Reviews of Team Birtola - High Desert Realty (Real Estate Agency)

John S.

Andrew Ellis was great to work with in the sale of our lot. Very professional. Very knowledgeable. Always kept me informed on the marketing and offers. Always available. Guided me through pricing and negotiation. We actually got a very good price for the property, better than expected. Team Birtola is the best. I plan to use them again.

Sheryl Scali

Kathleen was always very responsive to our requests and patiently worked with us over three years in looking for the right home. And we found it!

Stacy Michael

Ken is an Amazing agent! He didn't push us and listened to our needs and found us the perfect home. He even changed his schedule around because we could only go house hunting EARLY in the mornings. He helped us negotiate and gave us feedback to make the right decision. He made us feel like we were his top priority and look out what was best for us. He fought for us which was great and made sure we got what we wanted. He is on his client's side! You cannot go wrong making him your agent.

James Smitty

Ken helped my wife and I purchase a home in Redmond and it was a breath of fresh air the entire time working with him. We were extremely stressed during the entire financial process, so him taking the weight off us was amazing. Top it off he even offered us a free moving truck to help us get our stuffed moved from Bend. We plan on buying several homes over the next 10 years, and we won’t even hesitate, Ken all the way! James Smith

alan sanborn

Bethany Moore is a 5 star realtor with team Birtola she will be handling any of my real estate transactions in the future. She crosses the t's and dots the I's and request things from the seller I would not have thought of. This company also provides free moving truck cant beat them great service.

Kellie Jensen

We worked with Susie for more than a year to find the right house to fit our family. She worked tirelessly to find homes, schedule visits, provide feedback and request information on our behalf. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this process and we’d highly recommend her and the team to anyone.

Susan Bird

My wife and I have worked with a lot of real estate agents/brokers in our adult life and Ken is truly one of the best. He is very responsive and always available to help with anything whatsoever. Ken is trustworthy, honest and super patient. He is the calm in the storm. Ken helped us on our first house purchase in Bend over 8 years ago and we were so excited to work with him again on our land acquisition in 2017. Ken is a valuable resource and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to real estate and Central Oregon. We would highly recommend using Ken as your trusted advisor. We can't say enough good things about him.

Anna Miller

The entire team at High Desert Realty was helpful, friendly, and professional. Martin, our agent, was experienced and well informed on what was going on with the Central Oregon market, and worked diligently with us until we found the perfect home for our family. I would highly recommend their services, and, of course, we will be using them for all our future real estate needs. Thank you, Team Birtola Garmyn!

Candice Anderson

I have worked with this team, specifically Ken Mucha, for 9 years. I have recieved solid advice and informationon so many occasions. I have used him as a buying agent and a selling agent and am always impressed with the attention to detail. Nothing falls through the cracks. No matter how big or small your deal is they will make you feel just as important as you would hope to feel.

Sam Holcroft

We bought a vacation home in bend with ken's assistance and he made everything organized and smooth. He was always very professional and prompt. We live in Florida and his help over such a long distance was amazing. We would highly recommend Ken if you are looking to purchase a home in Bend, OR.

Bill Koch

No hesitation recommending High Desert Realty. Jim handled everything quickly and professionally. We had a difficult buyer that kept trying to beat us down. Jim stuck to his guns and got us the results we expected. This truly is the best realtor in Central Oregon!

Matt Berlin

I had an extremely positive experience buying my first house with Ken Mucha at High Desert Realty. He was responsive and knowledgeable throughout the whole process, and willing to repeatedly explain every detail to me. He was never pushy or sales-ey, which I really appreciate. Driving around looking at properties felt like spending the afternoon with a friend who knows a ton about real estate and the local area. I've recommended him to friends and family who are interested in the Bend area.

Jessica Greenleaf

I worked with Martin Moore at Birtola for over a year to find the perfect place! We had quite the list of must have items so it was certainly not easy to find the right spot. But Martin tirelessly took us all across the area looking for what we needed. Martin also was fantastic at answering all my questions about the process, the documents, and was on our side fighting to get us the best deal in the easiest, smoothest way possible! While I did not have as much interaction with the rest of the office, anytime I did go in, or talked to someone else they were always friendly, helpful, professional and excited for us. I would definitely recommend Team Birtola and especially Martin to anyone who is looking to purchase (or sell) a property!

