In an industry where being large is coveted, I am intentionally small. Tired of watching brokerages be in the business of hiring agents rather than the business of serving customers, I realized that I needed to run my brokerage differently than other companies. Armed with a vision, I launched Tomson Burnham, LLC in 2007.
My vision: To have a brokerage representing only excellence in real estate representation to consumers. A true real estate brand in which a consumer can hire any agent at the firm and get nothing but excellence. To fully embrace the words real estate advisors and redefine what hiring a real estate agent means to consumers.
My vision: To have a brokerage representing only excellence in real estate representation to consumers. A true real estate brand in which a consumer can hire any agent at the firm and get nothing but excellence. To fully embrace the words real estate advisors and redefine what hiring a real estate agent means to consumers.
Services
I am the owner of the Tomson Burnham firm and am licensed to practice real estate in the State of Oregon. I have been an agent since 2004 and owned my own brokerage since 2007. I am a mom, a lover of books, and a nature photography hobbyist. I'm also a foodie and like trying out all of the new restaurants in Salem and surrounds.
Where are the best neighborhoods in Salem Oregon? One of the most difficult things about relocating to a new area, is figuring out where to live. Neighborhoods are all different and appeal to different types of people. The best neighborhoods are the ones that feel most like home to you. Some home buyers are new construction kind of people and some love the old lush nature feel of our older, established neighborhoods.
You know who you are as walkable neighborhoods are what you are after. Maybe you want to go down to one car or no cars. Walking to work at the Capitol, Willamette University or Salem Hospital is what you want. You like to walk and bike around town, walk to a local place for dinner or walk to your local coffee house for open mic night.
Homebuyers with split commutes that can't afford the more expensive Clear Lake neighborhoods in Keizer should consider the north neighborhoods of Salem like Jan Ree. With easy access to I-5, these northern Salem neighborhoods are popular with commuters. New construction homes are readily available in the neighborhoods surrounding McKay and Houck, as well as new subdivisions going in off of Rickey.
Solid schools and low crime rates are the biggest attractions of south and south central Salem Oregon neighborhoods. With areas ranging from old and lush to new construction, this area offers something for everyone. Luxury homes, upscale neighborhoods, golf course neighborhoods, homes with views, and acreage properties are just some of the local choices available here.
Reviews (29)
Benjamin Warren
Jan 04, 2022
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We worked with Melina selling our home and all I can say is no regrets. She worked with us start to finish, was professional, direct and honest. We followed her advice the whole time and got well over asking (or expected) and couldn’t imagine it being smoother or faster then it was. Thanks Melina you are the best. 10/10 will recommend.
Tiffany Langley
Jan 04, 2022
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Melina was with us for months while we prepped our house for sale, got it listed, and then sold. I can't imagine using any other realtor. It was our first time selling a house and there were a lot of moving parts (with renovations/repairs and a cross country move in the middle of things), but Melina guided and supported us every step of the way. I appreciate doing business with someone who is honest, realistic, and doesn't over-promise. I could tell Melina was all of those things from the first time we met with her and we trusted her completely from that moment on. Our sale was complicated, but
Dan Zundel
Dec 24, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
We are so thankful to have worked with Kyle! Almost any realtor can show you homes and prepare documents. When a transaction becomes complicated or difficult is when having Kyle as a realtor working on your behalf truly pays off!! Thank you for your skill, professionalism, communication and hard work!!
We are so thankful to have worked with Kyle! Almost any realtor can show you homes and prepare documents. When a transaction becomes complicated or difficult is when having Kyle as a realtor working on your behalf truly pays off!! Thank you for your skill, professionalism, communication and hard work!!
Kathy Rowell
Oct 27, 2021
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Melina Tomson is the best realtor a buyer could want in this difficult real estate market. Melina is very knowledgeable about houses and really advocates for her clients. We valued her input and opinion and cannot imagine having anyone better or more qualified. We just relocated to Salem from the South and Melina has also given us great referrals for services and contractors in town. Thanks Melina and thanks Tomson Burnham!
