ARLINGTON — After remodeling their building and reopening under new ownership and a new name at the start of the year, Hallmark Homes NW finally celebrated their transition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by an estimated 100 fellow merchants and citizens of Arlington on Feb. 27.

Hallmark Homes NW owner and designated broker Wendy Smith can hardly believe that her office at 410 N. Olympic Ave. managed to fit that many people inside, even before Arlington City Council member Debora Nelson stopped by to help her cut the ribbon, but she and her staff of 10 agents touted their connections to the community and their years of experience in the field as evidence of their business’ strengths.

“Our goal is to live up to our name by delivering quality and excellence in all that we do,” said Smith, who listed Hallmark Homes NW’s specialties as including property management, HUD, foreclosures, first-time buyers, investors and everyone in between. “This job is different every day, and I meet a lot of great people who I want to be able to help achieve the ultimate goal of home ownership.”

Bev Bradshaw, the bookkeeper and licensed broker who serves as Smith’s “right hand” in her own words, agreed that “the transactions are never the same, which is what’s kept me in this business for 30 years. It keeps it interesting and fun. Besides, when you can help first-time home-buyers get into a new home, it just gets in your blood.”

Fellow broker Julie Velez echoed Bradshaw’s assertion that part of what Hallmark Homes NW in Arlington offers its clients is a team-driven approach to meeting their needs.

“If one person doesn’t know the answer to a question, one of the rest of us will be able to step in,” Velez said.

For more information on Hallmark Homes NW, call 360-454-0629 or log onto http://hallmarkhomesnw.com.