Testimonials

Why choose Wally Kidd as your real estate broker? Don't just take our word for it; read these testimonials from former clients to see why Wally Kidd is the right choice for you.



Testimonial

My wife and I have known Wally Kidd for a number of years and have been working with him to find the perfect cottage for our multigenerational family on Walloon Lake. We received a call from Wally in early November letting us know that he thought he might have a cottage for us. We immediately made arrangements to fly to Northern Michigan to view the cottage. He was right, we made an offer that day. Wally, Lauren, and the rest of his team were beyond helpful in working through some of the challenges and various issues that presented themselves during Covid. Not least of which was that our principal residence is in the Kansas City metro area and everything had to been done virtually. We could not have been more pleased with Wally and his team for all of the advice and counsel that they provided us during the entire process!”

JOHN & DENISE — KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
Testimonial

Wally Kidd's years of experience and knowledge of Walloon Lake really came into play while he guided us through selling and then purchasing another home on Walloon. His professionalism and customer service skills are impeccable. We appreciated his advice and marketing strategy which led to a quick, successful sale. We have no hesitation in recommending the professional service provided by Wally Kidd and his staff.”

PAMELA AND RICHARD BOUNDY — WALLOON LAKE
Testimonial

Wally was continually involved with us and was constantly keeping us aware of what he was doing with our home. He not only presented our home with wonderful advertising and marketing projects, he spent hours of his time at the house with open houses, showings and just visiting.

We weren’t just selling a house on a lot, we were selling a home in which we had a lifetime of memories. We wanted to work with someone who understood growing up and living on Walloon Lake, someone who had shared experiences of a family home on Walloon. We found that ideal person in Wally Kidd.”

CHRISTINA BUETTNER RICE — WALLOON LAKE
Testimonial

Wally had a great sense of the value of our property in relation to comparables around Walloon Lake as well as what we needed to do to enhance its appearance. His ability to source viable buyers coupled with his market knowledge was impressive. We are very happy with the outcome.”

CHRIS SHASTOCK — CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Testimonial

Wally Kidd is a great advisor, realtor, and businessman. When we decided to make Northern Michigan our one and only home we knew that we were making one of our most important investment decisions ever. Wally worked closely and patiently with us for over two years until we found the right home on the shores of Lake Michigan in Bay Harbor. Wally worked tirelessly to close the transaction fairly for us and the seller. Wally then sold our Bay Harbor condominium with the same professionalism and diligence. We have moved and sold homes all over the U.S. more than we would like to count. Wally is the best realtor we have worked with!”

BRUCE AND SUSAN HERARD — BAY HARBOR, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

In any business transaction, it comes down to attention to detail.  This was never more true than when we bought our new home on Walloon Lake. If it weren’t for Wally Kidd and his staff, we would not have found and purchased our dream home on the lake. The time that Wally spent with us and the time he spent behind the scenes making sure everything was properly handled, really made the difference to us! We loved working with Wally!”

KATIE AND GORDON COLEMAN — BLOOMINGTON HILLS, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

My wife and I hired Wally to help us find our home on Walloon Lake. Having lived in Northern Michigan for many years, Wally is an expert on Walloon Lake properties. He shared extensive knowledge of the history and geographic highlights of the properties we were shown. Wally helped connect us with our new neighbors as well, friendly with many people in the community. He is dedicated to finding his clients the right home - listening to our family’s needs, getting answers to our questions, and leading us to the perfect match. Wally is supported by a team of professionals who also exhibit his positive attributes - knowledgeable, courteous, and committed to clients. We would highly recommend Wally and his team to anyone seeking an agent to assist in purchasing a Northern Michigan property”

DAN AND NICKI CORNWELL — BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

Wally gets it—he's part of the fabric of our community. But he brings so much more to the table. He knew how to market our home, and his staff was attentive and gracious. Wally is very smart and somewhat of a bulldog. That's a winning combination because you want someone who has the finesse and the tenacity to realize the art of the deal. He did that and more. Wally genuinely cares about his clients. It's just his nature.”

HEIDI MARSHALL — HARBOR SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

It has been a pleasure to work with Wally and his team over the years. His honest and straightforward approach is a rarity in today’s residential real estate market. Not only does he have a great command of the local real estate market, but he is extremely well established and well versed in the local community and its goings-on. He has proven to be a wealth of knowledge and an enormous help to us.

