By Kat Gilpatrick, November 19, 2022
A thanksgiving story — not in a traditional, seasonal holiday sense with turkey and stuffing and finding enough matching place settings for all the folks trundling your way, but one of some of the dearest clients: maybe-buyers I had the wonderful good fortune to meet in a lovely home I had held open in September, located smack dab in the neighborhood they’ve been rooted in together for years – they’d lived just a block away from there “close enough to get to Salt & Straw very quickly” being one of the qualifiers on location as it would turn out. Meeting these two immediately warmed my heart and enriched my life, setting us on a journey to find a solution together for the challenge they were facing: repair their current home, or search for something new to close a difficult chapter for them and move on from the loss and heartache brought on by a house fire Christmas eve 2021. They lost their cherished home they’d poured so much time and energy into. While they were originally planning to rebuild, they saw the above mentioned home in their neighborhood, OPEN HOUSE sign out front, and somehow that rekindled the sense that they could find something new to love and grow into.
While they didn’t end up getting that home, it was the jumping off point for a relatively quick adventure where we partnered and listed, we toured and talked, Lauren and Rafe, and their sweet chihuahua Ruby with them at times, at times (most times) on their bikes, and so much faith that the right thing was going to be out there for them, that would meet their requirements and also give them space to do what they love so much: woodworking in a wonderful space for Rafe to continue to practice this craft, and a garden in which they could both tend to the gorgeous yard — and get backyard habitat certified!
Working excitedly together, we found a contender for the perfect home in the Richmond/SE Portland neighborhood location as they wanted most – a home quite a bit bigger than they thought they might need, and older than they were considering — but with so many creative uses for the space, on the perfect street and situation and just such a solid wonderful house – their hearts and minds were won. Built in 1899 and so lovingly maintained by a family that had begun their lives there back in 1966.
Their soon to be new home had a story – history, and a feeling of permanence and stability. The home felt right and conveyed the kind of care and earnestness I’d come to know and love about this incredible couple. And of course, the neighborhood makes this area so meaningful for them to live in because of community as well as familiarity. As Lauren described to me: “The night of our house fire we were surrounded by neighbors providing us food, clothes, and support. This is such a caring community, and we want to stay in this area and reciprocate the kindness our neighbors have shown us.”
These two are getting married next year, and hoping to expand their family beyond them and their small dog. I can’t wait to watch them grow and move and thrive and add so much to our already abundant community. So thrilled for them as we say congratulations on their closing this November, and a very very grateful Thanksgiving.
Kat Gilpatrick
Broker | OR
She/Her
Kat Gilpatrick is a Portland-based real estate agent with a global perspective. Leveraging her industry knowledge, Kat works alongside colleague Jennifer O'Brien to guide clients through every step of the real estate journey, from buying a dream home to securing an investment property. Kat prioritizes building long-term partnerships to maximize client opportunities in the Portland market.
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- kat@livingroomre.com