Sonnie McVicker

I cannot recommend Martin enough! As a first time buyer, I am so lucky to have found Martin! He went above and beyond to help me find the home of my dreams. For me, communication is key and Martin was available and quick to reply at all hours of the day! He was thorough and prompt throughout the entire process - every task and request was handled with diligence. Buying a home is a very personal experience and Martin took the upmost care for me and my family, making sure that all of our needs were met. I cannot possibly say enough good things about him. Thank you Martin for everything

The Duncan Duo

Ruben and his team are top notch. We go to real estate conferences all over the country and have seen a lot of the innovative things he does for his clients. When we have folks moving to Oregon, he's the first person we think of. Fabulous team with great results and a great reputation!

michael harrison

Tremendous team overall. Ken Mucha has been great realtor and confident for over a decade and recently helped us both sell and buy ideal properties that fit our needs.

Monte Kiffin

Ken is an Amazing agent! He didn't push us but listened to my wants/needs and found us the perfect home. He helped us negotiate and gave us feedback to make the right decision. He is very kind and sweet as well. He always picked up the phone, was professional and was very knowledgeable. He fought for us which was great and made sure we got what we wanted. He is on his client's side! You cannot go wrong making him your agent.

Spencer Hasch

Hands down the best real estate team in central Oregon! No one else I even consider when referring clients to the area, top notch team that puts their clients first, highly recommend!

Barbara Shirland

My agent at Birtola Garmyn was Andrew Ellis. He was a delight to work with. My house was marketed SO well . . . it was listed on over 200 websites and started getting hits right away. He did great photography for the marketing video which was extremely well done. The average length of time for houses to sell in my area is about 6 months. My house sold in about one month! I'm sure this was because of the great marketing. Andrew was definitely a great support through the whole sale process. He explained everything clearly, reviewed paperwork before I signed it and provided all the right advice. Not only did my house sell quickly, but it sold for more than I thought it would. If I had it to do all over again, I would definitely list with Andrew Ellis of Birtola Garmyn!

Lisa Forss

I have referred business up to the Garmyn team and I heard nothing but rave reviews! They were responsive and great negotiators...having happy clients made me look so good. Thank you and I can't wait to send someone new your way!!

Zaven Esrailian

My wife and I arrived from CA, on July 4th weekend 2018 and arranged a meeting with real-state agent Kelly Musgrove to see a few houses in Bend. Mr. Musgrove went about and beyond and did not stop until he found what we were looking for, he must of shown us just about 30 houses. He made our dream come true. Thank You Kelly you are now part of our family Best Wishes my friend

anthony jimenez

Kerry was super helpful, made sure he was available to show us a home at anytime, i will definitely be using them again.

Lockhartsam1@hotmail.com Gypsypines01

Ken helped me both purchase and sell, everything was handled smoothly and I felt great about both deals.

The Idol

In 2011, I took my family on a road trip to Central Oregon, not knowing how much we'd fall in love with the area and have such a desire and passion to live somewhere. Fast forward to 2019... We finally did it! A huge shout out to Kelly for his amazing professionalism, honesty and persistence in getting us into our dream home. Thank you Team Birtola!

Rachel Anderson

Nannet Timm called me on 07/20/15 asking to show my home between 11:00 and 12:30 on 07/21/15. I said that this would be fine. My husband and I got the house ready and tried to keep my 3 year old and 18 month old entertained outside while we waited. At 1200 I called Nannet's cell phone asking her if they were still going to come and if so when. I called a second time at 1230 and again left a voicemail. At 1:20 I called the office of High Dessert Realty and she told me her clients decided they didn't want to look at the house and she just sent me a text which I ironically got while on the phone with her. When I asked why she didn't attempt to notify me earlier so myself and my family could go on with our day she told me it was because she was with her clients. I would bet money that this lady was in possession of her cell phone the entire day and that there could of been a moment when she could of passed on the information that she wasn't going to be coming by. That would of been kind. Any mother of young children who has ever been through the buying and selling process can relate to how difficult it can be and this agents lack of compassion speaks volumes about her character. In a market where agents are a dime a dozen and everyone you know, knows one, find one who cares about how they treat others.

Sue Brown

Best agents in town. Friendly. Good listeners

Becky Johnson

We cannot say enough good things about Denise. She was kind, professional, prompt, and very knowledgeable of the area. Denise called us almost immediately after we put in the zillow request. We are from out of state and were going to be in Bend for only two days. She stayed in contact with us prior to our arrival to find out what we were looking for and keep us up to date on what she was finding. Once we arrived, she had everything ready to go. We found the property we wanted and the contract was signed before we left. She kept adding to her value after we left town. We needed to make sure we could build what we wanted on the lot we purchased. She went above and beyond to meet with contractors to find out that answer. We can and we are. Being from out of state, Denise's actions gave us a great comfort and piece of mind. You should hire her!

