What I love the most about Burlingame is the fact that I can appreciate different aspects of the neighborhood depends on the day. As a foodie, I never get bored of the food here, and if I do, Millbrae and San Mateo are only a few minutes away. As a tennis enthusiast, the weather in Burlingame is perfect for outdoor tennis all year round, and when it rains, I can always turn to the indoor facility. As a kid at heart, there are many fun places that I can explore, like awesome local public parks, a trampoline park, or a go-kart racing. In fact, last month I just celebrated my 30th birthday with friends at the trampoline park in the neighborhood. Good times!

I was born in San Diego, but grew up in Bangkok, Thailand. Growing up in Thailand has taught me important cultural and moral values, which is always part of who I am today. When I was 15, my parents sent me to a college-preparatory boarding school in Massachusetts to broaden my education. They believed that the hands-on education system in the U.S. would lead me to a better and brighter future, and they were right.

I moved to the Bay Area in 2009 to pursue a Masters Degree in Design. Since then, I knew that this is the place where I want to stay for the rest of my life. The weather is not too warm like Thailand where I grew up, but not too cold like the east coast where I went to high school and college… and almost froze to death. The people are generally diverse, progressive, and accepting. I feel loved here. Career wise, there are opportunities everywhere from chic startups to major corporates, especially in the technology and innovation field in which I work. Perfect fit, I’d say.

It took a while because the inventory for condominiums was a little low at the time. I was not in a rush, and at the end, my patience was rewarded.

I did a lot of research and asked Raziel a lot of questions from the beginning, so nothing really came to me as a big surprise, which I think is a good thing.

My uncle, who works for Coldwell Banker in San Diego, referred Raziel to me when he learned that I was looking to buy a condominium in Burlingame. He said that Raziel is one of the best in the area based on what he knew. As I'm reflecting back on my experience with Raziel, here are my thoughts:

1. As a first time homebuyer whose family isn't from the United States, I wasn’t familiar with both the (super competitive Bay Area) market and the buying procedure. Raziel was able to walk me through the process in a way that was easy for me to understand, step by step. I also felt very comfortable asking him questions because he always gave me thorough answers regardless of the communication format (e.g. email, phone call, face-to-face interaction).

2. When I was looking to buy, the condo inventory was very low, and sometimes there was not anything to look at for months. However, Raziel was very attentive and often called to check in with me and make sure that I wouldn't feel neglected. He never "pushed" any place to me if I didn't feel comfortable and kept reminding me that my patience would be rewarded, which I totally agree.

3. Raziel is very resourceful. Even though I've done a lot of research about the area and anything that has to do with buying a home (homeowner insurance, lender, etc), what I did not have was a local network. As someone who grew up in Burlingame, Raziel knows a lot of people and businesses that matched my needs. I ended up using the lender that he referred, and the homeowner insurance company that I picked is also from his reference list as well.

I love my place very much and will happily stay here for many years to come...but if I ever think about moving or selling this place, Raziel will definitely my go-to person.

Being able to live my dream and work in the Silicon Valley

Becoming either a superstar or a professional badminton player, but both fail miserably lol

If I reveal, then it won’t be hidden anymore! ;-)

Living by myself in the US since high school

Design Intern

Too many to list, as I usually find inspiration everywhere I go

The Love of Siam

MY room (right after I finished cleaning, of course)

I have no bucket list, but staying healthy physically and mentally is always my top priority to achieve in life

My design team at work, my tennis team, and any organizations that dedicated themselves to helping others who aren’t as fortunate

Be confident, yet humble