trying to do real estate part-time, until my broker told me I needed to choose whether I wanted to be fish or fowl. In March 2006 I gave up the security blanket of a steady salary and started selling real estate full time. I'll tell you, there are times when it's D*MN scary, especially as a single mom with a child, a house, a hyper dog and a neurotic cat. But I love it. I'm an independent business woman and the master of my own universe. Pretty cool stuff.



As far as my real estate expertise: I focus on City of Richmond and close-in Henrico neighborhoods, especially historic areas. Because of my corporate legal background, I work with a number of real estate investors and developers, especially in the Fan, Downtown, and the Museum District and other old portions of the City. I have developed expertise in historic tax credits, adaptive reuse, the City of Richmond tax abatement program and other incentive programs, and multifamily condominium conversions. I love seeing old City neighborhoodsbeing brought back to life. How cool is that? For more about me, check out my blog at www.melissasavenko.typepad.com.
Specialties & Service Areas

Specialties:

Buyer's Agent, Listing Agent, Consulting, Real Estate Investing

Contributions
ContributionsCount
Total Contributions2241
Photos: 2120
Articles: 00
Advice-Q&A: 111
Advice-Discussions: 10
Reviews Written: 00
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Zillow All-Star Badge History
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The All-Star badge is given to top contributors of the Zillow community. These are active Zillow users who share their real estate knowledge and help others by contributing high-quality content. The more and better the contributions, the more likely an award will be granted. Users' contributions can be seen in their profiles.
  • December 2010 to March 2011

  • April 2009 to August 2009

Zillow Local Expert Badge History
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What is a Zillow Local Expert?
The Local Expert badge is awarded to those who have made valuable contributions in a specific city or neighborhood on Zillow. Local Experts are active Zillow users who share their real estate knowledge and help others by contributing high-quality content at a local level. The more and better the contributions a user makes that relate to that city or neighborhood, the more likely an award will be granted. Users' contributions can be seen in their profiles. Learn more
  • 23220: September 2011 to February 2012

  • The Fan: July 2011 to November 2011

  • 23220: June 2011 to September 2011

  • 23220: March 2011 to June 2011

  • The Fan: February 2011 to May 2011

  • 23220: September 2010 to March 2011

  • The Fan: August 2009 to February 2010

  • The Fan: April 2009 to July 2009

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