Dale Krehbiel

The readers of this review will be indeed fortunate to avail themselves of the services of Ken Mucha when purchasing a home in the Bend area. Having a background in commercial real estate I can appreciate his knowledge and expertise when helping to select the house that met virulently all our exacting requirements. In addition he has been most helpful when solving typical move in issues surfacing after the sale.

Charles Varland

Ken makes it very easy to write a great review. The most important thing to me is his attention to detail. When you find this in any professional, you know you are dealing with someone who is hard working and focused. Ken is also an all around great guy. He will answer all your questions clearly and accurately. Ken never gives up, never quits, he will work for you until the job is done— and then some. It took us over 2 years to stop “just looking” and move to Bend, Ken is also very patient ! I rate our dealings with Ken Mucha as an A+ and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him and we will call him when we need a professional realtor again.

Kristi Bell

Kerry Knouse is honest and knowledgeable. I feel I can completely trust him to tell me what I need to know.

Casey Hubner

Kerry Knouse was our first Real estate agent as we were first time homebuyers and he was amazing to work with. He was incredibly helpful in answering all of our questions, explaining the entire process to us, being available all of the time, and making things happen with a tough seller. I would definitely reccommend working with Kerry.

Penolpe Joses

I can't say enough positive things about my realtor. I worked with Ken Mucha from the beginning of my home search through the closing, and he was available and helpful every step of the way. He was incredibly responsive and relationship-oriented and he almost makes you feel like you are his only client! I am a first-time home buyer and Ken made the experience as stress free as it could have been! Great recommendations when I asked for them and no pressure to use them or to look at houses outside of my price range. Was a great first home buying experience! Ken Mucha was wonderful through the whole process!

Rogel Music

Very helpfull and informative.

Ashley Harrison

Team Birtola Garmyn is a fantastic real estate team. All of the agents are friendly and helpful, and the principal brokers know how to get things done in a timely and professional manner. You definitely won't be disappointed when working with anyone in the office.

Johna Walker

Real Estate Experts! Industry leaders in marketing and selling homes. In the state of Oregon call Birtola Garmyn if you want your home SOLD fast and for the most money. Thanks Rueben!

Shawn W

Ken Mucha helped our family purchase a vacation property in Sunriver. Our family found several houses we wanted to see and I contacted Ken since his firm was the listing company for one of the houses we were particularly interested in. I called on a Wednesday. He picked up the phone immediately and sent me more info on the houses and we scheduled a time on Friday for previews. I saw all the houses and later that day we decided to put an offer in for our favorite. Ken had the offer prepared in no time and we had it in the sellers hands (elec) before close of business that same day. Less than a month later, we are the new owners of a fantastic house. Ken is a personable guy, prompt, anticipatory and follows through. Never pushy. He provided good advice and helped us navigate the world of a vacation property in a resort community. I wouldn't hesitate using Ken again for future real estate needs or questions.

Eric Zabel

Real Estate transactions for buyers and sellers can be extremely stressful and difficult. It is critical that your agent understands your needs and listens carefully to your buying criteria. This all becomes even more critical when you do not live in the State which you are looking to transact a sale in. This was our case with a recent relocation from Colorado. Ken Mucha took every step possible to ensure a successful sale and was able to identify many options in neighborhoods that met our criteria. His local connections and understanding of the area made our process very smooth. I would not hesitate to recommend Ken Mucha and to use him again in the future!

Tim Groves

Kerry Knouse was as awesome an agent as I could have hoped for. Two things made my home buying challenging - I'm a first time buyer (with all the lack of knowledge and anxiety you would expect) and I was from out of state. We drove up and met Kerry once but were unable to find a home at that time. Due to his insight, patience and hard work we found a terrific home based on his many visits to potential properties and many videos taken. His advice was always based on an understanding of my situation, not the need to make a sale. Kerry was also very helpful during a difficult mortgage process and has provided lots of advice and tips since we moved in.

Jay Holloway

They sold our place in Sunriver, almost as soon as it was listed. Those buyers backed out because they didn't understand that the onerous HOA dues didn't cover all that they thought (or should!) cover. So Team Birtola SOLD the place again in just a few days!

Clarcie Howell

We loved having Denise from team Birtola as our agent as we bought our first home. She listened and worked with our crazy hours and crazier ideas. She overturned all the rocks to find us a great house.

Robert McCord

Andrew Ellis went the extra mile to find us a house in Bend. He was careful to assess our needs and desired and then went about the process of matching those to the inventory. He was candid about properties when he didn't think they were right for us - in short, he was not looking for a quick sale (our search lasted almost 2-years) and he never gave up on us - he was committed to help us find the RIGHT house. He handled the paperwork with skill; the office staff watched after every detail. Andrew is a true professional. We are most pleased with his work.

