Initially showed me properties, but then when we decided to rent she fell off the map. Had to find another realtor to help us find a rental home. From the beginning she was hard to get on the phone and didn't respond to emails in a timely fashion.

She never called or contacted us.

My wife and I moved from Carlsbad to PQ. Karen was the most amazing realtor we've ever had! She helped us sell our old place and buy the new one and managed to juggle everything through a very complex process. We cannot believe the effort and lengths she went through to help us at every step of the way! We have never seen anyone work so hard to help us sell and buy. I cannot recommend Karen highly enough and you would be well served to enlist her services! Her market knowledge is incredible and she brings extensive knowledge of both construction and design to the table, so you know you are in good hands for anything that comes up. Less

My wife and I moved from Carlsbad to PQ. Karen was the most amazing realtor we've ever had! She helped us sell our old place and buy the new one and managed to juggle everything through a very complex process. We cannot believe the effort and lengths she went through to help us at every step of the way! We have never seen anyone work so hard to help us sell and buy. I cannot recommend Karen highly enough and you would be well served to enlist her services! Her market knowledge is incre... More

Karen was completely useless. She was going to line up some homes for us to lease, but she lied to us once, and then wouldn't return calls. She never showed us anything. We telephoned Karen from a Zillow listing to lease a home in Rancho Santa Fe and had a pleasant conversation and made an appointment to see her and the home when we arrived in RSF from Vancouver 3 weeks later. When we arrived we phoned her again and she said the particular unit was already leased, which is fair enough, but she said she had a better one. That was was excellent, but after that she never returned our calls, and after 3 or 4 follow up calls we dropped her and went with another very capable agent. Less

Karen was completely useless. She was going to line up some homes for us to lease, but she lied to us once, and then wouldn't return calls. She never showed us anything. We telephoned Karen from a Zillow listing to lease a home in Rancho Santa Fe and had a pleasant conversation and made an appointment to see her and the home when we arrived in RSF from Vancouver 3 weeks later. When we arrived we phoned her again and she said the particular unit was already leased, which is fair enough, bu... More

I have held a CA Real Estate Broker License for over 37 years, with licensed sales associates working under my supervision. In a recent Real Estate transaction, which I considered complicated, Karen Van Ness represented property of the Seller, while I represented the Buyer. It was not an easy escrow for the Seller's. They were undergoing extreme emotional and physical hardship, which, within the year following, resulted in the death of the spouse. In my opinion, Karen, provided professional service for the Seller that few agents were capable of. Karen was always available to be of assistance to the Seller, and to provide "indepth" answers relating to the property she represented. I value and appreciate the integrity, character, and professionalism of Karen Van Ness. Less

I have held a CA Real Estate Broker License for over 37 years, with licensed sales associates working under my supervision. In a recent Real Estate transaction, which I considered complicated, Karen Van Ness represented property of the Seller, while I represented the Buyer. It was not an easy escrow for the Seller's. They were undergoing extreme emotional and physical hardship, which, within the year following, resulted in the death of the spouse. In my opinion, Karen, provided professional... More

I recommend Karen highly. She knows this business inside and out and does the job of realtor with finesse. Karen and I began working together in July of this year (2011) and on 10/5/11 I closed on a townhome that far surpasses my wildest dreams of what I would be able to purchase as my "post divorce" home. Aside from her technical knowledge of the business and her superb negotiating skills, I was especially impressed with Karen's ability to make one of life's most stressful events - purchasing a home - as minimally stressful as possible. Karen is a realist, an advocate, a strategist and an optimist who perseveres relentlessly on behalf of her clients. Trust me you want her on your team. Less

I recommend Karen highly. She knows this business inside and out and does the job of realtor with finesse. Karen and I began working together in July of this year (2011) and on 10/5/11 I closed on a townhome that far surpasses my wildest dreams of what I would be able to purchase as my "post divorce" home. Aside from her technical knowledge of the business and her superb negotiating skills, I was especially impressed with Karen's ability to make one of life's most stressful ev... More

