By Alyssa Isenstein Krueger, January 20, 2021
Who doesn’t love getting an email from new buyers letting you know they want to work with you because you could be their dream agent. And that’s exactly what my buyers Liz and Alex wrote to me when they first got in touch. After we had a Zoom meeting, I could tell they were going to be dream buyers. Liz and Alex were looking for a home where they could start a family, live as close-in as possible on the east side, and wanted vintage charm out the wazoo.
We started off by seeing a few homes that at least on paper looked like they checked the boxes, but when we went to see them in person, I pointed out all sorts of flaws with foundations, layouts, and other not so fun stuff. After our first foray into seeing what was on the market- which wasn’t much, it really helped them hone in on what was important to so they put together a needs and wants list that was super helpful for both of us in narrowing down their search.
A few days after they put together their magic lists, Liz sent me a listing that had just popped up on the market in NE in the Rose City Park/Laurelhurst neighborhood. This house hit all the marks. The address sounded familiar, and after looking at the photos, I realized that I had listed this very same house back in the summer of 2016! It had belonged to some dear friends of mine that I met when our kids were born around the same time back in 2010, and it was a house that I had spent many hours in. When I sold it in 2016, the buyers had a great agent, and thankfully that same agent was now representing the same folks, this time as sellers. Because I had a really good idea of what Liz and Alex wanted, I was able to tell them with confidence that I thought this might be the perfect house for them. I even let my past sellers know that I now had buyers interested in their old house, which tickled them to no end.
As I had predicted, Liz and Alex loved the house. The worst part about the house when my sellers sold it was the very dated kitchen. The current owners had re-done the kitchen so it was super efficient and stylish. I shared with Liz and Alex all the good times and warm memories that I had in this house and what my sellers had done to the house, along with what was new since I sold it. I called the listing agent to let her know my buyers were really interested. We both remarked how strange but exciting it would be to work together again, on the same house. Liz and Alex wrote up an offer a hair over asking, and that was enough to get the sellers to joyfully accept our offer. Right after we finished up repair negotiations, a tree in the backyard fell over. Alex is an arborist and the sellers asked us for a recommendation for who they should call to have the tree removed, and Alex volunteered to do it himself on the next Saturday, his day off, which the sellers greatly appreciated. Good vibes all around.
When my sellers sold the house in 2016, the roof was nearing the end of it’s life, but still had a good 3-5 years left. This g0-around, our inspector noted that the roof was past due for replacing. The sellers were on it and with only a couple days to spare, the sellers had the roof replaced and we closed on time. I’ve been selling homes since 2007, and this was the first time I’ve sold the same exact home twice- once on each end. The sellers are remaining in the home for 30 days after closing, but I can’t wait to meet Liz and Alex next month to hand them keys!
Alyssa Isenstein Krueger
Broker | OR
She/Her
I am living the dream. Working as a real estate broker in my home town brings this native Portland gal joy beyond measure.
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I took the round-about-road towards this career. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in NY two decades ago with a degree in liberal arts/creative writing, I returned to my hometown of PDX and got a job in a legendary record store of days gone by, worked as a music and culture writer for Portland’s oldest weekly publication while pursuing a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University. Armed with my masters degree, I moved into the realm of affordable housing, community development, and urban planning, and then rounded the corner with a long stay in arts management then back around the bend when I got my real estate license and went to work for a non-profit housing builder at the cusp of the market crash in 2007.
In the time between that market crash and the ensuing madness, I’ve stayed on top of the market like a dog guarding a bone. Using a magical combination of experience, instinct, and market data, I know what homes are worth, I know how to write a terrific offer, and I know how to help a seller market a home and receive and accept a great offer.
Mutual trust and tender relationship building is the basis and foundation of my real estate practice. I use my skills as an active listener, creative solution finder and ace negotiator to get my clients the best price on a home, win the multiple offer roulette, and have as smooth and easy transaction as possible. Timely and responsive communication is the most important aspect of building trust and I don’t take that part lightly. I am a stickler for details and nothing pleases me more than guiding a client through the home buying or selling process (and sometimes both at the same time). My role is one of advocate, advisor, partner, transaction organizer, and counselor. I am a partner broker with Portland Housing Center and relish the opportunity to work with eager first time home buyers.
I have a knack for seeing the potential in almost any home and love to help clients see past what is and help them envision what can be. I have a decade of first-hand experience renovating and caressing my bungalow in Ladd’s Addition and had the honor of having my own home featured in a story in the Oregonian’s Homes and Gardens section. I can feel the love for any and almost all homes, but my heart goes all aflutter when entering a museum quality time capsule house -- the solid mid-century ones with the original pink or green tiled bathrooms, those charming early 1900’s farmhouses with the original kitchen cabinets and fir countertops, the cozy bungalows with the built-ins still intact.
When I’m not working with clients, you’ll find me hanging with my two boys, Kalman and Saul, and my husband Robert, a Fine Art Conservator with his own business, Cascadia Art Conservation Center. Retired racing greyhounds have been my constant companions since 1997, and our family includes Peanut the greyhound, Pinto the South Korean Italian greyhound, our 2 cats Spaghetti and Will, and our chickens, Rosie, Lil' Peck, Penelope and Nugget.
I am an obsessive gardener/plant fiend and love that we live in a climate where I can grow eucalyptus trees (I have 3 in my yard including a couple I started from seed) alongside blueberry bushes (6 in my yard). Given some free time, you’ll find me junking at an estate sale, dreaming of high brow junk, low brow art, making things, sewing, reading and dreaming of tropical locales.
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- T: 503-724-6933
- PDXHappyHouse@gmail.com
