First Open House

I was holding an open house for a colleague of mine one Sunday afternoon last spring.  It was a darling house in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood.  I was greeting guests as they arrived and telling them about the house.

Amanda and Toby arrived and announced that this was their first open house.  “Great”, I said.  “Here’s some information about the house.”  Amanda replied that this was their first open house…ever!  I wish I’d had balloons, flowers, confetti, celebration music or at least a cookie to commemorate the moment.  I didn’t have any of these, but I did have a great sense of the house, the neighborhood and a willingness to help.  They were nervous, apprehensive of the open house “protocol” and unsure about how to proceed.   We had a great conversation that day and I put them on my radar to keep them posted about upcoming properties that may fit their criteria.

The timing of their ideal move-in date had changed since our initial meeting at the open house.  This young couple had a lot on their plate; Toby was graduating from the University, he was slated to begin a new job and Amanda was newly pregnant with their first child. 

A few weeks later, after looking at several homes, we found a property that was a good match for what they were looking for.  A second look confirmed it, so we wrote an offer.  After much negotiating – it was a multiple offer situation -  Amanda and Toby didn’t get the house.  Rats!  Back to the drawing board.

More looking, more conversations, more looking.  Another potential house came on the market in a neighborhood they liked a little better.    Again, it was a multiple offer situation.  We put our best offer together and it was accepted!  Amanda and Toby were elated!

The young couple has since moved into their new home and added an infant son to their household. They were able to make a few changes to the house before they moved in, which was ideal before the arrival of the baby.  I wouldn’t say the graduation, new job, home purchase and move were stress-free, but I will say that it all worked out wonderfully and they have settled into their new home and neighborhood.

An interesting side-note, this house was a For-Sale-By Owner property, so additional diligence on my part was necessary since there was not a Realtor on the other end of the transaction.  After the closing, I received a note from the seller saying how happy she was to have worked with me and she was so happy that everything worked out so smoothly!  Bonus!

 2013 was a year where buyers were ready to buy, but inventory was low.  Persistence was the name of the game.  I anticipate that 2014 will be similar.  Perhaps you know someone who, like Amanda and Toby, are new to the home-buying process and could benefit from my help.  Have them give me a call at (608) 333-4406 or shoot me an e-mail at kepping@restainohomes.com  I’d be happy to help!