Have you seen the headlines about using your 401(k) to cover a down payment?Tapping it can feel like an easy call, especially if you’ve got a good chunk saved up. But pulling from retirement
Prestige Homes of the Tri Cities, Inc Lenders
About
Sgt. Chad Berry
Mortgage Loan Officer | Veteran Advocate
With more than 20 years of experience in the finance industry and the last five years dedicated to mortgage lending, I bring deep expertise and a service-first mindset to every client I serve. I currently work with Movement Mortgage, specializing in helping Veterans fully utilize the homeownership benefits they have earned.
As a former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant and combat veteran who served in Iraq, I understand firsthand the sacrifices made by our nation’s servicemembers and their families. That experience fuels my mission: ensuring every Veteran has the opportunity to achieve homeownership and long-term financial stability.
Clients and Realtor partners value my loyalty, persistence, and unwavering integrity. I approach every transaction with the same discipline and determination that guided me in uniform—because helping others achieve the American Dream isn’t just my profession, it’s my purpose.
About
First Bank and Trust Company, headquartered in southwest Virginia, provides individuals and businesses with an exceptional suite of tools, resources, and solutions to navigate financial life. We are in our 43rd year of operations and are a growing community bank comprised of friendly, experienced associates ready to help you. Our specific goal is to provide exceptional customer service, and that philosophy is embodied in our company slogan, "The Bank That Puts You First."
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About
Steve Reed, Branch Manager of Benchmark, has spent his entire 30 year professional career in the mortgage industry. He is a consistent top producer in the Northeast Tennessee area known for excellence and integrity in delivering “World Class Service”. Specializing in VA, FHA, USDA, and Conventional lending for first-time home buyers as well as move-up home buyers are the focus of his practice. “The most enjoyable part of my day is to help Veterans who have served our country and first-time home buyers achieve their dreams of affordable home ownership. To serve these deserving buyers is such a great honor and very satisfying.”
Reed’s success comes as no surprise to those who know him well. His commitment of putting people before profits are the foundation of every loan transaction and has earned him a loyal base of clients and a strong referral business within the Real Estate community.
Steve credits his success to the fact that he and his staff of top-flight professionals have developed a great system of teamwork. We built our system on honesty, integrity, accessibility, and attention to detail and an “in depth” knowledge of all aspects of mortgage lending. His clients can rest assured they will have a loan tailored to fit their specific needs.
Steve’s team at Benchmark offers in-house underwriting, state-of-the-art technology and outstanding customer service, Steve and his team are always there personally to answer questions and make sure every detail is covered.
Steve was raised in Kingsport, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Owning his own firm for 20 years prior to joining Benchmark in April 2011, Steve has taken mortgage lending to the next level. Steve is active in the Tri-Cities Community with Summit Leadership Foundation as well as being an advocate for Veterans and First Responders. Steve’s other interests includes boating and travel. He is married to Christine and has 2 children, Brittany and Chase. With all the personal and professional interests, Steve’s favorite time is spent with his family and that will always come first.
Testimonials
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My husband and I highly recommend real estate agent, Reed Thomas. What it pleasure it has been to work with Reed Thomas for our recent real estate home purchases. My husband and I had been planning a move to NE TN but had not selected what area or what home we wanted. Reed shared info (culture, weather, re-sale, population etc) about different areas. We had quite a few homes we wanted to see from Greeneville to Knoxville and Johnson City. We road tripped it from one area to another and had a good feel of everything. During this process Reed was so responsive and on top of each bit of info and each detail. In addition to a top rate business side, Reed has a friendly, neighborly way.. He is fun to just kick back and talk with. He is quickly converting us into Vol fans. When we finally made a decision (Kingsport) he and Rob jumped on the offer and handled it very well. They both made the process very easy. Of course, this was on a weekend so we very much appreciated the quick weekend response. We liked Reed so much we purchased a second home for my husband's sister the next weekend. Same quick response and turnaround. You have a great team with Rob and Reed. I feel like we are all friends now (Go Vols).
