Tag: NEPortland

Chris, Nicole and five year-old Alma came to us last Spring with fresh enthusiasm as first-time home buyers. Having rented for many years in a home and neighborhood they loved, they had never been super motivated to buy. They had also been intimated by the stories of the “cut throat” sellers’ market of prior years. But, with the start of elementary school for Alma “right around the bend,” they thought the timing was right to make the plunge into home ownership. Unfortunately, despite all of the talk of a cooling market, they found competition at every turn. Turns out they have GREAT taste in homes — they seemed to like the same houses that everyone else did!

Their Summer disappointments were “not for nothing” however. They learned to evaluate their priorities, readjust their expectations, and became experts at acting quickly when a house peaked their interest. We had a feeling that Fall would be the sweet spot for them in terms of timing. With Alma enrolled in Kindergarten at a K-8 school they loved, they could open up their location parameters to include other adjacent neighborhoods with less desirable schools. Moreover, even though there is usually less inventory in the Fall/Winter months, there are usually less active buyers as well, and sellers who weren’t able to sell in the summer are motivated!

In mid-October, we leaned that this DARLING Rose City Park home was going on the market. It was perfect for Chris, Nicole and Alma in all ways — right layout, lovely yard, excellent condition AND in their dream neighborhood. It was literally around the corner from their rental house. They toured it as soon as it hit the market and made an offer right away. Once again, there were multiple offers, but with their summer experience under their belt, Chris and Nicole decisively made the terms of their offer very attractive and wrote a kick-ass letter to the seller about their connection to the neighborhood and what they loved about the house. They stretched their comfort zone in calculated/low risk ways. Their were tears around (realtors included) when we got the word the house was theirs.

Nicole and Alma received the keys to their new home last week. (Chris was at work!) Alma quickly made the house their “home” by placing her artwork on the refrigerator. It was a joyous day indeed, and, while moving during the holidays is less than ideal, their willingness to wait for the right season earned them the house of their dreams!

Congratulations Nicole, Chris and Alma — it was a pleasure guiding you through the seasons!