By Katie Merritt, November 20, 2020
I never stepped foot in this recent sale- a lovely 1920 foursquare along the Trolley Trail in Milwaukie.
What? And you call yourself a professional?
Ahh, yes! Not only a professional, but a pro disposed to knowledge of the homes I sell on a near cellular level.
Oh 2020, your twists and turns know no bounds.*
On this occasion, longtime tenants purchased after a 7-year ‘test drive’ with the covid driven request that only inspectors enter the house. Tenants actually purchasing their rental is almost as rare as agents never seeing the property they sell. The transaction I’d have said would “Never Happen!” in pre-covid times actually came together beautifully thanks in large part to four amazing clients.
Congratulations to Andrea and Arne on the purchase of your wonderful (from what I saw on FaceTime!) home and transition from tenants to homeowners. I look forward to joining you one day soon for post-pandemic cocktails and an actual live tour.
Another round of congrats and cheer to sellers Jen & Peter, friends of 15+ years. Please say you’ll still visit us in Portland even without the landlord call to trim hedges!?
Change is constant, serendipity is real and while we’ve all been reminded this year that we can never say never, this story reminds me that when we pull together, so much is possible.
Until next time,
Katie Merritt
* While I find the myriad, tiny, daily life impacts of this fraught period fascinating, I mean not to equate a minor event with the profound challenges and consequences the year has presented.
Katie Merritt
Broker | OR
She/Her
When People Call, I Answer.
I learned at the top that mega sales volume is an obstacle to the individualized client care that I love most about my work. So, when I moved my business from San Francisco to Portland in 2009, I created a real estate practice fueled by rooted relationships and kitchen table conversations. Mornings I get out of bed energized by the people I work with and the client wins I personally manage thanks to the simple success of driving a human rather than transactional business.
I believe in real estate for wealth creation and the specific joy that the right four-walls-and-a-roof brings to our daily lives.
Specific skills? I’m a dogged advocate who’s at her best finding creative solutions and negotiating my clients ambitions across the finish line.
Good things abound outside of the office too. My 14-year old son is on-fire at Riverdale High where I serve on the PTC board. He and I are hikers who hit the trail here and on our travels. Five years free of cancer, I’m finding that I’m ready to talk about it through various forms of volunteer outreach. Art & design are best described as my brain’s happy place and my current real estate project…remodeling my own fixer is a nice channel for those design impulses, though honestly, I can’t wait to update this note to say “job complete”!
Want to talk real estate for immediate needs or game-planning your future? Let's do it. I'm here to listen, advise and see if we might be the right fit to work together.- T: 503-956-0464
- katie@hellomerritt.com
