Sometimes you just get lucky! My wife and I could never have imagined almost 20 years ago that meeting a realtor at an open house would develop into a lifelong friendship. Herb Dittrick & LaVonne Vojak really made an impression on us & helped us successfully sell our home & purchase our next. The house we were buying had an agent who "jumped ship" so Herb and LaVonne jumped in to make sure details on both sides of the table were handled. They knew this was a big move up for us. Years fly by, and we decided we'd like to have an investment property, or two, or three. Herb and LaVonne kept their eyes out for the just the right opportunities… and the rest is a wonderful history of buying, selling, dreaming, making money, and working together enjoying the amazing game of real estate. If you enjoy working with ethical people who stay on top of all the legal changes and make sure to get things done in a timely fashion, I recommend you give my friends, Herb and LaVonne, a try.

Greg and Shawna Ellis

LaVonne and Herb were recommended to us by close friends and we are so grateful for the recommendation as our house buying experience was incredibly smooth, even during this crazy covid market. Working directly with LaVonne, we immediately got the sense that she was an expert at her work, knew the area well, and most importantly kept our best interests as her top priority. Countless times she would point out things to us during walk throughs that we didn’t even think about which really helped shape our final decision. We really would not have been able to purchase our home today without LaVonne as it was her good relationship with the selling agent that helped us even be considered as prospective buyers. That type of relationship and experience is something you can only create with the many years of experience LaVonne and Herb have and is why we fully recommend them. You will want them on your team!

Mitchell & Angelina Young

LaVonne and Herb did a superb job in representing my family in the sale of our home. We ended up getting the highest price ever in Serrano Park. They were aggressive in the pricing and marketing while, at the same time fine tuning every detail in the staging and presentation of our home. They are by far, the most professional and caring Realtors we have ever worked with.

….and, THEY DID TREAT OUR HOME AS IF IT WERE THEIR OWN!

Bruce and Caroline Kennedy

LaVonne and Herb worked tirelessly for us in our recent relocation into Lake Forest. They were more than patient finding properties, beyond helpful negotiating terms and incredibly knowledgeable resolving issues. They will go the extra mile every day to represent you. We were in the best of hands and you will be too with LaVonne and Herb!  Kevin & Ava Susank

I have used LaVonne and Herb of Orange County Realty Co. in a couple of real estate transactions in Lake Forest over the last 12 years. They go above and beyond to get the job done! They are knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate and will work very hard for you to take care of business. I was selling my most recent home from out of state and they took care of everything and stayed on top of all transactions and activity required to sell a house. Even though I wasn’t there in person to oversee things, I felt confident everything would be handled in my absence and it was! I would highly recommend LaVonne and Herb to anyone needing an honest, reliable and hard-working team to represent you in all your real estate needs. Donna Bryant

LaVonne & Herb were extremely helpful in both selling my home on 21351 Kirkwall, and representing me in the purchase of my new home on 21452 Countryside. They were extremely patient and spent the time to educate me on the process of selling and buying a home. They helped me every step of the way and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. I am very happy they worked with me! Travis Poe

I have worked with many Realtors in my 20 years of real estate investment and Herb stands out among the crowd. This is our 3rd transaction with Herb.  Knowledgeable experienced, persistent, witty, having clients' vast interest at heart and not pushy.... just to name a few of Herb's qualities.  Herb definitely has a way to get what his clients want. His 40 years of residential/multi-unit sales and profit/loss analysis helped us purchase a multi unit by the ocean - in one month.... super challenging in this lucrative seller's market.  You are a godsend Herb!  We couldn't have done it without you.  Stephanie Chou & Neil Liu

Recently, Herb & LaVonne assisted my husband and I in selling a rental property they sold us in 2006. We have worked with many real estate agents and brokers over the years and can say with confidence that Herb and LaVonne are the best we have ever used. This is our 3^rd transaction with Herb & LaVonne! They possess the qualities that make the buying and selling process easy. I can’t say enough about their professionalism and knowledge within the industry. Because of their input and suggestions, we were offered $30,000 above asking price and the property was only on the market for less than a week. We would definitely not hesitate to use them again if we were to buy or sell another property. We have the highest level of confidence both of them and feel they are able to properly asses any situation and figure out an effective solution.

