Finding the perfect home!

Finding the perfect home takes time! Rebecca called me over a year ago. She and her sister wanted to live next door to each other when they retired. They wanted to find a duplex or two houses on adjacent lots. Sister Nancy had saved her money diligently for many years, and she wanted ‘the perfect’ home. Both had a mental picture of where they would live: the size of the rooms, the kitchen, storage, garage, yard and the price they could pay. They were excellent searchers, and found properties to view on the internet. I met them at the first property. While it offered much of what they wanted, I reminded them that they wanted a good walk score and noted that these properties were in less than good condition. So, off we went on a long search; we looked at property all over Portland and Clark County. Finally, I had to point out that a duplex might not be the best fit for them. They could not agree on size, price and locations.

We found a wonderful house for Rebecca. It was just perfect, with a great back yard where she could attract birds and a craft room for her dream of holding small crafting classes. The search continued for Nancy. Then, about a month later, she called me about a new listing she had found near Rebecca’s. We arrived too late to take advantage of the broker’s open house, and I had to ask the broker to arrange a showing for us right then because Nancy would be leaving for home that evening. It was also perfect. We made an offer!

Why is this story interesting? The two sisters live a 3 minute walk from each other and they are delighted. But the real story is that what they ended up buying was not what they started out looking for. Patience and keeping a good list of their priorities for them was helpful to finding them great homes so they can be near to each other on those Sunday mornings when they want to curl up with the paper and a cup of hot chocolate, but still have the unique homes they each desired.