Stray Dog Properties

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn was amazing! As a first time homebuyer, I was nervous about starting the process. But Shawn answered all of my questions and was a great help during the process. I would recommend him and his team to everyone I know that is also looking to sell or buy a home. You will be in great hands!

Experiencia negativa: UPDATE 9/20/2024 - Could it get worse? This experience is now transforming into what is likely going to be a civil lawsuit against the way this company handled the sale of our marital property during our divorce. We had no idea of what the laws were and that is why we hired license professionals. 1/8/2026: Things were was so much worse than I ever imagined. Do your own research on what the professionals you hire should be doing. And if they're doing everything they should be and nothing they shouldn't be, good. Keep receipts. Look up the licensing parameters for their profession. Look up the legal code that covers real estate transactions in the state you're in. Some professionals haven't followed those guidelines for so long that they don't check or ask or Google. They just do what they want... what's in their best interests. I'm going to simmer down on this review due to an unknown future potential negotiation or litigation. Hopefully one day it will just disappear due to an agreement being reached between all parties. Do your own research. At least a couple of Google searches about your rights as a buyer or seller and your broker's responsibility to uphold not only your best interests but the law and the ethics of their license.. Future you will thank you. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Stray Dog Properties handled the sale of my husband & my martial home. We had lived there for over a decade. We were also (and still are) in the middle of a very contentious divorce. The owner of Stray Dog, Shawn Spaw, essentially used what was, at its core, a divide & conquer technique to pit my husband and I against each other in order to serve Stray Dog's priorities. My husband was the only signer on the mortgage; but we were bound by a financial restraining order and both had to sign off on in agreement on everything. The owner of Stray Dog would tell me that he had blocked me on text messages and then unblock me to text ridiculous demands. He told my attorney that he was going to be filing a protective order, which never happened. And additionally threatened us with backing out as our realtor midpoint in the sale. I'm sure a lot of people have had great experiences, but if you are strong-willed and dealing with any other contentious parties during the sale, I advise you to go elsewhere. **EDIT: Just hours after posting this review today the owner of Stray Dog Properties sent me a text message and threatened to sue me for defamation. This is the third time since July of this year, when my interactions with him began, that he has threatened legal action against me. None of which have come to fruition. We closed on our home on October 30th and I've had no dealings with him since, until today.

Experiencia fantástica: I can’t say enough good! Shawn was professional, intuitive, and pleasant to work with. He saw that we knew what was going on with the sale. We were able to complete the sale in six weeks! We could not have done that without the help of Shawn and his team! I would recommend Stray Dog to anyone and everyone.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn and Barbara are amazing. They were both so very helpful and patient with the selling of my mom’s home, and the purchase of her new home. They really took care of her and her family and walked us through step by step. I would recommend Stray Dog, specifically Shawn and Barbara if you are in the market to sell or purchase a new home.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn and Brett handled the sell of my home. They are professional, knowledgeable and demonstrated that they are experts. Friendly interactions and great communication in each encounter. I highly recommend Stray Dog realtor.

Experiencia fantástica: We have purchased and sold numerous homes. I can honestly say, every realtor we have ever had, were okay. If you are looking for a team that goes above and beyond , you have to call The Stray Dog Team. I promise … you will NOT… be disappointed. The Spaw Team genuinely cares about their clients. They are with you from the beginning, to the end and even check in afterwords to make sure everything is good. I gave the Stray Dog Team 5 stars but I would give them a 6. Give them a call, you will be so… glad you did. Thank you, Thank you Barbara for consistently communicating with us, fiercely negotiating on the sale and the purchase of our homes, and following up with us, after we moved in.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn and his team did a fantastic job helping my wife and I find our forever home. He did a great job finding houses with qualities that we wanted but also in the price range and location. He also offered good advice when touring homes and would give his input as well if we were unsure. Highly recommend using.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn did a great job through the whole process far is helping my wife and I finding the right home.Shawn was very patient with us, also, if there was any information I needed ,Shawn would find out that day. I would definitely recommend Shawn to anyone who is looking for a home. Shawn and his company was awesome.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn and Brett are by far the best realtors we have ever had! They were diligent and positive through the experience of marketing and selling our property which contained wetlands and required extra efforts. They never lost sight of the goal and came through for us in an extraordinary lengthly process.