My husband and I received only two months notice that we'd be relocating to North County San Diego by my employer. We hired a realtor over the telephone and flew in with a week to find a house, but from my first meeting, I realized I couldn't trust this person with this purchase, and she had insufficient experience to know what was important to a middle-aged couple with children. I met Karen the next day shopping new homes by myself, while she was looking for a client. This was a stroke of great fortune for me and my family. Karen and her husband knew the North County area well. I am a tough customer. I wanted a home in the best school district, with a built-in pool, a big enough lot for some fruit trees, in a great community with lots of children, low HOA fees and nice amenities, and at a price point we could afford despite being unable to sell the home we were leaving...and I wanted to find it in a week!! (Gee, is that all?) Karen searched zealously day and way into the night for me, skipping meals, as driven to help me find this house as I was, and by the end of the week, she had in fact zeroed in on the perfect house with every single thing we were looking for, but it presented one possible snag, the bank-owned home already had 2 offers when she found it. This is what separates the good from the great. Karen brilliantly negotiated on our behalf, and saved us a ton of money by beating the other offers by very little cash, but by inserting aggressive closing terms that were very attractive to the bank. Within a week Karen had persuaded the bank to accept our offer over the others. I personally would have thought we'd have to offer more to get the bank to reject the birds they already had in hand, but Karen knows her business. I am a savvy client who some people would describe as a high maintenance (I am a lawyer who has bought and sold several of my own homes) so I know a thing or two about real estate and about negotiating. I'd have to categorize Karen as the best!! Her understanding of her field, and the North County area provided me with a service I couldn't have done for myself. In the end she saved my family a ton of money that we would have paid on rent had we not been able to find a home, or by compromising by buying a home without a pool and having to put one in. Karen fully earned our strongest possible recommendation!! My husband and I would not buy another home without her and would recommend her to anyone buying in this area. You could not put your home buying decision in more capable hands!! Less

My husband and I received only two months notice that we'd be relocating to North County San Diego by my employer. We hired a realtor over the telephone and flew in with a week to find a house, but from my first meeting, I realized I couldn't trust this person with this purchase, and she had insufficient experience to know what was important to a middle-aged couple with children. I met Karen the next day shopping new homes by myself, while she was looking for a client. This was a stro... More

My family and I were relocating to San Diego from Philadelphia when we were put in touch with Karen to help us find a new home to rent. We were clueless of the numerous areas and neighborhoods in San Diego and Karen was able to explain the pros and cons of several areas. We described our needs and desires to Karen and she was able to locate the perfect area that met our needs and found several properties that exceed our expectations. Karen was a fabulous source of knowledge of not only the housing market but also the hidden jewels of the San Diego neighborhoods. Karen continued to be a valuable resource to my family even after our home was found, providing us with needed contacts and additional insiders tips. We would highly recommend Karen Less

My family and I were relocating to San Diego from Philadelphia when we were put in touch with Karen to help us find a new home to rent. We were clueless of the numerous areas and neighborhoods in San Diego and Karen was able to explain the pros and cons of several areas. We described our needs and desires to Karen and she was able to locate the perfect area that met our needs and found several properties that exceed our expectations. Karen was a fabulous source of knowledge of not only the ho... More

"I met Karen when I decided to sell my home in Paradise Valley, Arizona in 1998. She is a tireless and dedicated professional who is not afraid of hard work and putting in the hours that are needed. She is focused and knowledgably. She is absolutely an advocate for her clients, and looks out for their best interest and equity. My family moved out of our home and into our new home and I once stopped by the old house with coffee at 10:00 in the evening and she was stripping wallpaper off of the walls because she felt strongly it was hurting how buyers perceived the home. I should mention that we have become dear friends through all the years since then." I would highly recommend her to anyone that needs to sell or buy a home or investment property. She will get the job done! Less

"I met Karen when I decided to sell my home in Paradise Valley, Arizona in 1998. She is a tireless and dedicated professional who is not afraid of hard work and putting in the hours that are needed. She is focused and knowledgably. She is absolutely an advocate for her clients, and looks out for their best interest and equity. My family moved out of our home and into our new home and I once stopped by the old house with coffee at 10:00 in the evening and she was stripping wallpaper off o... More

Karen is a top-notch agent. She is truly first-rate! Karen goes above and beyond to ensure a successful sale and/or purchase. I will certainly use Karen for any and all of my future real estate needs. Karen sold my house in 2006. To help ready the property for sale, she spent her own personal time, arranging and re-arranging furniture, painting the walls, even watching my dogs, and baking cookies for perspective new home buyers. When it came time to move into my new home, she was right there; moving furniture, helping me decorate, orchestrating my house-warming party, and so much more. Karen i a professional, educated and knowledgeable realtor, but now I'm happy to also call her my friend. If you are looking for a masterful and professional, get-it-done, no-holds-barred type of realtor, then look no further. You will not only have an amazing and talent agent working for you, but you will find that you have a new friend as well. Less