Sincerely,  Lori and Dominick Romano

We sold our Serrano Park home in May 2021 after living here over 22 years. We listed with LaVonne and Herb, and they did a really good job for us. They know Serrano Park and Lake Forest backwards and forwards, so they can tell prospective buyers about the area and local amenities. I like their approach to evaluating the market and the home to come up with a recommended asking price. They analyzed recent sales of local properties, and then made adjustments to allow for specific differences in properties and locations to recommend a listing price, and explained their rationale to us for each adjustment. This is where their experience really helps. LaVonne recommended reasonable steps to prepare our home for showing and did the photography herself. We’ve seen some badly pictured homes online and felt that our listing looked good and made it easy for prospective buyers to get a good feel for what our home was like. Either LaVonne or Herb came to every showing, inspection, appraisal, or whatever to make sure things went smoothly… they never left us on our own. Once we were in escrow, LaVonne calendared every single contract and inspection deadline and she would proactively follow up with the buyers, lender, the other agent or escrow company as needed every step of the way to make sure everything stayed on track. We closed on-time, despite some foot dragging by the buyer’s lender and lack of effort by the buyer’s agent. My wife and I were pleased with the overall process and outcome and we highly recommend LaVonne and Herb.

Hiring LaVonne and Herb made it so easy to sell our condo in Lake Forest…. and at a record price!

The property needed some work & updating. They did 2 evaluations of the home; selling it “as is,” and selling it with improvements. We considered selling it “as is,” because we were in such a hot seller’s market, and the property was vacant. However, LaVonne & Herb suggested that if we invested approx $10,000 to paint, carpet, etc. and stage it, we could get at least $25 – 30,000 more in sales price. We agreed to their plan, but were concerned as we were not available to manage all the work. It turned out that we did not have to lift a finger throughout the entire process! They presented us with estimates etc. then coordinated all the work. They met the contractors on a daily basis, and handled all the preparations. They brought in their interior designer/stager and turned the home into a showcase fit to be featured in Better Homes & Gardens! Their marketing program featured a fabulous virtual tour that was posted on all the real estate websites. We received 15 offers in 2 days and sold it at a record price of $550,000 – which was $75,000 more than what they estimated it would have sold for “as is!” I highly recommend LaVonne & Herb to anyone who wants to sell their home – their work ethic, knowledge & experience is unmatched!

Patti Lee, and Sean & Michael Sieber

LaVonne and Herb helped guide me through the process of selling my home from start to finish with great professionalism. They gave input on how the house should look and gave feedback on the timeline and what to expect after an offer came through. I felt like I had the best of both worlds: brokers that had experience to guide me through what could have been a stressful sale but who also cared enough to treat the transaction as their own home. LaVonne even went the extra mile to buy flowers to make my house look more inviting! I owe LaVonne and Herb for making the sale of my home seamless. 

LaVonne Vojak and Herb Dittrick, the broker and owners of Orange County Realty Company have represented my wife and me in the selling, buying and renting of houses since 2008. During that time, we rented a house, sold a house and bought two houses including the one in which we are living now.

After 52 years of marriage and many moves, we have encountered all kinds of real estate folks. LaVonne and Herb are unquestionably the smartest and most honest team we've ever met. They know the market, they know how to market and they are relentless in distributing listing-specific mailers and door hangers. Before Covid, they were religious about weekly open houses and always brought the best cookies to give out.

We are in our final home but if we ever needed to sell again, we would contact LaVonne and Herb without hesitation. Finally, we referred my business partner and her husband to LaVonne and Herb. They have used L & H for one sale and one purchase and remain very happy.

LaVonne Vojak and Herb Dittrick, the broker and owners of Orange County Realty Company have represented my wife and me in the selling, buying and renting of houses since 2008. During that time, we rented a house, sold a house and bought two houses including the one in which we are living now.