Experiencia fantástica: I sent a referral to this team and they were awesome! Demonstrated diligence and tenacity— 5 stars

Experiencia negativa: Most irritating website for browsing homes

Experiencia fantástica: Can't say enough good things about our experience with Shawn and Brett! We were coming from out of state and had a short window to conduct a house hunting trip. Shawn made sure we had homes lined up for us to see when we were there, and was proactively sending us listings he thought were a good fit the month prior. The second house we saw was "the one". We are first-time homeowners and Shawn made sure to guide us through the process and make sure we were getting the best deal we could. The team is responsive, helpful, and went above and beyond in service- even driving over to the house to get a package when a wifi router was mistakenly delivered before closing! We feel lucky to have found Stray Dog Properties and it served as a fantastic first impression of the Valparaiso community.

Experiencia fantástica: As a home inspector, it has been a great experience to have dealt with Shawn. He is very kind and informative as well as responsive with calls and answers. Thank you, Andy's Home Inspection, Inc.

Experiencia fantástica: Optimal service, excellent communication, and easy closing. I highly recommend Stray Dog Properties.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn and Barbara go the extra mile to make your dreams come true!

Experiencia positiva: We recently sold our LaPorte home with Shawn Spaw. In our experience, we always felt like Shawn was focused more on what the buyers interests were than ours. He also would tell us when he was available, and we felt like we were bothering him, if we needed to contact at other times. When we had home showings, their App wouldn't work to let us know when the showing was done, so we had to wait with our dogs longer than was necessary. Lastly, he didn't show up for our closing, he sent someone else.

Experiencia fantástica: we had excellent service from the team and will recommend him highly to anyone who want service in real estate matters

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn Spaw and his team, specifically Barbara Truchan, are just top notch professionals and people. We had a very unique and troublesome experience as we were trying to sell our house, but also build a new one at the same time, with many unforeseen obstacles. It took over two years to accomplish due to specifics out of our control. Barbara and Shawn stood by us, advised us, helped us, calmed us throughout the entire experience. I'm not sure it would have been possible without them. My family thanks them for helping us, and becoming our friends. A truly unique and special experience, and one that we value and would recommend to any family or friend.

Experiencia fantástica: Communication is key.

Experiencia fantástica: We moved to Valpo in '07 and were lucky to find and work with Shawn. I've kept in touch with him ever since--not sure I can provide any better evidence than that as praise to Shawn as a pro and a friend.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn showed us numerous different houses that we were interested in. Even came out on mothers day to show us one. Always answered the phone or called us back within the hour if he was with a client. You could not have asked for a better real estate agent. We still live in the house we brought and are very happy.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn is a terrific realtor; he assisted me in purchasing my first home and the entire transaction was so smooth and effortless. The communication was great, as he was always available to answer my questions and offer guidance when necessary (which is often when you're a first-time homebuyer). I would 100% recommend Shawn & his team of experts to all my friends and family; thanks Shawn!

Experiencia fantástica: If you want to sell your house, this guy will get it done. I've dealt with approximately 13 realtors over the years and Shawn is the most thorough and responsive. I will add that he's also very generous with his time and is an enjoyable conversationalist.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn found me a great house under difficult circumstances. I lived out of town, I had a lot of specific location needs and budgetary limits, and I'm sure that in midwinter there were probably fewer available houses. But he was able to give me a whole range of choices, and in less than a week he satisfied every option for this picky customer. And, thanks to his attention and care, closing was quick and simple. Thanks, Shawn. No one else could have pulled off this miracle.

Experiencia fantástica: I called Shawn at 10 AM in the morning and bought house on the lake that day. Including finance and everything. Very helpful and excellent advise. Came to closing and helped immediately with any questions. You can’t go wrong with this team!

Experiencia fantástica: Worked through Barbara Truchan. Always very responsive and helpful through the entire process. Would recommend her as a realtor to anyone in the NW Indiana area

Experiencia fantástica: Realtor Debra Bernard is very friendly, experienced and especially perceptive of what I was looking for in an existing home. She presented good choices. She is professional, not pushy and answers any question. My experience buying was superb!

Experiencia fantástica: Barb Truchan was the best. She was always a few steps ahead of us from finding properties, setting up viewings that met our schedules. Moving forward we will only use Barb.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn is a thorough professional and represented our interests with distinction as recent buyers in Valparaiso!

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn went above and beyond to make sure that we not only found the right house but also helped us through the closing process when the supporting parties were not helping.

