By Mel Marzahl, January 14, 2019
Greg and Catie spent lots of time dreaming of what their first house might look like. They knew they wanted a three-bedroom home, ideally with two bathrooms. They also had some ideas about where the perfect location might be but hadn’t settled on a neighborhood they wanted to live in yet.
Lots of couples have a list of what they want in a home, but these two did something smart. Their list of qualities for their home and location centered around what they wanted their daily life to be like.
They wanted to be in a neighborhood with a friendly vibe, where they could walk from their home to their neighborhood café. Greg wanted to be able to say hi to a barista, who knew his regular order, before catching the bus for a short commute to the office. Catie brought up hanging out in the backyard which would be fenced for the puppy they plan to adopt and kids they planned to have. They imagined friends and family from out of town staying over, being comfortable, and having their space. Greg would have a room for his office/art studio, while Catie would have a garage to convert to her floral studio.
After imagining their life in their new home, their “Must Haves” list came together easily. As a result, the list for their first home and property went something like this:
- Walking distance to restaurants, bars, cafes, and groceries
- Close to the river and parks
- Yard space for garden and outdoor entertaining
- Garage
- Basement with high ceiling
- Three bedrooms, two baths
- Open kitchen
Knowing all this, we looked at several different areas. They looked at St Johns and Kenton first, but after spending an afternoon at Oaks Amusement Park, followed by a walk along the river at Sellwood Park, and checking out some treasures at Old Portland Hardware & Architectural, they knew where they wanted to live.
Fast-forward a couple of months, and Greg and Catie are closing on their first home! The one they bought checks almost all the boxes! The few concessions they made were the open kitchen and two bathrooms. Instead, they bought their almost dream home at an awesome price that will allow them to remodel. Next, they’ll add a second bath to make a master suite and open up the kitchen to make it perfect.
Congrats Greg and Catie!
Mel Marzahl
Broker | OR
She/Her
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Mel became a passionate advocate for homeownership and investing in real estate after buying and selling her first home...
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- T: 503-443-5382
- mel@livingroomre.com