Janet Atkins
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- Janet Atkins
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Rebecca is a very personable and professional agent. She handled my sale swiftly with little effort on my part. Her knowledge of the market allowed me to sell my house within two days, and I felt satisfied with the offer.
I would use Rebecca again in a heart beat.
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- Dr. Tom
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She understood what we were looking for and didn't quit looking until we found the place we loved. She always stayed in touch with us and was woth us thru out the whole process. Awesome realtor and awesome person!!
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- Tonya Lopez
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Definitely the hardest worker and most involved realtor I have ever had. She went out of her way to assure our home was spot on for going on the market. Highly recommend her if you are even thinking about selling, just talk to her and your home will be up and going in no time. She hustles to get you in on showing for new home you are wanting to see.
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- BBarr
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“ Shelley made selling our home a breeze. Her expertise, attention to detail, and timely communication made for a smooth process from listing to closing. Grateful for her dedication to securing the best deal for us. This was a big decision made easy. Highly recommend!”
Drew and Kenzie McGlaughlin
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- Drew and Kenzie McGlaughlin
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Shelley has went ABOVE and BEYOND to locate a home for us! She has devoted so many hours showing us homes and sending me homes as soon as they come on the market. She is so caring and a great listener!!!! Thanks for all your help Shelley!!
Leanne Corona
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- Leanne Corona
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Shelley has been my husband and I’s realtor for multiple real estate deals which have all been fantastic due to Shelley’s compassion, work ethic, professionalism, and assistance for every step of the process. She is trustworthy and always looks out for her clients best interest. I can’t imagine working with anyone else and will continue to work with Shelley for all of our future real estate needs!
Kylie Edwards
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- Kylie Edwards
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We chose Cindy Hornsby to help us find our new home. She was extremely knowledgeable, kind, and considerate. She went far and beyond what I have experienced with realtors in the past. Our closing was easy, and she handled everything for us. She was always available when needed and communicated often. Her professionalism and expertise were so appreciated during every step of the process. We highly recommend her when in need of a great realtor.
Shawn and Liz Howell
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- Shawn and Liz Howell
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"Rebecca sold a house for me, and later, one for my grandmother. To say that she cares about her clients is an understatement. She is caring, knowledgeable, efficient, and effective. My grandmother is 83, with no cell phone or computer, and had never sold a home before, so she was, understanably, nervous. Rebecca gave her a detailed timeline of how the process should go, so that she would know when and what to expect, during each step of the selling process. If you are looking for a realtor, you can't miss with this smart, hardworking, kind individual!"
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- Alexandra D Doran
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We have gone through the experience of buying and selling homes numerous times through the years. This was the first time we were making a purchase out of state, so our interactions with were Rebecca were long distance. However, her involvement and assistance took all our concerns away. She checked in with us regularly through the process, assisted with utility hook ups, set up our remote closing, helped us with move in, and even found us a renter for the home! She went way above and beyond the typical realtor duties! We were extremely impressed. When it comes to sell, we will definitely call upon Rebecca to list our home for us!
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- Mrs. K
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Rebecca was helpful every step of the way. She has an outgoing, friendly personality and the drive to get the job done. We would choose her again in a heartbeat!
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- The Yoders
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Shelley was amazing when helping us sell and buy our house. She was patient and found new houses for us to look at when there were few options in our price range on the market. She was quick to send us new market postings as soon as they became available.
Shelley also would point out potential issues she saw with some of the houses that we would have missed.
We would definitely want her as an agent again.
Brian and Robin Wingate
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- Brian and Robin Wingate
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Becca sold my fiance's condo in record time. It went from market to close in 30 days. Worked for us first and her commission second. A consummate professional and THE go-to agent in Tri-cities.
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- Marty Stern
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Debra - You are the best! We appreciate your professionalism, responsiveness, and how accommodating and easy you were to work with. Please put us at the top of your testimonial list!
