When folks are looking to relocate, especially from out of state, it’s common for them to want to connect with a realtor and talk about buying a house right out of the gate. My go-to advice? Explore, explore, explore. And consider renting first.
This was exactly my advice to Karen and Steve, when Karen first contacted me about their planned move. They were about to have a new grandbaby, and wanted to relocate from Massachusetts to be near their family. But they first needed to sell their current home, they weren’t sure whether they wanted to live in Oregon or Washington, and they weren’t very familiar with the area or neighborhoods.
Unless folks are already familiar enough to feel confident about which side of the river they want to live on and which neighborhoods they want to live in, I highly recommend they do one of two things: 1) head out here for a long enough trip to really explore and get a feel for where they want to live, or 2) move into a short-term rental first and give themselves time to explore.
After a couple of strategy sessions by phone to figure out their goals and the best way to achieve them, Karen and Steve were planning to sell their current home and then move into a rental in Vancouver. Then their grandbaby arrived, then their Massachusetts home sold at lightning speed, and then they realized they weren’t finding rental options that really felt like a fit.
So on a moment’s notice, they decided to fly out and explore, explore, explore. They had a mission, and they were on it! I gave them some homework on areas to check out, they went to a few open houses, and they quickly crossed Washington off the list. Another day of exploring, and they realized they loved the idea of being in Gresham, very near their daughter’s family. With the clock ticking on their trip, they honed in on a few houses that seemed to check all of the boxes.
One house stood out, so that’s the one we focused on. And with that mission in mind, I called the listing agent and shared the story of Karen and Steve flying out here and finding the perfect home, on the perfect tree-filled lot, just 8 minutes from their daughter and new grandbaby. The listing agent loved their story just as much as me, and her sellers did too. I got the scoop on what they were hoping for in an offer, and met with Karen and Steve to come up with something that hit all the marks. With other buyers circling, rather than wait and set an offer deadline, the sellers accepted the offer!
And the rest is history and family memories in the making. Karen and Steve are headed out to settle into their beautiful new home, and enjoy being grandparents. I can’t wait to see the pictures!