Brandi Clack
Sep 22, 2021
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There are not enough positive words in the English language to describe this company. From start to finish we were completely at ease with our transaction. Melina delivered EVERYTHING she said she would do for us and always kept me up-to-date each step of the way. If you want to sell, purchase or both Tomson Burnham should be your very first call.
Andrea Laue
Aug 31, 2021
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Daniel Gonzalez helped us with a remote purchase of an investment property in the early summer of 2020, and he was fantastic. He helped us navigate a crazy market and Facetime showings with ease. When he didn't know the answer to a question, he simply said so and then did the research to find out. He was direct as to what he felt would be strong offers without pressuring us to spend more than we wanted. We would definitely work with Daniel again.
Furuya Daisuke
Jul 17, 2021
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Kyle helped us to find an amazing home though we had to talk to him while we were in South Korea. We had to deal with many challenges such as 17 hours time differences, making commitment to offer without seeing the house in person, and so on.... However, Kyle made this process very manageable. First, he is very honest and provide good advice based on our needs also very easy to talk to. This is business but he takes one step or even 5 steps forward to provide best possible service to make customers happy. Kyle I really appreciate your help and we are very excited to start the new adventure in our
Tracie Clendenin
Jul 14, 2021
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Melina helped me to sell my home which is out of state from my primary residence. She is amazingly responsive and while she is successful realtor with multiple clients; she always made me feel like I was her only client at the time of listing and prepping my home to sell. I cannot thank Melina enough for all her assistance and making my transaction such a pleasure. Her knowledge of contractors and ability to initiate and drive through repairs and updates is second to none. Thank you Melina for all your help and professionalism.
Kyle Klarup
Jul 03, 2021
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My wife and I had a fantastic experience with Kyle, as he helped us successfully navigate a competitive housing market on a tight time frame. His knowledge of the Oregon real estate market was vital to us becoming first time homeowners. Kyle’s estimate of how much our chosen home would go for was spot on, and helped us get a house we're delighted to call our own. One thing that has really stood out is how incredibly generous he has been with his time. Kyle started sending us listings months before we were ready to buy (and without any contractual agreement to work with him!), was always willing
Mackenzie Lamon
Jun 14, 2021
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My wife and I traditionally work with John, but during our most recent home purchase we worked with Daniel Gonzalez. He was a phenomenal agent for us who quickly understand precisely what we were looking for. He also understood what we didn't want, and at no point showed us homes that failed to fit the description. We were buying from out of town, and it was great to have an agent who could do video tours with us. I had full confidence in this step of the process because Daniel understands the valuable components in a home, and can quickly point out problem areas. When it came to the buying process
Ann S.
Sep 26, 2019
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Kyle helped us find the perfect house in Salem! We moved from MN and started working with him a few months before our house hunting visit. He was extremely responsive, listened to what we wanted, gave honest feedback about what to expect about the market, speed, prices, and helped us set realistic expectations. His knowledge of neighborhoods, the info on the area, the schools, and ability to help us narrow our list to the houses that worked for us was exemplary. When we did visit the area, he was there for 2 full days to show us as many houses as we could fit in (I think we broke a record!) and
Alsn T.
Jun 09, 2019
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When we moved to Salem, we gravitated towards Melina Tomson because of the neighborhood guides on their website.
She did not disappoint. At the end of the process, she understood exactly what we were looking for, what are tastes were, and what neighborhood we would enjoy the most.
l like to think of Tomson Burnham as our first friends in Salem.
She did not disappoint. At the end of the process, she understood exactly what we were looking for, what are tastes were, and what neighborhood we would enjoy the most.
l like to think of Tomson Burnham as our first friends in Salem.
Maile Reed
Oct 21, 2018
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Tom P.
Sep 06, 2018
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If you are even considering buying a home in Salem/Keizer, I need to tell you a story about an amazing woman and realtor - Melina Tomson. My Mom recently passed away from brain cancer. It was my job to "handle her affairs", one of which was to sell her home. We interviewed several people based on YELP reviews. We chose Melina to sell Mom's home. We had NO IDEA what a good choice we made. She staged the house just beautifully. Within days we got our first offer.
