Karen Lithgow Realtor - Alameda, California

Albert Lazo

To anyone that is looking for a realtor in Alameda I would seriously consider Karen. Back in January we asked if she could run a comp on a few of our properties. It was part of an estate. I decided to hire her in late September to sell one of the properties and I'm so glad I did. With her expertise in Victorian homes she guided us on a few things that we can do that would present the property in it's best light. She has a great team that includes a few contractors that we used along with some work we did ourselves. The property looked great afterwards.

Karen was always in contact throughout the process and was never in a hurry to explain or answer any of my questions. Things could not have gone smoother...Thank you Karen!

Amy LaThanh

We can confidently say that we would not have ended up with such a beautiful, historic home without Karen! We enthusiastically recommend her because in this highly competitive market you need whatever edge you get, and having a well-connected agent is a very valuable one. We worked with Karen Lithgow as our agent in spring/summer of 2018, which was an incredibly competitive time to be buying a house. We decided to go with Karen because she 1) values historic/vintage homes in Alameda and is very knowledgeable about them, 2) she is well-connected in Alameda, and 3) it seemed that she knew about homes before they came on the market. This turned out to be a great decision, because the home she helped us buy was off-market! During our time working with Karen, we never felt pressured by her to make a rushed decision. She was great at giving us the space to make our own decisions but always provided us with plenty of information along the way that we needed. She was super communicative and fast to respond when we had questions, and she always knew about good stuff coming on the market. She even spent Father’s Day afternoon putting in an offer for us and waiting by the phone to tell us whether or not we won the bid. As it turned out, Karen had first told us about the house we ended up purchasing almost 4 months earlier when we had started working together. And she continued to keep tabs on it throughout our time looking at many other houses, regularly checking in with the sellers’ agent and working her angle to get us in to see it before it went on market. And it worked! We are so happy with our purchase and know that it was possible due almost exclusively to Karen’s extensive knowledge of Alameda real estate and her relationships with many other agents on the island. We strongly recommend working with Karen, especially if you’re on the hunt for a beautiful, historic home!

David Howard

Karen helped us sell our duplex in Alameda. She was great at the prep, staging and marketing of the place and then in collecting and helping us sort through the many offers we received. We were happy with the result and pleased with how smoothly it all went.

Jennifer Sullivan

My family and I were so fortunate to have met Karen Lithgow. Her realty experience and expertise was invaluable as we navigated the Northern CA/Alameda market. We were longtime renters more than ready to be owners, with two young children, and Karen maintained a steadfast confidence that we would find what we wanted despite the challenges of the relentlessly competitive housing market -- all amidst the pandemic! She helped us define what was important to us as we toured numerous single family homes, townhomes and condominiums. She was always responsive to our needs and was ready to show us a place at any time and on any day of the week and she did so patiently with our kids!

Karen also educated us on real estate jargon and expectations common in the game which helped us to make the best financial (and emotional) decision for our family. Karen was always professional, personable and well-liked by all parties in our various transactions, which buffered the ups-and-downs of not getting a bid and ultimately, helped to seal the deal as we landed our first home! Karen keenly negotiated the best deal for us and everyone was happy! Karen has also been an incredible resource for home improvement referrals as we found a vintage fixer that we are excited to renovate and keep the charm. I really can't say enough good things about Karen. Her expertise, patience and good nature afforded us a pleasant and easy home-buying experience and were essential factors in helping us to achieve our dream of home ownership.

Corinne Lambden

When I first thought about moving from the Bay Area, a major concern was to find a buyer who truly valued the integrity and character of my 1885 Victorian home in Alameda; my husband and I poured so much love and many hours of hard labor, bringing it back to it's earlier elegance, that the thought of the next owner undoing all the careful restoration work was upsetting. To that end I interviewed several realtors, even though I hadn't yet made a final decision on when and where to move! Karen Lithgow stood out; her respect for the history and character of Alameda and her appreciation for the craftsmanship, features and quality of the older homes in town was evident, as were her energy and capability. I also greatly valued her enthusiasm for the beautiful, established garden that I lovingly planted and grew from the wasteland that surrounded the house when we purchased it! Above all, I felt that she and I could work together compatibly.

Thus, when, several months later, I finally bought a home out of state and had to get my Alameda house to market in record time in order to comply with the contingency conditions of that purchase agreement, it wasn't hard to make a decision about who to invite to shepherd me though the sometimes stressful process of selling one's home of 40 years; I immediately called Karen. She warned me that, given the current shortage of reliable help in the building & construction trades, the tight timeline would be challenging but not unachievable, and agreed, with characteristic verve, to take on the daunting task of helping me get my house to market within the imposed deadlines; I wonder if, without her gentle nudging when my own energy was flagging, the sale would have happened in time. Her contacts with several contractors with different skill sets made the limited make-over process happen fast, and her willingness to use my own period-appropriate furniture to stage the house, avoided the use of a stager. It is worth noting that, as a Compass Realtor, Karen is in a position to offer her clients access to the Compass Concierge program, an interest free loan program to cover the inevitable costs incurred in preparing a home for sale.

Karen was more than generous with her time and certainly does not shirk hard work. She was always willing to jump in to help when necessary; indeed, she was right there in the trenches with me, wielding polishing rags, brooms, and a capable pair of arms when it was time to show the house and we had to move excess furniture to the basement and clear the decks of knick-knacks. I really don't think the word "impossible" is in her vocabulary! At the same time she is definitely not the pushy type--her advice came as polite suggestions--and I really appreciated her quiet, level-headed presence when I felt overwhelmed. Her availability is noteworthy; Karen is wonderful about answering phone calls and texts immediately, and I felt unfailingly supported throughout the process. Additionally, she was always present to show the house and listen/provide information to buyers and their realtors.

In a nutshell, the house sold well above asking price within three days on the market. I believe that I have Karen to thank for her instincts regarding marketing approach and timing. I would not hesitate to recommend Karen to anyone looking for a realtor who definitely "knows her stuff", is a delight to work with and carries through on her commitments.

John Platt

Karen did a fabulous job for us selling our house of 36 years. It was avery trying and emotional time for us. Karen was extremely patient, organized and totally action oriented. We when had a question or a need she was right on it. I can not recommend her anymore highly, She knows the market and has developed a top notch team of professionals to help with repairs, staging etc.
We even ended getting more than our asking price and the sale went quickly and smoothly all thanks to Karen. She is a true pro.
If you are looking to sell your home in alameda especially an old Victorian era home she is absolutely the best John Platt

David Sun

Bought and sold a Single Family home in 2017 in Alameda, CA.

We used Karen for both buying a new home and selling our old home. In this market, things can be very challenging. We had the luxury of taking our time in purchasing a new home. Karen was very patient and helpful during the process. We welcomed a new baby into our family during the process, and Karen ended up doing more than she needed to. On top of that, she helped us sell our home while we transitioned to a new home with a new baby. Again, she did more than she needed to. We are so grateful to have had Karen be our agent, and it goes without saying that we highly recommend her.

Gret Gauntt

From the moment I hired her, Karen has been a blessing. She has a great team of interior designers and contractors who really get the job done - and they do it right so when it’s time for the inspections, there are no surprises. She was transparent and kept me updated throughout the entire process. Karen took care of everything - from the initial consultation for the staging to the upgrades, photography, marketing, inspections, negotiations, and escrow process; in fact, my home sold within 3 days for a record high price for the neighborhood! I could relax knowing that she was my realtor. I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to sell their property!