By Living Room Realty, April 27, 2020
After working with Tylor and Nicole previous during the purchase of their condo, Kristin and I knew how kind, level headed and truly made of the finer things they were. However, we would soon be blown away with their strength and determination as we headed into life together once again. We saw how they handled one obstacle after another and how they came out on top in the end. So, we’ll start from the beginning of their story.
Without a pandemic within the forecast, Tylor and Nicole had goals of selling their condo from over 1 year ago. The plan was simple: 1. Sell their condo at a compelling price 2. Negotiate a free rent back which would give them ample time to find a suitable new home 3. Negotiate a great price on their new purchase, all without having to move twice.
It seemed like one year went by in a blink of an eye. Tylor, Nicole and their two beautiful toddlers spent countless hours cleaning, painting and staging their condo just in time for photos. Their condo listed on the market for 2 days before it went pending. The planning and strategizing we all exhausted had paid off and now it was time to start the hunt. This was like after a plane takes off for flight and we could now take our seatbelts off for the first time, except we were about to hit our first bit of turbulence.
We celebrated the victory of getting into contract so quickly on their listing, and now the hardship of getting into contract on a contingent sale was about to commence. We toured multiple homes and competed against multiple offers time but because we were a contingent offer this created a challenge for getting into contract. It would have been easy for many to give up at this point, but Tylor and Nicole are made of the toughest stuff and they kept their heads held high. This was right as the COVID-19 epidemic became a pandemic.
Soon we found a home that checked so many of their boxes and we were in contract. During the venture of purchasing their thought to be dream home, we learned of some big ticket repairs that were going to cost over $30,000 in repairs. They weren’t going to move forward unless the sellers gave these concessions. As COVID-19 was rapidly spreading, buyer and seller confidence in Oregon was beginning to wane. It became even more difficult to find contractors to help provide estimates on these necessary repairs as all involved wanted to keep their distance. We did not let this affect our mindset as we dug our heals in the sand and got the bids we needed to negotiate the sale. The sellers only wanted to drop the price of the home by $30,000 which didn’t give Tylor and Nicole the funds they needed to make necessary repairs. It felt like a punch to the gut for us. They decided that the wisest decision for their family was to terminate the sale at this point.
Sometimes you have to take 30 shots in order to make 1!
We were back out in the field touring homes and by this point we had developed new precautionary policies to keep ourselves and others safe. We wore masks, gloves and brought our own booties to every listing. By now listings on the market had precautionary signs asking visitors to stay safe, use hand sanitizer and and keep things wiped down. Only two people were allowed into homes at once. The fear behind COVID-19 had escalated within a matter of two weeks from the general public as we were all trying to grapple with what was causing the virus to spread so quickly. Plus, there wasn’t much inventory in the price range they were in. Then we discovered this gem:
It was on a dead-end street closer in located in the Mt Tabor neighborhood. The turbulence had started up again when we found out that we would be competing against another offer. As a team Tylor, Nicole, Kristin and I craft a competitive offer and after some tense negotiating we got into contract! It was a good reminder that sometimes you have to take 30 shots in order to make 1! We celebrated this victory together.
Navigating this process in the height of the pandemic here in Portland was very new to everyone involved. All parties had to do a delicate dance in order to perform inspections and negotiate repairs. Tylor and Nicole were adaptable and persistent which really paid off. We were able to bridge a delicate gap which resulted in the best possible outcome to keep the sale moving forward their family.
They came, they saw, they conquered.
By this time Tylor and Nicole’s free rent back on their condo was coming to an end and their plans of not moving twice needed to change. They were able to find an accommodating Air BnB to put them up until they could take possession of their new home. We all felt a tremendous amount of turbulence throughout their venture which wasn’t expected; however, we came together to come up with solutions and really had to dialogue a lot about the possible outcomes which was painful at times but in the end like the saying goes: They came, they saw they conquered.
We have never seen so many obstacles been thrown at one family during a sale and purchase situation and are so amazed you all handled each hurdle along the way. Kristin and I are honored to have worked with you all through it all. We are thrilled for you all Tylor, Nicole, Quorra and Quentin! We are excited to see your special touch on your new home sweet home.
