We Bought a House!

So the other day Delora and I bought a house. It had been a long time coming. We had been looking for a couple of years. Every once in a while I would see a house with a client and think to myself "maybe Delora would like to see this one?" I was not often right :)

But slowly, over time, we had the opportunity to see a few homes that clicked for both of us. And each conversation helped me to learn a little bit more about what she was looking for.

When I walked into the house on Kjarvick, I knew this was one that she would want to see. It had some land, a yard for Scout, it was closer to her pharmacy in Washburn (if you are able to get to Washburn for your prescriptions, I can tell you, you won't regret it) and it had a shop above the garage that set my woodworker's heart beating.

Most importantly, it had that feeling. When I walked in and saw the open beams with the wood paneling — and the fireplace, and the wood floors — it felt like home. And the people selling it were so kind. Delora's customers. She had told me that we might want to see their home even before they listed it.

So what's the point? On the one hand, I wanted to share with you the truth that even real estate agents can have a difficult time finding the property that works for both sides of the household. On the other, I thought it would be good to share that we practice what we preach — I believe in homeownership, I think it makes your life better in many ways.

Most of all I just wanted to share our happiness with you. Moving in was the achievement of six or eight goals at once. It's been difficult wanting to leave to come to work some days, but the great people in the office have brought me back with a renewed heart, and new appreciation for what is possible in what we do.

How the sale started was a bit unusual. Since the sellers were clients of my wife, they mentioned the house to her when they came in to pick up their medications. She thought it sounded like a nice place, and mentioned it to me in passing. Later, the seller, Ellen, stopped in and mentioned that they had received an offer on their house — only, they weren't sure what to do. The potential purchasers had learned about the home when they were doing some work on the property. They mentioned that they liked it, and would like to purchase it. Tom and Ellen, being the outgoing types, were of course open to the discussion. When the offer arrived, it felt low to both of them, but they weren't sure what the home was actually worth.

I told Ellen that I would be happy to come over and take a look, to give them an idea of whether it was worth what they were being offered. Upon walking in the door I knew that their offer was significantly below market value. I advised Tom and Ellen that they should consider putting their home on the market, and that they would likely receive stronger offers. In fact, I told them, if Delora likes the home as much as I think she will, we might have an offer for you ourselves.

Now, this is where things got a little complicated. If I was going to list their home and potentially buy it, we needed to be very careful about how the transaction was handled. I sat down with Tom and Ellen and explained exactly what dual agency means, what their options were, and made sure they understood they could work with a different agent if they preferred — either to list the home or to represent their interests if we made an offer. They appreciated the transparency and decided they were comfortable moving forward with me. We documented everything in writing, as the law requires.

We signed a listing agreement and scheduled our photographer. We completed a video shoot as well, and prepared a listing that Tom and Ellen were very happy with. We also put them in touch with an estate sale service. On the day the listing went live, I presented our offer to the Wagners.

But here's what I recommended: sit on our offer and wait to see what else comes in. I wanted them to have every opportunity to see what the market would bear. It was a rather uncomfortable week or so, with my wife and I on pins and needles. Each showing that came in caused us to wonder if there would be another offer by that evening. Through it all I made sure that I reached out to the agents who showed the property, and asked if their clients would be submitting. I also asked their opinion of the price, and shared with the sellers that the general feedback was that it was priced close to where it should be.

Eventually Ellen called and said she was tired of waiting, and asked if they could just accept our offer.

What a relief that was for me, and Delora too. It was one of those moments when life changes all at once. Sometimes those moments are obvious in the moment; usually they aren't quite so clear. In this case, we had a great experience with a wonderful couple, who we are happy to continue to have as friends. We text from time to time. Tom wonders if I have discovered all of his "inventions" yet, and Ellen asks how we are enjoying their home.

The answers, of course, are "not yet," and "very much."

In the end, Tom and Ellen received quite a bit more than that initial offer would have brought them. I'm proud of how we handled it — not because we did anything extraordinary, but because we did it in a way that respected Tom and Ellen, and felt right. That matters to us.

Sincerely,
Kevin Porter

Porter Realty
Focused on You, Invested in Our Community

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