After 52 years of marriage and many moves, we have encountered all kinds of real estate folks. LaVonne and Herb are unquestionably the smartest and most honest team we've ever met. They know the market, they know how to market and they are relentless in distributing listing-specific mailers and door hangers. Before Covid, they were religious about weekly open houses and always brought the best cookies to give out.

We are in our final home but if we ever needed to sell again, we would contact LaVonne and Herb without hesitation. Finally, we referred my business partner and her husband to LaVonne and Herb. They have used L & H for one sale and one purchase and remain very happy.

Jack & Phyllis Levenson

LaVonne and Herb were wonderful to work with. They know the area very well and what helps homes sell fast. We never had to worry about anything throughout the entire process. They explained each step, so we knew what to expect and were very responsive anytime we had questions. They are clearly experts in the field and we would highly recommend LaVonne and Herb to anyone who is looking to sell their house. They are excellent!   

I want to express my sincerest thanks for all you did to list, refurbish, and sell my mother’s house at 24786 Calle Vientos in Lake Forest. You are the hardest working realtors that it has ever been my good fortune to work with. Since I was a realtor myself for 10 years, now retired, I have encountered many real estate agents and you are BY FAR the BEST!! You treated our family home as if it were your own. Your attention to detail with the numerous projects such as painting, carpeting, flooring, termite repair, as well as the repairs requested by the buyer was amazing. You literally took care of everything which was a great comfort to me since I live many miles away in CA and spend most of the summer in CO. The staging you arranged was beautiful and I am sure a good reason why the home sold so quickly. Your honesty and integrity are second to none and everything you said you would do, and more, was done and you kept me informed at all times.

It would be my pleasure to recommend you to anyone looking to list or buy a home and you can have them call me at any time. Thank you so much, I am thankful for all the help you gave me.

Respectfully

Kathy Pettit

LaVonne & Herb were extremely helpful in both selling my home on 21351 Kirkwall, and representing me in the purchase of my new home on 21452 Countryside. They were extremely patient and spent the time to educate me on the process of selling and buying a home. They helped me every step of the way and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. I am very happy they worked with me! Travis Poe

I had expected some challenges in moving out of state, before listing my Carlsbad home.

I had questions and concerns. Do I stage, or leave the home empty? Who is there to let inspectors, repairmen, appraisers, etc. into the home? Who will be there to take care of the little problems that always pop up in a home sale?

My fantastic realty team, LaVonne Vojak and Herb Dittrick, of Orange County Realty Co. answered my questions and concerns, handled the everyday tasks, and treated my home sale like it was their own. Their marketing, pricing strategies, affordable staging recommendations, and proactive communication, are a testament to the excellent service I received from start to finish.

LaVonne and Herb stand out as one of the most conscientious, hard working professional teams, I have worked with. The level of real estate knowledge and attention to detail this team provides, is second to none!

Thank you LaVonne and Herb!

Fondly,

Diana Tucker

We recently sold our home with Lavonne and Herb. LaVonne and Herb know the tract inside and out.  They've been in the neighborhood for a long time and we always knew we would consider them. Their expertise and knowledge helped us sell our house at full price within 14 days when people were still quarantining. One of the most pivotal decisions they made was offering a 3-d tour. Additionally, their team of photographers, escrow officers, and pretty much anyone that we came across with was vetted. Their expertise was also instrumental in lining up the sale of 3 homes-- a complicated real estate transaction that required the deft and experienced.  Recently, we've had to deal with numerous agents and separate escrow companies. LaVonne and her team know what they are doing and these are the guys you want in any RE transaction.     Matt & Katie Dwight

I have been working with LaVonne for 14 years, through several transactions as both a buyer and seller. LaVonne has always done an outstanding job representing me. She works tirelessly and keeps close tabs on everyone involved to make sure the process is as smooth as possible. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is in the market to buy a home, or looking to sell. – Mike Noack

LaVonne and Herb helped me find my dream home in Orange County, when I moved here a couple of year ago. Pleasant couple to work with, and very knowledgeable with properties in Orange County. One thing that make them stands out is that, they will work at your pace, until you find a place you really like. Not pushy at all. I appreciate that as I am a picky buyer. Johanis Hashim

LaVonne and Herb were great from start to finish.

