About

ABOUT THE COMPANY:
For over 30 years, Kathy has been in retail management and sales. Believing in customer loyalty and satisfaction, our team is professional and hardworking individuals that have our client’s needs in mind.
Collecting antiques and collectibles for 35 years, Kathy specializes in primitives, folk art, jewelry, mission and American pottery.

CREDENTIALS:
ASEL MEMBER – AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ESTATE LIQUIDATORS
FULLY LICENSED AND BONDED
PERSONAL REFERENCES UPON REQUEST

Best of the best!

I wanted extend an extra thank you for everything you did to help me with liquidating my mom’s furniture and possessions in her condo.
You were so efficient, organized, thorough, and ultimately very effective. It made my situation so much easier, while at the same time comforting — knowing that you totally maximized the potential income from the sale.
I’ve been through this before, so I’m very confident in saying you are the best of the best!
Thank you.

Leslie July 27, 2023

Way beyond Expectations!!!

Losing a loved one is painful enough without the added worry of how to respectfully handle decades of accumulated possessions. Kathy and her team not only displayed a deep understanding of value, but researched the more unusual items to insure things were priced correctly. The display and organization at the sale was stunning, and she and her staff were welcoming and helpful to all who came. After the sale anything we chose not to keep was whisked off to be donated and the house was left clean and ready to be sold. Professional, kind, hard-working angels on Earth who took on an insurmountable task and handled it with grace and skill. I would highly recommend Wise Owl. They were amazing!

Sandy Ewasek April 12, 2023 Rapid City

Grateful

My family and I want to thank Kathy for the tremendous job she and her staff did in making my living estate sale very successful. Kathy runs Wise Owl Estate Sales in a very friendly, professional manner. She can be counted on to do what she has agreed to do. She took away the stress of the sale and made it a wonderful and fun experience. I cannot thank her enough. I highly recommend her services.

Ellen Briggs August 18, 2022 Duck Lake, Michigan

Efficient, Respectful and Professional

Kathy and her crew were efficient, respectful of family treasures, and displayed items as if they were being sold in a high-end boutique. The three day sale went more smoothly than I could have hoped for. Not having to deal with the stress and emotional aspects of my mom’s estate sale was an enormous relief for me. I will be recommending Wise Owl Estate Sales to all my friends.

Mary Beth Hardwicke July 19, 2022

Exceptional service

Thank you Kathy and staff you did amazing job with my parents estate sale from start to finish it was awesome experience allowing Wise Owl to take over and handle this large project our family really appreciated a job well done! Thank you Joy Osterloh

Joy Osterloh February 6, 2022 Buckley Mi

5 star estate sale

Kathy took over a monumental task for us when we hired her
to sale 60% of my 50 yr collections so our son and wife would
not be burdened when we are gone. We are moving to a smaller
house and hopefully a simpler life. Kathy and her crew were
very professional and run a first class business. Very happy with
outcome.

Beverly Clem November 30, 2021 Lake Leelanau , mi

Review

Kathy pulled off the most challenging of estate sales and did it with professionalism, focus, consistent communication, and incredible results. She worked tirelessly to organize a huge amount of items in a short period of time and did it all with care and consideration. The sale went off without a hitch and she and her staff had everything cleaned up immediately afterward. We cannot say enough about her skill and level of professionalism!

Catherine Colyer May 13, 2021

Beyond Expectations

Being responsible for my mother’s estate sale was a daunting responsibility. Wise Owl’s Kathy Dittenbir was always on time and quick to follow up on questions. The detail work she put in on pricing and accounting were beyond what I expected. After seeing the preparation and physical work her team did pre-sale I know I could never have run a sale so well and profitably.

For anyone who thinks they can do it themselves I would suggest that they talk to Wise Owl first.

Diana Aug May 1, 2021

Review

My wife & I are particular .. very particular!

And we could not have been happier with Kathy & her team in the way they helped us with our ‘living estate sale’ late in 2020.

Kathy is:
- professional
- honest
- cooperative
- friendly
- pleasant
- competent
- hardworking
- reliable
- efficient

And I don’t know how you could expect any more than that.

We recommend her unreservedly!

Tim Coon February 8, 2021

Amazing!!!!

What a wonderful experience! I can’t say enough about the care and professionalism of Kathy and her staff! I had some unfortunate circumstances that forced me to sell all household goods. Kathy was aware of the situation and was so compassionate and caring. I believe wholeheartedly that Wise Owl Estates is the company everyone SHOULD use and not look any further. The sale was completed in 2 days and almost EVERYTHING sold. All the items were excellently staged which absolutely contributed to the very profitable sale! After the sale was completed that day the whole house was put in order even down to the sweeping of all floors! Kathy and her staff are GREAT! Love her!

Pat Young November 5, 2020 Charlevoix Mi.

