Shopping with Sally

It was the middle of Covid 19, Year 2021 — both our faces covered by masks — I had only her smiling eyes to tell me if she really liked a place. A referral from a past-client/friend, Sally lamented not being able to have the ‘real’ Realtor experience (where you hop in a single car together and shop until you’re slap happy and speaking in code that both wholly understand) like her friend Corrinna had. But we made the absolute best of it.

Our first meeting we sat outside at the farthest ends of the longest picnic table, and over a beer I jabbered on about how the process would likely go with the current and ever changing constraints. We would drive separately “convoy style”, mask up, sani-up, and sometimes wait outside in the driving wind to get our turn at an open house. We’d be sure to cover our shoes and carry wet wipes to touch any surface — my germ phobia stronger than ever.

Vaccinated Sally holds her breath for a photo opp in the swankiest 1970’s time-capsule bar.

Via this method, we plodded along for  months and saw heart-breakingly fabulous houses, moderately boring houses, definitely-too-hideous houses, and even a house that saw a good amount of adult-partying in the 1970’s and stayed that way! Despite the Covid modifications, we did shop to exhaustion and definitely found that special coded language that told me in a few words, maybe just a sigh, all I needed to know…

We wrote on a few houses and were painfully out-bid despite our best effort. It was a marathon-like challenge, but then there was one: a 1960’s Tri-Level nestled in the tall swaying pine trees, not far from Sally’s all-time favorite Grocery Outlet location, and a hop and skip commute from work.  It had more rooms than she’d even dreamt of. It was really cute and it felt right. We wrote a healthy offer and it stuck!  Weeks later Sally was picking up her keys and getting a 3 hr tour from the previous owners. That felt right too.

My promise to Sally is that when one day she decides to change homes, we’ll hop in that car and shop until we literally drop.

Congrats to you on your new purchase, Sally, and thank you so much for choosing me to be your Realtor.  Moreover, thank you to Corrinna for referring me to her long time best friend, who will now be my friend. I’m lucky to know gals like you!

Sincerely,

Alyssa

 

Moving to Mt Bike Country!

It is so exciting to see clients and friends’ lives progressing through the lens of working in Real Estate. I met Brandon while working at Plywerk, we got along well and when it came time for Brandon to buy his first home we got him a great place in Lents. The home is great, but on the ‘efficient’ size of things.

 

Recently, we met again at his home to set up a search for the ‘next’ home. Brandon now has a partner and the desire to get out of town to a home with a bit more room,  and within easy access to Mt Biking trails,  started to take a bigger priority.  We looked in all the little nooks and crannies within an hour of Portland and decided to come back to the first home we toured. Fortunately, this gem was still on the market.

 

On Monday Brandon and Brook turned the key to their new home in Sandy, OR just a few miles from the Sand Ridge Trail.

 

“Sandy Ridge is a must-ride area on an Oregon mountain biking road trip, or a great option for Portland based riders looking for fun downhill mountain bike trails.”
 
 
Next up will be the sale of the Lents home so keep your eye out and If you’re looking for a real estate professional, give me a call!

Quiet, with a Pool & Hot Tub

As an emergency room nurse, the last few months have catapulted Nee’s daily routine into an entirely new level of chaos. Back in January, we started looking at a variety of options on the market for a house close to her work. She wanted something that felt peaceful, light, airy, perhaps a little like a glamorous mid-century cabin in the woods. Something with privacy and a relaxing backyard. After looking and looking for weeks, we weren’t finding anything that felt right. Then late February hit, and everything came to a halt. She was working triple 18 hour shifts, back to back. The house hunting was going to have to pause. But after a few weeks of chaos at work, she was aching for peace and quiet at home. Nee gave me a call. She really needed a home immediately. I got right to work, going double-time to find her something to bring her some ease.

We expanded our search area just slightly and found an absolute dream home for her. Gorgeous corner lot, tons of space for entertaining, and a huge pool made by AguaPools.com surrounded by a wrap around deck, for less than we had been hoping to spend! With its’ herringbone wood floors, multiple fireplaces (including one in the master bedroom) and solar panels, we knew we had found a very special place. We worked quickly to beat out the other offers and happily got into contract with the listing agent and his seller. After successfully negotiating for a full credit towards her closing costs and a great roof certification, she and I couldn’t have been more happy on her closing day. Nee, thank you for all that you do for our beloved City, and thank you for the incredible honor of getting to work with you during such a wild time. Congratulations on your new home! I can’t wait for all the pool parties to come!