But there were problems on the horizon. Essentially, my Mom's home (which looked beautiful) had a fair amount
But there were problems on the horizon. Essentially, my Mom's home (which looked beautiful) had a fair amount
Deborah Bond
Jul 16, 2018
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Kay Ketchem
Jul 06, 2018
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My husband and I went through Amberly Perez with Tomson-Burnham while selling our house in California and buying here in Salem, OR. We had never even stepped foot in Salem before but I cannot tell you enough… how beautiful a transition Amberly made it for us! She was full of advice and tips on the area and really helped us narrow down what neighborhood was best for my family. She literally anticipated our every need (seemingly before I could even think it, she was there answering a question I didn’t even know I needed answered!) and was available by phone, text, or email even at what
Barry Thompson
Jun 11, 2018
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My wife and I were moving from Klamath Falls to Salem. We filled out a questionaire on one of the real estate sites to be given to a realtor. We were very blessed to have Amberly Perez contact us. We were on a tight timeline to sale the house in Klamath Falls and purchase one there. Without missing a beat, Amberly screened some realtors in our area… and found one for us. At the same time Amberly was sending us some possible houses to see that checked our boxes, which was very difficult as houses weren't staying on the market for very long. We drove up to Salem and Amberly had lined up 7
Amanda Zamora
Jun 06, 2018
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Amberly is amazing. My husband and I were ready to buy our first home and had so many fears and questions about the process and basically everything. From our first sit down meeting where she was able to calm most of our fears to closing we asked and she answered. During our inspection of our forever home there was a small leak found under the… house. I expressed to Amberly my concern and that I'd really like a professional to look at it and before you knew it she was already in contact with a plumber for us to do further inspections. We weren't the easiest of clients but Amberly never missed
Mindy Nathan-Blaize
Jun 05, 2018
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I feel very fortunate that I happened upon Tomson Burnham when I began my house hunting out of my own state as I ‘found’ Amberly there. She was (is) the Best realtor I can have imagined! As an out-of-state… buyer I felt super comfortable and completely confident in her for every step of the process and that she had my very best interest and my back (and still ongoing after the process). She explained the process beforehand; was available and communicated quickly back for every question I had along the way. I cannot say enough good (and great, etc) things about Amberly! 🤗
Gl Reimers
Apr 14, 2018
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You couldn't find a better company to work with to find your dream property. Our search could have been horrid but every step we took we had the experience, insights and vast knowledge of both Kyle Tomson and Melinda Tomson. They were very protective, ensuring we didn't fall for a property we saw that really wouldn't meet our long term needs.
… Honestly I have to say we were treated as if we were their only customer and spending millions.
I could have never have expected to be so fortunate to have such outstanding folks looking out for me but they did. I love my home, it's beyond my dreams
… Honestly I have to say we were treated as if we were their only customer and spending millions.
I could have never have expected to be so fortunate to have such outstanding folks looking out for me but they did. I love my home, it's beyond my dreams
Kathy C.
Dec 23, 2017
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I can echo everything that's been said about Melina Tomson on this thread. We were moving here from out of state, and I emailed her several weeks in advance of our house hunting trip. She requested that we send her links to listings for houses that appealed to us, so by the time we arrived on our trip, she totally understood our taste and had assembled a detailed portfolio of homes that she thought would meet our needs. Well, she totally nailed it--she even noticed "themes" that houses we liked had in common, and she worked very hard to locate as many as possible. She did all of
Paige H.
Aug 23, 2017
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If you want a professional that will tell it to you straight, work hard for you, and be there any time you are even thinking about buying or selling again - Melina is your perfect realtor! My mom told us about her when she sold her house and bought her new one and I'm not sure why, but I was skeptical.
Melina was amazing. She didn't always tell you what you wanted to hear about a house, but she worked hard for us and found us the house we are living in and loving going on 5 years now! This house was not anything we had seen listed on any of the websites, but she knew what we were looking
Melina was amazing. She didn't always tell you what you wanted to hear about a house, but she worked hard for us and found us the house we are living in and loving going on 5 years now! This house was not anything we had seen listed on any of the websites, but she knew what we were looking
Catalina D.