Wally is a lot more than our real estate broker. We consider him and his wife to be our friends. We look forward to enjoying our home on Walloon Lake and we have Wally to thank for it.”

PHIL HOFFMAN — NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Testimonial

When we were deciding whom to represent our cottage we needed an agent who recognized the history of not only our property but also Walloon Lake in general. Without exception, Wally Kidd was the perfect agent. Not only is he a historian of Walloon Lake proper, but also he has a tremendous sense of the market and made sure both buyer and sellers were happy.

He had to deal with four family members with an equal vested interest in the sale of a house that had been in the family for sixty years, so there was also a strong emotional aspect to it that he had to navigate, and navigate he did.. splendidly. He aggressively marketed our property using various media platforms with national reach. He regularly kept all family members apprised of showings and really, truly listened to and took suggestions on the list price, staging of the house, and shots of the house used in the marketing materials.

He knows the market, inside and out. He has incredible contacts and it was through one of these contacts that led to the sale of the house. On a scale of one to five, I would rate Wally a “10”.”

DAVID AND THERESA CROUSE — WALLOON LAKE
Testimonial

In 1888, our family built a cottage on the shores of Walloon Lake. Almost 120 years later it was time for us to sell our cherished possession. After a lengthy interview process, it became clear that there was only one realtor that could handle this important and emotional transaction for us...that was Wally Kidd. Finding a broker who we trusted was a must, finding one whose family has a similar, storied history on the lake was really unique. He clearly understood what it meant for my family to transfer the ownership of this cottage. He handled it beautifully. Wally was always professional and became a valued friend in the end. No one knows Walloon Lake like Wally!”

KATHY FRECH — WALLOON LAKE, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

I have worked with many realtors in the past, I used to own a real estate franchise and managed realtors. Wally is the best realtor I have experienced working with. His knowledge of the area and ability to make the small details fall into place was far above expectations. He and Lauren were wonderful to work with and communicate with and I hope I have a reason to buy/sell in the area again so we can work together."

TYLER SILVEUS — WINONA LAKE, INDIANA
Testimonial

Wally represented the whole picture of what we wanted in a real estate agent. A good businessman with careful attention to detail, great people instincts, and a great sense of humor. We loved spending time with him and knew that he understood the heart and soul of Walloon Lake. We were so impressed with the care he took to assure the transaction was a win-win for us and for the buyers. In the end, we never doubted our choice.”

CAMILLE AND THE LATE DAVID WILLIAMS — BOCA GRANDE, FLORIDA
Testimonial

We finally own it! I can not thank Wally and his team enough for all that they did. The entire Kidd & Leavy team was excellent to work with through out the entire process. On behalf of Citizens National Bank I want to thank you for helping make our newest location a reality.”

MATTHEW KEENE, CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK — PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

Wally is a true professional! Throughout the entire process, he was there for us. He responded to any questions we had quickly and honestly. He represented us as we wished to be represented - professionally and helped us in every way that he could.”

JOE AND JULIE SCHILDT — ANCHORAGE, KENTUCKY
Testimonial

I want to thank Wally for all his assistance in my search for a house on Walloon Lake. I appreciate his patience to find the perfect place during the 2+ year search due to my specific criteria. We truly have bought our dream home and could not have done it without his expertise, diligence, and persistence. It was a privilege to work with Wally and his professional staff.”

DAVID SCHMITT — CINCINATTI, OHIO
Testimonial

I recently bought a condo on Walloon Lake from Wally Kidd at Kidd Leavy Real Estate. Wally was great to work with. He found me the perfect property and made the whole process go smoothly. I would definitely recommend Wally Kidd!”

WENDY THOMPSON — PORT HURON, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

Wally Kidd and Lauren Simon went beyond all expectations to sell our home in Walloon Lake. We listed the house and had an offer within two weeks at a time when selling real estate was hampered by the restraints of a governor’s order. Their efforts to show the house to its best advantage on the listing site attracted buyers that were well established in the community. When we needed help in a closet reconstruction, Wally’s crew completed the project in a way that made it look like an original part of the house with close attention to detail in the beadboard trim.

