The best part of doing this in the neighborhood I live in is that my clients become my neighbors, and a lot of them become friends. Here are a couple of stories that show how I actually work, and why buying and selling in Westchase is different when the person guiding you genuinely lives here.
From a Rental Inquiry to Their Dream Home in Woodbay
At the end of 2025, Steve and Mandy Mitchell reached out to me about renting a home I had listed in Sheffield. They had lived in their house for about fifteen years and were ready for a change. Renting my listing would have been a lateral move at best, actually a step down in size, so I asked a few questions before we went any further.
What they did not realize was that they had another option. I walked them through the possibility of buying before they sold, so their family would not have to move twice or rush a sale. Steve had no idea that was even on the table for them. Once we got him pre-qualified, the whole picture changed.
I found them an incredible home in Woodbay, a complete upgrade and honestly the kind of house they had always dreamed about, and negotiated a great price. Steve, who works at a bank, was able to secure an outstanding rate through his employer. Then we listed their old home and sold it close to asking in just a few days on market. They went from a rental inquiry to a dream home, and their previous home sold fast. They are ecstatic, they love living in Westchase, and their family and mine have become close.
Helping a Neighbor Through a Hard Season, and the Connections That Followed
When my wife and I moved into our townhome on New Park in West Park Village, our next-door neighbor was an elderly woman who fell ill shortly after we arrived. I worked with her and her daughter to find a trustworthy property manager and get her home rented out, which helped cover her expenses while she was placed in a care facility to recover.
The connections that came out of it were remarkable. It turned out she had raised her family right outside Philadelphia, in the exact area where I grew up, and had even been a substitute teacher at my middle school. She was also close friends with the original owner of our townhome, who had since moved to a villa here in Westchase. I ended up helping that original owner sell both her daughter's condo and her own villa so she could relocate to Ohio to be near family. We navigated both sales for them, and I got to know the original owner of our own home, who loved seeing the updates we made to the place.
None of that started as a transaction. It started with being a good neighbor. But it is exactly why so much of my business comes from the relationships I build right here in the community.
From a CrossFit Connection to Four Closings
Amanda Glenz and her family go back a ways with me and my wife Tracey. We used to train together with Amanda and her parents at Tern CrossFit. Life moved us to different gyms, us to CrossFit Westchase and them to Southern Boom, and we lost touch a bit, but we stayed friendly and connected. So when Amanda needed help, she knew who to call.
Amanda, an attorney who works at the same firm as her father, was struggling to sell a small two-bedroom townhome off Sheldon in the Westchase area. What she really wanted was to move into West Park Village, closer to the bars, shops, and the walkable lifestyle she was after. The problem was getting her current place sold on the right terms so she could make the move.
I guided her through a few strategic updates, fresh paint, staging, and repositioned the home with our marketing. It sold for top dollar in a short time frame. At the same time, I found her the perfect townhome in West Park Village and helped her close on it, saving her thousands in the process. She got the lifestyle she wanted without the stress she feared.
It went so well that her parents, Tom and Sarah, came next. I helped them land their dream home on a lake in Odessa and then turned around and sold their home in Lutz too. One relationship, built years earlier at a CrossFit box, turned into four closings and a family that trusts me with every move they make.
Every situation is different. Whether you are trying to buy before you sell, navigate a tough transition, or just make the smartest move for your family, I will give you the honest, neighbor-first guidance I would give my own friends. Let us talk. More about how I work at bryancoward.com.
Ready to write your own Westchase success story?
Let me help you make the smart move.