Eileen and Doug
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- Doug and Eileen Weberling
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Rebecca was an amazing realtor to work with! As a first time seller, I was very nervous about the home selling process, but she made the whole process painless and stress-free. She was very knowledgeable about the market and helped us find a new home quickly because our house was under contract (with multiple offers) within 24 hours!
I can't recommend her enough!
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- Katie H.
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. Prestige Homes was an excellent choice to help us out when we were ready to buy a new house and sell our old one. Shelley Martin was an excellent realtor and she helped us with finding a new home that fit our budget. She helped us find exactly what we were looking for and she helped us get a visit to the house to check on things when we needed to get ready for the purchase. Shelley was an excellent realtor when we were ready to sell our old house as well. She came right over and looked at everything when we were getting ready to sell and she helped us out with getting it listed. She got it listed and had an excellent photographer take great pictures to help list it. She had a great way of describing the house pointed out some of the great features it had so that people would get interested in the house. She helped get it on the market and within four days, we had an offer to get it sold.
Rebecca and Benjamin Blalock
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- Rebecca and Benjamin Blalock
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Shannon is a rockstar agent! She knows the process well and any buyer would be glad to have her representing them. I am extremely impressed. 5 Stars!
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- Cory Parsons
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We’ve used Shelley as our realtor for multiple transactions. She has made each deal a smooth and easy process. She is always a great communicator and will always go the extra mile for her clients. She is the only realtor we will trust to handle all of our real estate needs! We always recommend her to our family and friends.
Sam Edwards
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- Sam Edwards
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Having previously bought and sold two homes in Mid-TN with my late husband, and now recently purchasing my own home in Bristol, Shelley is by far, the best realtor I’ve ever worked with. She called me promptly and connected with me so amicably. She quickly plugged me into her immediate listing system wherein I could view listings “hot-off-the-press.” She swiftly scheduled both in-person and virtual tours in lieu of my schedule, and when I found just the right house, she made the entire process very easy. She also went the extra distance by furnishing contractor references for future home improvements. I consider her a dear friend and would most definitely recommend her to any buyer or seller.
Karen Houle Johns
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- Karen Houle Johns
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Shelley is patient, flexible, and creative when it comes to helping you find the perfect home. She makes your needs and schedule a priority when looking for homes, but she also makes the process fun! We are so glad to have had the experience with her and will most definitely use her again in the future!
Love you Shelley!
Emily and Tanner Brookshire
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- Emily and Tanner Brookshire
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Rebecca is very knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make sure that our needs as clients were more than met. She listened to our needs/wants and worked tirelessly to help us with all aspects of the home buying/home selling process.
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- The Barrs
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Shelley was absolutely amazing with us, went above and beyond to make sure we understood the process being new homebuyers. She is a genuine person who cares about her clients. We couldn’t be happier in our new home.
Taylor and Dan Smith
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- Taylor and Dan Smith
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Any opportunity I have to tell others about my experience with Shelley Martin and her help selling my mother's home I take it. Shelley met and exceeded all my expectations. She was helpful in determining sale price, writing up the home's description and had professional and aerial photos done to assure a perfect listing. The home was listed on a Saturday and under contract the following Tuesday. I was out of town during this time and I hesitated to go but Shelley encouraged me to go and told me we could do everything electronically if we had an offer while I was away and we did. She made everything so easy...she's the BEST!
Teresa Worley
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- Teresa Worley
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Becca is totally amazing! She is definitely a hard worker, and I never once had to worry about anything! She took care of everything for me and took the stress completely off of me! She is so knowledgeable and completely understood my wants and needs in a house. She helped me find a dream home! Thank you Becca for all you've done, you're amazing!!! :)
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- Chelsey Mullins
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Shelley assisted me in buying and selling my beautiful home. Being prior military, I have bought & sold in every state I resided. When I met Shelley I expected the process to be no different than before, just another name on the client list. What I did not expect was the friendship that was built along the way. Shelley's knowledge of the market quickly proved to be above the rest. You can tell Shelley truly loves what she does by how much time and effort she invests in her clients. She went to bat for us multiple times, and was never more than a text or phone call away. There was never a question she didn't have answered by the end of the day. Shelley went above and beyond for me, and i am forever grateful for her. The Prestige Home group is lucky to have her. If I could have packed her up & moved her with me to Missouri, I would have.
