Beauty & "The Beast"

No, Angela and John are not characters out of a Disney film. But, Beauty and 'The Beast' is one way to describe the blend of differing talents and skills they offer you as a home buyer or seller.

"Beauty." Born to a well respected artist, Phyllis Trozzolo of Kansas City, from birth Angela was raised to see the beauty all around her that others often miss. Angela has a natural, "artist's eye" and is accomplished with paint, pencil sketches, and photography.

As the second born of seven children, with six kids of her own, she is also keenly attuned to the needs of families when it comes to using space in the home. Both by genes and life experience, Angela is a natural at helping you "stage" your home as a seller. An interior decorator helps you personalize your home -- to fit your personality and tastes, but "staging" your home is all about de-personalizing your home -- making it attractive to buyers in general. Staging is about helping prospective buyers see themselves living in and owning your home.

Angela is one of the few Maryland Realtors® certified as an Accredited Staging ProfessionalTM (ASPTM). She knows what buyers want and, just as importantly, what they don't want. She has the certified training, experience and artist's eye to find -- and accentuate -- your home's unique beauty.

When you are buying a home, you will find most homes are not well "staged." When buying, Angela can help you see past a home's clutter and current layout, to better visualize how you could alter the space to suit your family's unique needs.

"The Beast."  Don't let his smile and easy sense of humor fool you: John is a licensed attorney and an absolute "beast" when it comes to protecting your interests in the contract paperwork. Where Angela finds the beauty that others often miss, John catches -- and fixes -- contract pitfalls and problems that others miss.

As a seller, you are legally required to give various "disclosures" to home buyers: lead paint, homeowner associations, property disclosure, county disclosures... just to name just a few. Too often sellers and/or their agents either fail to give one or more disclosures, or give disclosures that are incorrect, incomplete, or late. Such mistakes can give your buyer the right to cancel their contract with you -- all the way up until settlement day itself.

If Angela has an artist's eye, John has an eagle-eye when it comes to preparing your contract. He makes sure that you have all forms, completed correctly, and delivered on time, so that you have a solid contract you can rely on.

As a buyer, John will also help you by ensuring that you are receiving from the seller every notice that they are required to give you, as well as ensuring that your contract includes a written home inspection clause -- so that you can have the home checked out by a professional before your purchase becomes final and binding.

By the way, John & Angela have six children, ages 17 through 27, and a new son-in-law! They've lived in Columbia 23 years and are both involved in Oak Ridge Community Church.