Apr 27, 2017
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My partner and I had the great fortune of working with John Kirk as our realtor! John is a fantastic broker, and we highly recommend him for anyone selling or buying a property in Salem, OR. We bought our house while living out-of-state, and John was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented throughout the entire process. Even when we couldn't be in Salem for the inspection, sewer scope, and other pre-closing logistics, John was there every step of the way, attending appointments, forwarding documents and videos, and always keeping us in the loop. He knows Salem incredibly well
Erin H.
Nov 21, 2013
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Summer Pommier was my agent for a couple of months but unfortunately she was not the agent that closed on my house. This was only because when I wanted to see the house (that I ended up buying), she was not available to show it immediately. I was too impatient to wait, so I ended up with a real bucket-head of an agent.
As a first time buyer, I'm sure that I drove Summer nuts. I entered the buying market with unrealistic expectations and, admittedly, kind of acted like a baby when those expectations were not met. But house shopping is a big deal, so... yeah.
I left the market a tad wiser
As a first time buyer, I'm sure that I drove Summer nuts. I entered the buying market with unrealistic expectations and, admittedly, kind of acted like a baby when those expectations were not met. But house shopping is a big deal, so... yeah.
I left the market a tad wiser
David W.
Jun 07, 2012
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I've written my share of Yelp reviews, and seldom do I give full marks, but Melina Thompson deserves all five stars. I've looked at all the other reviews here, even the filtered ones, and found others agree with me about the two things in particular which stand out about Melina's approach.
The first is that her web site is the best source of local on the ground knowledge I can find for the Salem, OR area she services. This is especially important to me as I don't live in Salem or know the area well. In fact, there is a realtor's web site here in New Orleans that I just
The first is that her web site is the best source of local on the ground knowledge I can find for the Salem, OR area she services. This is especially important to me as I don't live in Salem or know the area well. In fact, there is a realtor's web site here in New Orleans that I just
Frank B.
Jan 17, 2011
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I had to take some time to write this, as I don't think words can really express what an excellent realtor John is. He was there every step of the way during my home purchase. He went above and beyond anything I ever expected. I have been looking for a home in 3 different markets for the last year. I have worked with 4 realtors in 3 states and by far John was the best. His service was exceptional. John was there while I had repairs done as I was moving from another city. He made sure everything was finished for the smoothest move in I have ever experienced. If you are looking for an excellent
Christine K.
Dec 29, 2010
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We had the good fortune being represented by John Kirk in two real estate transactions in Salem, Oregon. John had excellent communication skills throughout. He asked us good questions to learn what we were looking for in a home. He filtered listings and showed us homes that met our needs perfectly. When we had a question, John responded quickly by phone or email. We also loved his very convenient e-document signing! Made the paperwork very easy to process.
John was an excellent negotiator. In one case he worked with the seller's agent, in the other, the listing was for sale by owner
John was an excellent negotiator. In one case he worked with the seller's agent, in the other, the listing was for sale by owner
Ken S.
Dec 13, 2010
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Can't say enough about John Kirk. We had an incredible experience with John Kirk as our realtor. We needed to sell pretty quickly - so was really stressful. John helped us prioritize to get ready - has a team of other staging professionals that were prompt, professional and practical. Bottom line, we sold the home in EIGHT DAYS!! at a price above our target. John Kirk provided the personal support and technical details to get the job done right....can't say enough....
Justin K.
Nov 26, 2010
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We were new to the Salem area and got to know the city before moving to town by reading Melina's blog (http://salemoregonrealestatehomes.com/). So when the time came to find an agent, we went with Melina.
I'll admit, I was surprised to discover she was (at the time) an agency of one. Her website looked so professional that I thought she was part of a larger firm. When we figured out she was on her own, that gave me some pause but it quickly became apparent that she understood the type of home we were looking for and thanks to her knowledge of the area she was able to steer us in the
I'll admit, I was surprised to discover she was (at the time) an agency of one. Her website looked so professional that I thought she was part of a larger firm. When we figured out she was on her own, that gave me some pause but it quickly became apparent that she understood the type of home we were looking for and thanks to her knowledge of the area she was able to steer us in the