During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we felt secure that all efforts were made to limit exposure to risk. What was more impressive was their concern even after the closing when we experienced a near disaster with a moving company and were unable to vacate the premises as planned. They monitored the situation and kept in communication with us and the new owners right up until the last item was loaded. Selling this home was an emotional decision. I felt Wally and Lauren understood the degree of attachment and made every effort to provide not only professional sales experience but a sympathetic and supportive level of understanding that went well beyond expectation. We would not hesitate to list a home with them again or to rely on them for a future purchase.”

BETH AND GERRY BROSCHART— VIRGINIA
Testimonial

We knew right away we wanted to work with Wally because he's the best. Everywhere we went in the Walloon Lake area people asked us if we had met Wally yet. From the second we sat down and laid out our dreams to him, he worked tirelessly to make it happen. We are no strangers to real estate, but the professionalism, honesty, genuine care & love of this area that Wally brings to every single transaction is unbeatable. For him it wasn't just 'finding us a house' it was hearing our dream, believing in it & making it happen. Not to mention he's a hoot in person, Wally is one of the greatest assets to this community & anyone who works alongside him, or becomes his client can call themselves lucky.”

KALIN AND MATT SHEICK — PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

It was a hard decision for us to sell our Walloon Lake home, and we needed to work with someone who not only understood the Walloon Lake real estate market but also understood the emotions that go into selling a longtime family home. We trusted Wally with this major decision in our life, and Wally delivered in every way. We highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home on beautiful Walloon.”

RON AND ANNE HINTCH — BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

We had the privilege of working with Wally and his team when we recently sold our condominium in Boyne City. Wally was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was always accessible, never failed to return a phone call and made the whole process easy. We have been involved in many other real estate transactions over the years and our transaction with Wally was undoubtedly the smoothest. There were even a couple of times that we needed some quick reparations done and Wally instantly was able to reach out to his network of people and see to it that the jobs were accomplished expeditiously and professionally.

We would recommend Wally Kidd and his team to anybody who is looking for a competent, communicative realtor who in addition possesses a vast knowledge of the area. Four thumbs up, for sure.”

BILL AND DAWN BRADFIELD — AUGUSTA, MAINE
Testimonial

We listed our house with Wally Kidd in February 2015. The house had been listed with two other realtors for four years and had rarely been shown. To say that we were getting discouraged was an understatement!

We were impressed with Wally from our first visit with him. His enthusiasm, ideas about how to list the house and information about the market was so impressive! Wally did an amazing job of advertising the house from the very start. He never stopped doing everything possible to market the house. Several friends in the area mentioned to me that they had never seen a house so frequently advertised in local media.

Consequently, the house sold just a few months later, even in a very poor market in our price and house size range. We were thrilled with all of the great work that Wally did in selling our house. We highly recommend him to anyone who wants a professional, dedicated and hardworking realtor!”

SANDY AND NED McCLURG — CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
Testimonial

We recently moved to Northern Michigan and needed to start looking for a new home. We contacted Wally Kidd at Kidd & Leavy Real Estate Co. to help us with this process. Wally was great to work with, as was Emily, his assistant. The beginning of our search consisted of emails and phone calls. They were always prompt in responding to our requests and when we were ready to look at homes Wally always worked within our schedule. Wally is caring, honest, and knowledgeable about the community and the area. His team at Kidd & Leavy made our house buying process effortless.”

MARC AND MARGIE JACOBS — PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

We have known and worked with Wally Kidd on both the buy-side and sell-side of Walloon Lake real estate. During our 40 years on Walloon, we can say without question, nobody knows this lake, what it has to offer and valuations, like Wally. Not only is he a professional in his field, but he is also a neighbor, friend and trusted advisor. We highly recommend talking to Wally if you ae ever interested in buying or selling on Walloon Lake.”

JAN AND DON KLOPCIC — BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN
Testimonial

Thank you for all your help on our closing! You have a deft touch and wise insight beyond your years…meeting you and becoming friends was the best part of this closing!”

GEORGE AND ANDREA
Testimonial

Wally knows Walloon and gets results. Rarely have we been involved in a business transaction that has moved as effortlessly and efficiently as we experienced with the sale of our Walloon Lake cottage. Wally knows the lake community and he knows property values. What mattered to us was establishing a fair price to both the owner and purchaser and then marketing the property at that price. Wally did that and accomplished the sale in a very short period of time.”

ROBERT and MARY GUENTHER— NEW HARMONY, INDIANA