- Bruce & Maria Budner, Berkeley

Judy Richardson endeavored to discover what I wanted in a home from the moment that I first met them. She went to great lengths to research properties which would be suitable for my needs. The Berkeley market is very competitive with many buyers for the available homes. Even in such a market, I wanted something uniquely suited to my heart and mind, and she believed it was out there for me. Her energy kept my own fired and together we (finally) found just the right house! She helped me buy me a home I dearly love, and, in addition, I feel I gained a very special person as a friend.

- Janet Norris, Berkeley

5-star Yelp ratings from the following clients:

Judy was extremely helpful throughout the home-buying process. This was our first home purchase, and Judy helped us understand the steps--from getting pre-approved for a loan to making an offer to the home inspection, and so on. As we were looking, Judy steered us clear of properties that didn't match our criteria as well as those that she thought were overpriced.

Once we decided to make an offer, Judy talked it through with us at length--and helped us negotiate counter-offers until we finally got into contract. We had an issue come up during the inspection process, but Judy helped us get this resolved to our satisfaction (as well as to that of the sellers). Throughout the process, it was clear that Judy always had our best interests in mind. She wanted us to have a house that we would truly be happy living in.

And that's where we are now--in our new home, which we are thrilled with. We're grateful that Judy helped shepherd us through what was at times a rather stressful few months. It was all worth it.

- Stephanie Santos, Oakland

In late 2007 we decided to attempt to catch a falling knife, and buy our first house in the Bay Area. Longtime renters in San Francisco, my wife was growing tired of the roll of the dice commute across the Bay Bridge to her Berkeley office, and I was just tired. We decided to do what was once unthinkable - not only buy a house, but buy one across the Bridge!

And then we discovered we were pregnant with our first. When you can't handle what you already have, take on more. Now we had to think about the eventuality of education.

Two agents were referred to us - the first drove us around the Julia Morgan estates in Berkeley and talked non-stop about her daughters advanced-placement courses. Education is important, but so is listening to your clients when they tell you that the price of the home cannot exceed your limit. Julia Morgan?

The second agent was Judy Richardson, who talked about not only her experience as an agent, but her experience purchasing homes that required some love (we had expressed our interest in giving some love in order to get more house). She has hired (and fired) contractors, structural engineers, painters and roofers. She's familiar with the permitting process. And she has children in school. We looked at plenty of houses under our price ceiling, and she never told us it couldn't be done. As credit dried up through 2008 our loan requirements (handled by a broker friend out of area) got more and more complicated. Through it all Judy was there to guide us through the process.

I'm typing this from our California Modern house in Kensington. Never thought we'd end up in Mayberry, but we love it here. Bay (2 bridges!) views and deer in our yard. Our baby is crying, but when she stops four years from now she'll go to one of the best public schools in the area. The house is less-than a fixer and more than move-in, but it's ours.

Judy rocks. You're crazy to use anyone else.

- James J. Kensington

My husband and I met Judy at an open house one Sunday afternoon. At that time we were already working with another agent. She was so pleasant and seemed genuinely interested in what we were looking for. It was obvious to us once we saw the condo that she was showing that it wasn't the right fit for us, but we stayed and chatted with her anyways. She gave us her business card and that was that. We were already working with a different agent but after endless games of unreturned emails and phone calls, we decided to try someone new.

Judy was the first person who came to mind. She immediately invited us to her office where she took careful notes about what we were looking for. Working with Judy was an awesome experience for us as first time home buyers. She knows her stuff and is definitely a go- getter. She advocates for you and what you want. Judy helped us navigate the Bay Area housing market with ease and patience. She seemed more concerned with making sure that we got into a house that was right for us rather than just trying to make a sell. She was honest and straight -forward with us if any concerns or red flags came up for her. She also made sure that we understood everything that was happening before we moved forward. Judy stayed one step ahead of everyone on our team. She was extremely professional and always kept us updated. Judy is a rock star and if you don't work with her, you are missing out on one of the best realtors in the Bay Area

- Brittany Bracy, Oakland

Judy is a fantastic agent. She helped us to sell our house in Oakland in 2007 and buy a new one in Piedmont in 2010. On both ends she has been incredibly professional, hard working, and easy to work with.
When selling, she recommended low-cost painters and landscapers to make the house look nice. She didn't pressure us to stage, but rather offered advice on how to make our house look staged with our own furnishings. She priced the house right, worked very hard to market it, and ensured we got the best price possible.
Three years later, she helped us buy our new home in Piedmont, after patiently showing us homes for over a year. She worked within our limited budget to find a home that met our criteria. She advocated for us at every turn and remained calm and professional throughout the rather stressful process.
Whether you are buying or selling, Judy will do an excellent job for you!

- Mary P., Piedmont

Judy rules. She sold one home for us and bought another, and throughout both experiences she shone as the insightful, hard-working, down-to-earth expert she is!
The first home my wife and I owned was in Richmond, CA. 3br, 1 ba; diverse working-class neighborhood that was actually better than its reputation. A family friend was our realtor, and did a great job, so it was a difficult choice to switch to using Judy when it came time to sell (mostly to move into a better school zone now that we had kids). However, we trusted that Judy would make an ideal partner and guide when it came to bridging the gap between our lower-end property and a higher-end one, and we were right. She helped us stage our house, set a price, show it, and navigate the offers that came in. We got nearly double what we had paid for the place five years earlier. Believe it or not, we actually wanted more, but she spoke some sense to us when that last offer came in; this was at the very beginning of the housing crash, and she had the sane point of view about what we should be happy to get.
We wanted to move to Albany, but the values there when it came to lot and home size were pretty paltry, so we had to wait a long time before we found what we were looking for, and meanwhile, we also wanted to understand what was available basically everywhere nearby. Judy was extremely patient, diligent and flexible: when we wanted to see everything she knew about, she showed us everything available, on paper or in person. When that was overwhelming and we just asked for her to use her own insight to customize, say, three choices per Sunday afternoon, she was fine with that, too. She never rushed us or left us out of the loop, but stayed in perfect pace with our desires.
When she found the place that we now live in, she told us that it basically had our name all over it; she knew our tastes and desires well by then. She was right. The first thing my wife said when we arrived was, "We'll never afford this place." But it was actually within our limits. It's in Kensington, two blocks from a great school (Hilltop Elementary), with awesome bay views and a bunch of other features we love. Judy walked us through every step of the way, including choosing the price to offer, and hooking us up with the right people where necessary, from the inspector to the loan expert/paper-pusher. There were no complications; everything went as smoothly as could be. Our first (good) wine in the place was on her. We now are proud to call her a friend. And we love where we live.

- Greg D., Kensington