Karen is a top-notch agent. She is truly first-rate! Karen goes above and beyond to ensure a successful sale and/or purchase. I will certainly use Karen for any and all of my future real estate needs. Karen sold my house in 2006. To help ready the property for sale, she spent her own personal time, arranging and re-arranging furniture, painting the walls, even watching my dogs, and baking cookies for perspective new home buyers. When it came time to move into my new home, she was right there; mo... More

Karen has been not only a great realtor, but has become a good friend. She has gone out of her way to get my house sold in a market that is very depressed. Karen is innovative and seasoned in the marketing methods she uses. She is a pleasure to work with; she always has a plan B if Plan A doesn't pan out. Love that.

When my late wife and I moved to northern CA from Florida, about 6 years ago, our daughter had a home tentatively chosen for us. It turned out to be a terrific choice and all the more so thanks to Karen's knowledge. As the designated realtor she graciously assisted us in making key selections for our new home, including tiles, flooring, bath amenities and so forth. It was a treat to work with such a professional. Charlie McCarthy

Karen is always a pleasure to work with and makes our job in escrow easier to do. Responsive, knowledgeable agents are indespensible and we appreciate every transaction we have with Karen!

I first met Karen in 2003, when I purchased a home in Northern California. Karen was professional and organized, but most importantly she was ENERGETIC. Her enthusiasm and energy level was contagious. She definitely loves the Real Estate profession and it shows in her abilities as a negotiator and a salesperson. After the sale, she helped me unpack and set up my home. Karen takes a sincere interest in her clients even after the sale. Two years later, I sold that home and purchased another. Karen acted as my listing agent for the old home and my selling agent on the new one. I can not think of anyone else in this profession that I would rather have in my corner. Less

I first met Karen in 2003, when I purchased a home in Northern California. Karen was professional and organized, but most importantly she was ENERGETIC. Her enthusiasm and energy level was contagious. She definitely loves the Real Estate profession and it shows in her abilities as a negotiator and a salesperson. After the sale, she helped me unpack and set up my home. Karen takes a sincere interest in her clients even after the sale. Two years later, I sold that home and purchased anothe... More

Karen Van Ness helped me to purchase a deeply discounted bank-owned property. I was able to buy this property well below market value because of Karen's expertise in California titles and real estate, negotiation skills, and her working knowlege of law. Her relationship with banks brought this deal to me. This was a property that the bank was unable to move because of some technical issues with the title. Karen researched and resolved relevent legal and insurance issues so that the transaction could be executed. She negotiated hard on my behalf resulting in a phenomenal deal. It was a complex process between several parties that she was able to orchestrate to success. From my poiint of view, I don't believe that there are many agents who would have been up to the challenge. Less

Karen Van Ness helped me to purchase a deeply discounted bank-owned property. I was able to buy this property well below market value because of Karen's expertise in California titles and real estate, negotiation skills, and her working knowlege of law. Her relationship with banks brought this deal to me. This was a property that the bank was unable to move because of some technical issues with the title. Karen researched and resolved relevent legal and insurance issues so that the transacti... More

Karen is a one of a kind in real estate. Not only will she present her clients with listings but she presents them in a very organized and documented manner only after understanding her clients needs and desires. She is very knowledgeable in real estate law, local disclosures, mortgage rates, appraisals and the San Diego North County area. She has a background in design and building construction allowing her to assess a situation in the best interest of buyers or sellers. Her partner Ray has a technical background and has been a resident of San Diego for over 25 years. Together they form a very strong team able to find opportunities and serve the best interests of their clients. They are a team which presents a one stop shopping approach to their clients. We would highly recommend Karen Van Ness. Less

Karen is a one of a kind in real estate. Not only will she present her clients with listings but she presents them in a very organized and documented manner only after understanding her clients needs and desires. She is very knowledgeable in real estate law, local disclosures, mortgage rates, appraisals and the San Diego North County area. She has a background in design and building construction allowing her to assess a situation in the best interest of buyers or sellers. Her partner Ray has a... More