Review

On Behalf of my Family, we can’t thank Wise Owl Estate Sales enough
for going above and beyond to help our Fathers Estate Sale be a HUGE
success in Gaylord, MI!
Kathy, you and your team are awesome, retail wise, extremely skilled at
all levels, dedicated and passionate at what you do. After 3 long days
you were so perfect professional & clean, that you wouldn’t have even
known we had an estate sale.
You saved our day and we are extremely appreciative and grateful you
came to our rescue.
We wish you continue success forever.

Kathy Broughton March 15, 2020

Review

Wise Owl Estate Sale conducted a sale for my mother's estate recently. The estate included a substantial amount of antiques and collectibles which to me as Representative of the Estate was overwhelming. However Kathy did an outstanding job in helping me understand the process and from the start I felt she was the right choice to have the sale. Kathy and her team did a complete start-to-finish job in assessing, cataloging, preparing, selling, then cleaning out post sale. Kathy's communications were always timely, to the point, helpful and gave me great confidence as well as feeling that I was a partner in the project all along. I could not be more pleased with their work and would immediately recommend Wise Owl as an estate sale company.

Pat D November 12, 2019

A Great Choice

I cannot say enough about the estate sale service I received. Wise Owl took something that appeared just so-so and turned it into something good. They were outstanding about cleaning up, presenting and promoting the estate sale. They generated a lot of interest and sales despite it being late January with 18 inches of snow and temperatures hovering around 0 degrees. After-sale clean out and support was equally outstanding. They went the extra mile for me. If I had to do this again, I would choose Wise Owl in a heartbeat.

A Very Happy Client April 30, 2019 Midland

Thank You Wise Owl

I can't thank Kathy and her team at Wise Owl enough for the way they handled my mother's estate sale. I live out of state but that wasn't a problem. They were friendly, helpful and professional. Kathy knew exactly what would sell and what wouldn't. They priced and set up a few days before, and afterwards, everything that we didn't want to keep was cleaned up and taken away. They even vacuumed and mopped the floors. To top it off, we made more money than expected. The receipts and a check were given to me two days later. If you want to have an estate sale, Wise Owl is who you want to call.

Denise R. April 30, 2019 Lake Leelanau

Review

I can’t thank Kathy and the amazing Wise Owl team for the work they did to make my parents’ estate sale a success. The entire team worked tirelessly and even took the many unplanned and unknown issues into stride - including far more inventory than we knew we had! They handled every issue with grace, professionalism and expertise. Kathy even gave up a vacation to help prepare for the sale in the very short time frame we had before the sale of the home. Kathy’s depth of knowledge and research on every one of the items was incredible and her team’s marketing and display skills were impressive. My family will be forever grateful for all that Wise Owl did to alleviate the stress of dealing with the estate at a difficult time for us. I know my parents would have wanted their things handled with the care and knowledge that Kathy and her team demonstrated. I wholeheartedly recommend Wise Owl’s services.

-Susan Butterwick, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Susan Butterwick March 4, 2019

5 Stars

We can’t thank Kathy and her crew enough for relieving us of the burden of an overwhelming task!! We are totally impressed with the efficiency shown in clearing out the house completely and leaving the house so clean, enabling us to move on to the next step. Thanks again. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. We have no hesitation recommending your services to anyone. 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Merrill and Sandy Harvitt November 22, 2018 Traverse City

We endorse Kathy Dittenbir's "Wise Owl Estate Sales" 100%

When it comes to Estate Sale Management Kathy Dittenbir's "Wize Owl Estate Sales" is over the top!

Kathy is personable, professional, enthusiastic, diligent, organized, hard working, prompt, honorable, sincere, and provides thoughtful handling of each and every family treasure which defines her business ethics as absolutely superb. Kathy responded to every inquiry and question cheerfully and quickly.

For our Enormous Estate Sale Project with its HUGE four day sale, Kathy's in depth research, immediate advertising which extended internationally, the efficiency of her superior work associates, years of experience to handle every facet of the sale gave us peace of mind that the sale would be the success is was. The after sale clean-up and disbursement of items was immediate, thorough, and structured for efficiency.

We endorse Kathy Dittenbir's "Wise Owl Estate Sales" 100%

Out of state residents August 5, 2018 Beulah, Michigan

Much thanks to you and your team for all your hard work in early June at "The Bay" house

Wise Owl Estate Sales was a life-saver for our family this summer. After a quick sale of our parent's home of 25 years, we were fortunate to find Kathy D. and the Wise Owl team to help make a very hectic ten days a manageable task. We kids were working with a tight schedule from far away and Kathy's willingness to work out many details in advance of our arrival was a huge help.
Once we arrived in Elk Rapids, Wise Owl staff was knowledgeable, professional, efficient, respectful, and interested in the background of the items they were listing for sale (as my Dad liked to fill them in on the background). In addition, they cheerfully worked around four family members who continued to "live" in the house the week leading up to the sale. This saved family the added expense of hoteling-it. It also allowed us to spend the last few days on "the Bay" for remembrance sake.
Kathy D. and her team patiently handled each question and detail as it came up.....multitasking all the way!!!
Selling a long-time home is never an easy task. Having kind and compassionate help in accomplishing the task is priceless. We did a final walk-through of a clean, empty home after Wise Owl finished their work and felt good about the entire experience.
I would recommend Wise Owl Estate Sales in a quick second! Thank you again. You are Good People!