Experiencia fantástica: Many realtors respond rapidly to the first communication to lock in a client. Shawn did respond very quickly. But, it didn't end there. He continued to impress us with his timely responses to any and all of our needs. He helped expedite a rapid and smooth closing. My family has and will continue to do business with Shawn and his team.

Experiencia fantástica: Highly recommend Shawn!

Experiencia fantástica: I put my home on the market just as winter was coming, in a stock market downturn, a housing market slowdown, and with interest rates climbing. And...it was in a price range that doesn't move fast. It was not looking good. I was working with another realtor who was proactive and sharp, but I wasn't getting viewings or offers. I asked Shawn to look at it for me. I was immediately impressed by the detailed and insightful report he delivered (It was 64 pages of high quality analysis, compared to the sparse 2-3 page reports his competition produced). It gave me enough information to make better decisions about pricing in the current market. I switched to him immediately. Shawn and his team did far more in marketing my home than the previous realtor had done. Within the month we had a good offer on the home and the sale is now closed. Shawn knows the market, is quick to respond, is an excellent advisor, and utilizes better, and more thorough tools than any of the competition I interviewed. Thank you Shawn Spaw and team!!

Experiencia fantástica: I would highly recommend Shawn if you are looking for an experienced Realtor with great local knowledge. We have been working with Shawn for some time now, looking for a couple of properties, and Shawn is always a pleasure to work with. We recently purchased one home with his help, and are continuing to look for another.

Experiencia fantástica: We had the pleasure working with Darlene from the Shawn Spaw Team. AMAZING!!! She was extremely easy to contact Day/Night Weekdays/Weekends it did not matter! We sold our house "by owner" and ended up having the Shawn Spaw team conduct the sale of our house which made it a very smooth process when we bought our new house. Darlene went above and beyond all expectations, I wish I wanted to buy more houses just to work with her again! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Experiencia fantástica: The Shawn Spaw Team did a good job helping me buy my house. Amy Holloway was a great agent to work with. Friendly and answered any questions I had. I got cool housewarming gift as well! I would recommend, thanks guys.

Experiencia fantástica: Excellent experience!!! Shawn and his team were incredibly professional and got us the house of our dreams. There is no doubt that I would absolutely recommend the Shawn Spaw Group to anyone who is looking for a home!

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn and his team were great from start to finish. My wife and I are new to Valparaiso and this was our first home. Shawn walked us through everything and made the process as easy as possible. He also had the best communication of anyone I have worked with, which is very important to me. He was always quick to respond whenever I had a question or concern. I highly recommend Shawn!

Experiencia fantástica: As a first time home buyer Stephanie and the entire Shawn Spaw team was extremely helpful and made me feel comfortable and made sure to go out of there way that I knew the process and the steps and things that need to get done. The whole process was a lot easier than I had been told and I am thankful that I had them backing me up from start to finish. They are also friendly and really listen to what you are looking for.

Experiencia fantástica: Nothing but professionalism from this team. Shawn and his dedicated realtors, office personnel and other behind the scenes personnel make you feel comfortable knowing they know how to get the job done. From our first meeting with Shawn and his associate, Stacy Powell, we were impressed. They were honest, committed and determined to sell our home and find us the exact home we were looking for. They were with us every step of the way providing direction and easing our concerns. You won’t go wrong selecting the Shawn Spaw Team.

Experiencia negativa: Make sure you ask about his $475 paperwork fee before you sign. Great surprise to find out the day before close.

Experiencia fantástica: Thank you very much. Excellent service and very knowledgeable of the NWI area. The Application suggested by Shawn help us a lot to find properties around the area. Very happy and highly recommended.

Experiencia fantástica: Sold my property quickly. I was always informed and the whole process went smoothly. Great team to work with.

Experiencia fantástica: Five Star Service is what we received from Shawn Spaw and his team. After working with Shawn It is very easy to understand how thorough he is and the level of caring he puts in to help achieve the experience of buying your special home. What my wife and I really liked is that Shawn is very quick to get back to you on any and all questions that come up in the purchase period. Shawn went above and beyond for us and we will always be thankful for him. Absolute professional ! Thanks Shawn!

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn Spaw was masterful in selling our house. He is savvy in social media - able to target specific buyers for your house. As we got our house ready for sale, he recommended numerous excellent professionals who got the job done well and quickly. He was always immediately responsive during the high tension of negotiations, and he gave us great advice in the process. We closed on the house within 6 weeks of putting in on the market. Remarkable. I highly recommend Shawn, and know you will be in great hands with Shawn.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn helped my husband and I find our first house. The experience from beginning to end was great. Shawn is the ideal realtor, in my opinion. He doesn't hover or push his opinions on you, but he is incredibly knowledgeable and always willing to help when you need it. His is very responsive and easy to get in contact with, even with short notice. He has a lot of contacts in the community and a great app that makes it very easy to find properties. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better experience and have already recommended him to everyone I know.