Taylor Thacker
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- Taylor Thacker
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Shelley has done an excellent job trying to find us a home . She has shown us so many homes that check all of our boxes! The time she has given to us is greatly appreciated!!!!
Mark Corona
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- Mark Corona
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Shelley went above and beyond helping us find our forever home. We felt very comfortable discussing any and all aspects of the home buying process. She even helped to entertain our toddler to make the process a little easier and more enjoyable. Next time we need any real estate help we will definitely go straight back to her.
Jason and Jessica McCluskey
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- Jason and Jessica McCluskey
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.“Shelly is great to work with, she made our process proving very easy. Good communication, knowledgeable of her field, friendly and professional! You really couldn’t ask for more from a realtor and we are so grateful!”
Matthew and Sara Turner
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- Matthew and Sara Turner
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Shelley Martin is the best realtor that anyone could ever ask for. She stuck by our side, even if we were difficult at times. She showed us many houses and always listened to what we wanted. If I ever have to have another realtor, she will be the one that I call. Her personality is absolutely amazing.
Robert and Jessica Scott
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- Robert and Jessica Scott
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In my 60 + years , I have been involved in the purchase and sale of 10 homes and Rebecca has been more hands on and responsive than any realtor I have had to date. She helped negotiate a top of the market price for this property. It had been a rental property, and with me living several hours away, I relied on Rebecca and her support team for repairs and cleaning. All done professionally at very reasonable costs. I am absolutely confident that anyone using Rebecca will not be disappointed!!
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- Bott
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I would just like to take a minute to say how grateful I am for the realtor we had during our home buying journey! Shelley Martin was nothing short of amazing, helpful and prompt. If future plans come about, she will be my home girl!
Ashley McDonald
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- Ashley McDonald
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If I could do it again, the only thing I would change is listening and trusting her sooner! Becca is very knowledgeable and genuinely wants her clients to be completely satisfied with her service. She was worried I was settling and rushing rather than being most interested in the sale. Highly recommended!!
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- Julia Mabe
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Shelley has helped us purchase two of our homes. First, our starter home and now our new home that we hope to grow in. She has been so patient, honest, and willing to help us each time. She always breaks down the process/next steps, which has truly made home buying a breeze. I recommend Shelley every chance I get. We are so grateful for her!
Brandon and Courtney Cole
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- Brandon and Courtney Cole
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ebecca was not the first person on my list of realtors. I’m saying that so you will understand. I believe in making a friend as well as doing business and the agents I talked to seemed a bit to busy for me. In my first communication with her, it was obvious that this was going to be a forever relationship. She understood my concerns. She was very honest about value. Rebecca brought other homes for sale similar to mine to share so I could understand clearly. I decided on a renovation to make a buyer a good home they would love. Rebecca helped me find someone who could do the work. The first Saturday on the market, after the renovation, my house was sold! I would and will recommend anyone interested in selling or buying to Rebecca! She’s just wonderful!
Beautiful person both inside and out!
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- Janet Cabaltica
About Prestige Homes of the Tri Cities, Inc
Our Purpose – To make the process of buying, selling, leasing or renting real estate as painless and profitable as possible for all involved. To help build lives full of wealth and happiness for all who come in contact with us.Latest Blog Posts
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The Housing Market Split in 2. Which Side Is Your House On?Ask a couple people how the housing market is doing and you’ll probably get a couple different answers. That’s because right,
Remote Work Could Be Your Affordability AnswerFor most first-time buyers, the hardest part of buying a home is making the numbers work. You budget, you save, and the finish line still feels far.&
Tennessee Virginia Regional MLS All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested
The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) of the SW VA Association of REALTORS ® Multiple Listing Service. The SWVAR IDX logo indicates listings of other real estate firms that are identified in the detailed listing information. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