Kathy Mouch, Lynne Caton, and John Edick July 6, 2018

Wise Owl stood apart from the others

I had the opportunity to interview several estate sale companies in addition to Wise Owl. From our first meeting it was clear that Wise Owl stood apart from the others and our choice was made. From the sorting and pricing, to the execution of the sale, Kathy and her team were just phenomenal. It didn’t take long for Kathy’s knowledge and confidence to put us at ease - and with a large number of unique items, she took the time to diligently research pricing. Items were staged professionally, the marketing was spot on and during the 3 days of our sale, her and her team worked tirelessly with a positive attitude. Fair, honest professional and friendly... I can’t say enough good about our experience and have recommended her to several folks since.

Lisa Wehr July 1, 2018

Four Star Business Gal....

Wise Owl had an estate sale next door to my home. Our mail box was inadvertently damaged by an estate buyer. I notified Kathy. She acknowledged it, and got right on getting it fixed. After a few days, she followed up with a phone call to make all was repaired. It was and appeared as if never happened. Kathy is an efficient, on top of it all business gal. She is polite, efficient and professional. I would definitely have her run a sale.

Jeannie Aldrich April 14, 2018 Suttons Bay

Highly recommend for professionalism, work ethic and honesty...

Kathy, I have meant to write a thank you for days and somehow the time just flies by! You and your company did a fantastic job, it was such a load off my mind to walk away from that house and have you take over, however I never imagined how smoothly you would manage such a huge job and the final tally would be much more than we had expected! I would highly recommend you and your company for your professionalism, work ethic and honesty. I can't thank you enough ...I have left word with our realtor that if he ever finds a situation in need of your service to please recommend you!! Thanks again ..
Sincerely,
Pam & Fred Plenge

Pam Plenge March 26, 2017 Fort Myers, FL

Wise Owl Estate Sales - Compassionate People

Where to begin...Kathy Dittenbir is so professional. She showed extreme compassion during a very emotional time in my families life. Kathy listened, organized, researched and took care of every detail for my parents estate sale. The world needs more people like Kathy and her team. I really didn't know what to expect! If you are looking for a professional business to take care of your loved ones belongings then Wise Owl Estate Sales is who you need to contact. I cannot thank Kathy enough for her compassion during such an extreme season in life. My parents would have been proud of the way things were so carefully taken care of.

Kathy Sodt December 9, 2016 Clinton, MI

Honesty

“ I have known Kathy and her family for over seven years. I have noted that as a business person she is very intense and has a high level of integrity. She attains a high level of expertise in each job venture. Credibility, honesty and persistence are her key strengths and values.”

William Drozdalski Retired Ford Motor Co. Project Mgr. November 19, 2016 Suttons Bay Township Trustee

Professional

I have known Kathy Dittenbir for 20 years. I have seen her handle a multitude of responsibilities as a manager and coworker. I have never known anyone with her level of integrity and ability to complete any task she is involved in. I will recommend Wise Owl Estate Sales to anyone wishing to have a professional and successful sales event.

Linda Janman November 19, 2016

Couldn't have asked for a better guide

We could not have asked for a better guide than Wise Owl Estate Sales to help us through the process of organizing our estate sale. Kathy Dittenbir emanates a sense of trust-worthiness that makes you feel very secure in your decision to engage her services. The project was far from our home, and we relied on her to prepare, organize and run the sale, and to take care of the disposal of all remaining items afterward. She did this with efficiency, professionalism, and expertise. She did a great job to make a success of the sale, and even arranged for snow removal for easy access to the home. Kathy is reliable, resourceful, and extremely responsive to all the issues and questions that come up in the course of the work. In addition, she's a pleasure to work with and I'm glad we found her.

Linda Jones November 18, 2016

Happy Shopper

I had an awesome time at your sale on Long Lake today. Fabulous merchandise that fits my design aesthetic. I loved the time capsule nature of this sale too.

Unknown November 18, 2016

Peace of Mind

Facing a rather difficult family situation, it was an immense relief when Kathy came through the door. In the midst of attempting to make sense of my mother's house, she simply said she would handle everything. Those few words made this situation so much easier on us.
She took care of all the organization, tagging, and selling of the estate property. Living six hours away, I put all my trust in Kathy and she accomplished what I could not have and was very communicative the entire way. I couldn't be more pleased with her and the outcome!

Dustin Hamilton November 18, 2016 Chicago