Experiencia fantástica: I was out of state and on the market to purchase my first home when Shawn was recommended by a colleague--I am so happy that I took the recommendation. Shawn guided me through the process and made sure that I found a property that was perfect for me. He was always available to answer all of my questions, and there were many since I was unfamiliar with the process of buying a home, especially in a new city. In addition to finding me a great home in an unprecedented short amount of time, Shawn provided a wealth of infromation that helped acclimate me to my new environment. I highly recommend Shawn if anyone is looking for a realtor who is extremely professional, knowledgeable, helpful and transparent.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn did a fantastic job selling our home. He is very knowledgeable, has high energy and a great support team. He priced the house just right. His recommendations for what we needed to do to the house before putting it on the market were right on. We sold the house within two weeks and everything went very smoothly.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn helped me to sell the property and everything was done on the highest level. He suggested the price exactly where it got a lot of interest and brought an offer that we accepted in under two weeks. I am not sure how but he answered all phone calls and messages right away which always puzzled me because of his schedule. He has a great support team and that adds tremendous value to his clients making everything go smoothly. I am extremely pleased that I picked him out of a great number of realtors. Professional, hard working, precise, knowledgeable and easy going - these are the words I would use to describe Shawn. Thank you

Experiencia fantástica: We chose Shawn after interviewing other Realtors. We loved his professionalism and plan for selling our home. Shawn's App for showings, and other appointments really helped keep us up to date. We're very thankful that he took something as stressful as selling our home and made it easy. Thank you Shawn!

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn was great. He helped me sell my home in Valpo after I'd already moved to the east coast. He was attentive and patient. Thanks Shawn!

Experiencia fantástica: We used Shawn to sell our home, he listed it on several websites to get maximum exposure and it really helped. He came out and looked at it and helped us stage it for selling. He also offered us great advice on the home we were building. We took that advice and are completely satisfied. We would not hesitate to use Shawn Spaw and his team in the future!

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn is a great realtor! We were first time sellers, and he really guided us through the whole process. He responded super fast to all of our questions and was always accessible and flexible. We highly recommend him and his team if you need help buying or selling a home. He made the experience seamless. Thanks!

Experiencia fantástica: This was our 6th home so we had a basis for comparison. He outdid any others we had worked with, responding immediately, working quickly to find us a home when a deal fell thru on us. He LISTENED!! We have recommended him to friends and he's "done right by them".

Experiencia fantástica: After having a difficult experience with our previous realtor, we called Shawn because he was the listing agent of the house my husband and I were interests in. He was willing to meet with us right away and was so helpful through the whole purchasing process. He was always available if we had questions and gave great advice. He made everything go so smoothly.

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn worked with me to purchase my first home. Shawn never made me feel rushed or pressured to make a purchase. He made the home buying process easy even for a 22 year old first time buyer. I cannot thank him enough for his professionalism and wisdom. Shawn treats his customers like family, and it is made all the more obvious when I refer him to anyone buying a home. He is honest and has his customers best interest at heart. I would never send any friend or family to another realtor.- Jason Frey, Valparaiso, IN

Experiencia fantástica: Shawn took a property that wasn't getting any traffic and developed a marketing plan to get the traffic. It worked as the property sold in 3 weeks. Always a pleasure to talk to and made you feel like you are the only client. I would highly recommend him.

Experiencia fantástica: Everyone had always warned me that buying a house is a nightmare, and the process is arduous, painful, and stressful. It was none of those things for me. Shawn and his associates were very friendly and informative. They made honest and appropriate recommendations based on my specific situation. At the time, I worked sort of odd hours, which they effortlessly accommodated while being professional and courteous through the entire process. 11/10.

Experiencia fantástica: After having worked with a realtor that just didn't have experience, we contacted Shawn from reading great reviews, we were not dissappointed! Shawn is incredibly experienced. There isn't a question you will have that he can't answer. Shawn is always available! We used Shawn in selling both our homes and know that we would NOT be in the home we're in now if we didn't have Shawn. He and his team are excellent and I would recommend highly, you won't be disappointed.