Jason Bramblett

Ruben, thank you for assisting with our relocation.

Jerry Johnson

Best RE Agency in Central Oregon.

Steve Slick

All 5 stars! Thanks to Ken's expertise, knowledge of Bend and the robust market, his patience with us to find just the right home, and being very responsive to scheduling showings; we successfully completed a home purchase and we are very happy!!!? Thanks for all your hard work!

Scott Ward

My Realtor Aaron Lamb did an excellent job and my home sold in less than a months time. I recommend Team Birtola and Andrew if you're looking to sell your home too!

Dennis Mills

From start to finish it was a great experience. We started a search routine with Birtola Garmyn about a year ago just to see what was on the market and how the area was rebounding. My wife and I traveled to Bend on May 6th, and met Kelly Lawrence, our realtor. We had a detailed discussion about what we were looking for and Kelly proceeded to create a list of houses that met our criteria. We spent the next two days driving from house to house and then informed Kelly which houses to show. That took another two days, and at the end we put an offer on a house and negotiated the price. Kelly kept everything moving along: listing agreements, inspections, etc. It was smooth sailing.

Lili C

Kelly Musgrove was recommended to us by our lender. We explained our situation and what we were looking for. Kelly answered all of our questions provided us with the information we needed. He was able to find exactly what we were looking for AND able to get it at a price that was reasonable for us. He worked hard to be able to get us moved in on time and for that we are grateful. We are first time home buyers and we are beyond satisfied with our experience with Kelly and Team Birtola. We would definitely recommend!! - K&E

Douglas MacFarland

I highly recommend Martin Moore at team Birtola. He made the selling/ buying process a breeze. He was always on time, if not always ahead of time, very responsive and went above and beyond. Plus the use of Team Birtola’s moving truck is a great benefit!!

Richard Klein

my experience with Susie Biggs of B&G Realty and for that matter the entire office staff (from bottom to top) was truly excellent throughout every step of the home finding, bidding, and buying process. Ms Biggs found an under-priced home with mountain views much more quickly than other agents I've worked with. Personable, professional, perspicacious, prompt and value/price sensitive are just a few the adjectives that I (and I imagine others) have had working with this knowledgeable and hard working bunch of folks. Toss in hospitable and helpful with little details that meant going above and beyond, I doubt if you'll find a more service oriented set of realtors. Thanks Susie !!

Tracy Venturi

Highly recommend Ruben and the Birtola Garmyn team. I find them to be responsive to needs and quick to find solutions.I have referred business to them and heard rave reviews. It's no surprise that I see here they are the #1 top realtor team in Bend Oregon. Thanks for always being ahead of the curve and being on the cutting edge of doing real estate right.

Basia Holes

Ken was a fantastic buyer’s agent for us. He understood our needs and worked hard to meet them. We wanted to see a wide selection of homes very quickly, so he arranged for us to see 18 homes in two days. He listened to our opinions of each home and adjusted the list on the second day to better accommodate our needs giving us several options that were all perfect for us. After we made our choice, Ken was great at communicating with us, walking us through all of the paperwork, and setting up all of the inspections. I would be glad to recommend Ken Mucha to a friend looking for a great realtor.

Lezlie Neusteter

Our realtor, Kelly Musgrove, was fantastic! He was knowledgeable about the areas, straightforward about the pros and cons of different houses, always responded quickly, trustworthy and professional.

Jan Mills

Ken Mucha is a superior real estate agent. He has high energy and 17 years of experience, and it shows. He went over & beyond to make sure my house was seen by as many people as possible, with tons of advertising and marketing. He remained in close contact weekly to keep me informed of what was going on and suggestions of how to move the house as quickly as possible. Ken is also very pleasant, responsive and reliable. As our listing agent, I truly felt that Ken was always representing our best interests. He always looked at every decision from our point of view and not the buyers. We also appreciate how well he communicated all the steps involved in the selling process. Ken is a great that gets results.

Molly Murphy Denton

Being on the buyer's end of working with Team Birtola, Jim in particular, was an adverse experience. Response time from his office was extremely slow, Jim was dismissive of our contract requests and concerns, and frankly, he was far from being respectful and professional in his correspondence with us and our realtor. Bend is not a place for 'Shark' like behavior...choose your realtor wisely.

Debra McCormick

Susie Biggs was great! I was very selective, and took my time searching for the perfect home for my family. She was patient, and always made herself available to show me properties. I have already recommended her to others, and will continue to do so. She also has a great sense of humor, which helped make the home buying experience less stressful.