First off, on the initial meeting they did a thorough walk through of the house noting both good & bad aspects. This allowed them to come back to me with a realistic plan for the sale & what price I could expect. They laid it out clearly as to how much I could get if I sold “as is” and what the sales price would be if I did some key improvements. They prioritized the items to be done and had a wealth of professional & affordable contractors. They took care of organizing everything. LaVonne did an excellent job of photography & staging the property. Having seen other homes during open houses, I realized the value that she brought to the table. They did a great job during the entire negotiating process – through the counter offers to negotiating the repair request.

Finally, even post sale and my new home purchase, after they had already been paid, they were helpful and continue to follow up on issues, going above and beyond expectations. All in all, I would thoroughly recommend LaVonne & Herb to anyone. Don’t get fooled by “big name” realtors who have a team of people. LaVonne & Herb take care of everything PERSONALLY and are vested in your success. – Mauro Nardini

Model: Olympus – Approx. 2,502sf, 3BR, 2.5BA plus 600sf Bonus Room

When we decided to sell our home, we knew that we wanted to have LaVonne and Herb be our agents. We had met LaVonne a few times at open houses that we had visited, and she was so professional and friendly. LaVonne and Herb are such a knowledgeable and hardworking team. They are very detail oriented and resourceful. We have bought and sold a handful of houses, but this by far was the easiest transaction that we have ever been involved with. We will be using them to buy our next house. We highly recommend LaVonne and Herb to anyone that wants to sell or buy a house. – Robert and Terry Leonard

I inherited this Lake Forest home from my father. I live in Palos Verdes, which is an hour away. The home was in need of improvements, as my father was the original owner. LaVonne and Herb did 2 evaluations of my home: Selling it “as is” and Selling it with improvements. I chose the latter. LaVonne & Herb recommended contractors and decorating advise. Herb visited the home to check on the work DAILY for 6 weeks! They sold the home for exactly what they said it would be worth after the improvements!! I was able to realize a significant profit due to their expertise, marketing program and hands on management of my listing. I never had to work with an “assistant.” I had a fantastic experience, and highly recommend them to anyone who wants to buy or sell their home! – R. Vassalle (contact information is available upon request).

We are so appreciative of the expertise of our realtor LaVonne Vojak. We recently sold our home in Lake Forest and LaVonne made the entire experience a pleasure. From the beginning she guided us in the preparation and listing of our home, answering questions and connecting us with resources we needed.

Because of LaVonne’s effort our home sold quickly and the escrow process went smoothly. We especially liked the easy communication and quick response to any questions we had along the way. In addition to being a great realtor and professional business woman, LaVonne was a joy to partner with in what could have been a stressful transaction.

We would definitely recommend LaVonne Vojak to anyone looking for a great realtor. – Catherine and Robert Ziegler

Dear Herb and LaVonne-

What can we say – you are simply the best! Thank you so much for the wonderful job you did selling our parent’s home in Lake Forest. The two of you make an amazing team and go so far above and beyond what we expected or have ever experienced with realtors in the past. You are such experts in your field and gave us great advice from the very beginning as far as what was needed to get the home ready to sell, showing us the many comps used to set a fair listing price, to getting the house sold for top dollar in a very short time—Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Living out of state and selling a home as a trustee could have made this a difficult process but you were there the entire time making sure every detail was taken care of and more importantly, we knew we could trust you with everything!! The time and effort you put in was incredible and is so much appreciated. We can honestly say that we could not have done this without you and in the process, have come to know you not only as great realtors but also as friends!

For anyone looking to hire a realtor, we highly recommend Herb and LaVonne of Orange County Realty – they are the Best of the Best! – John and Kay Gilbertson (Contact information available upon request)