Steven Hodgson

Ken Mucha is a true real estate professional. Our listing and sale was quite a bit more difficult than most, taking over a year and a half. Ken stayed with it and never let up until we were able to get a suitable offer and close the deal. I can't give enough compliment to Ken's expertise and guidance in handling all the documentation and closing details.

jerry mathis

We're first time home buyers and team Birtola really met and exceeded our expectations. Denise Whitney is an A++ agent! Thank you for finding our home and making it happen.

Collier Swecker

The Absolute Best Real Estate Agent in Bend! Ruben Garmyn and his team are some of the most innovative marketers I have ever worked with. One of the best things I can say about them is that they are excellent communicators and always return calls. You can't go wrong with these guys!

Barry Watkins

My family and I would and will recommend Ken Mucha to all who are looking for a real estate agent in Central Oregon. Our family was moving from out of state so we relied completely on Ken for his honesty and expansive knowledge on knowing the right and best neighborhoods in Bend. He was always available to talk and would drive by a house for us within hours if we saw something online that we thought would be interesting. His guidance and expertise was priceless and we will definitely be working with him again in the future.

Larry Lineman

Larry and I can recommend Ken Mucha with the confidence he won’t disappoint. This is our second time working with Ken as both a buyer and seller. Ken was right there with every step of buying and selling a home. He never failed to be there, have answers to questions and give us information we didn’t know to ask. With both buying and selling Ken helped to keep the process smooth and untroubled. Ken was a pleasure to work with, in fact our family pet Gunnar loves him. Thank you Ken for helping us move through these huge life transitions without tears and headaches.

Sue Aranjo

Bethany Moore with Team Birtola was our Agent and she was the BEST at what she does!! She far out ranks other Agents we have had. Bethany saw us through a complicated New Construction while we were half way across the nation on two properties. She is professional and a Great Communicator!! She went the extra mile for us through out the entire purchase process.

Gail Gervin

Kelly Musgrove is truly a top notch real estate professional whom I would recommend to anyone looking to buy a house in the greater Bend area. When I arranged our first meeting in August 2018, it was understood that I was just making a preliminary search in anticipation of moving in2019. However, Kelly was quickly able to identify the type of home and property I was searching for and narrowed the number of properties visited during our one day search together to four. I then explored additional properties that were fed to me via the Team Birtola website. Within three days I had found my dream house! Not having purchased a house in over 40 years, Kelly brought us up to speed very quickly on all the revised inspection requirements and forms. Plus he hooked us up with a qualified lender and title agency. All the initial paperwork was handled efficiently using electronic signatures and a notary was sent to our home (in another state) to handle the final paperwork. Kelly was extremely responsive; always quick to text, email or return calls. We couldn't have asked for a more qualified and friendly agent!

Enedina Lopez

We worked with Kelly Musgrove and he was an excellent realtor. We started through the VU process who contacted Kelly and he immediate started working with us. He got an idea of what we were looking for and also knew we were on a time crunch and started showing us houses. He was always available to answer any questions we had. Made sure communication was constant. We had an overall amazing experience with Kelly. Thank you so much for all the hard work and getting us to the closing process and now homeowners. We are very thankful .

Brian Pouillon

This is the third real estate transaction we have done with Susie Biggs and she is fantastic!! Very helpful, professional, and made the whole thing a breeze. I cannot say enough good things about her! Give her a call you won't be disappointed.

Jeff Smith

Kerry Knouse was an excellent agent that helped us purchase a short term rental in Bend with a 1st generation transferable rental permit. Kerry is very knowledgeable of the area and had excellent communication throughout the entire process. I highly recommend Kerry Knouse

Mike Taylor

We worked with Kathleen O'Connor to find our beautiful Deschutes riverfront property. It was a great experience from search to closing. Kathleen and Birtola Garmyn are great!

Paulette Waterhouse

Aaron Lamb, my realtor, was so helpful in helping me to understand the process. I highly recommend his professionalism and expertise! Aaron put my property on several lists and it sold in a week! Thank you, Aaron!

Judy Fisher

This was the second time we used Birtola/High Desert Realty to find a home in Central Oregon. Ken Mucha is amazing: knowledgable, personable, focused, and an excellent communicator. He persevered through our dithering, answered all our questions or found the answer.

Cynthia Munguia

I am so grateful for all the patience Kelly had with us. It took 3 years to get my husband on board to move to Bend. Kelly was always sending emails or listings that were about to be put on the market. He was always available to answer our questions or show us properties. I appreciate all he did in helping us find a home in Bend.