Real Estate

Just over a year ago I was contacted by a Facebook friend, someone I knew in real life and maintained contact with over the years as she’d moved out of town, out of state and then out of the country.  She & her husband were leading a life most of us dream of – summers here and there, sightseeing constantly and always looking glam. But they were missing Portland and wanted to be here more, there less (but not give it up completely) and could I help?  The brief was clear, there was a price point, an architectural aesthetic and a need to hang art.  Could I help?  Of course I could help, it was all right up my alley! They were still in France, but coming back soon so we built a database of homes that fit the brief and by the time they were stateside we were absolutely on track to quickly find them the right home.  There was one they’d seen on-line and particularly liked and she flew in to see it.  But as happens every now and again the house was taken off the market following a previous sale fail that had highlighted issues that were time consuming to fix and no they did not want anyone else to see it.  Christmas & New Year came and went, Covid arrived and so did they, renting an apt while we looked in earnest.  Over the months there have been places they loved, we wrote offers and were frequently outbid, we won a couple but they then backed out – for absolutely all the right reasons.  The search continued.  Parameters changed, maybe look at condo’s, maybe not an exposed ceiling, maybe not in Arlington Heights. Most of those changed back again to the original brief, the market continued in its crazy upward trajectory and we all wondered if sanity would ever prevail. Then finally a house popped into my search, I looked at the interior photo’s and immediately sent it over with the words “This looks very good”. And it was. We went to see it and loved it, everything about it. Designed by an early pioneer of the PNW contemporary genre, Walter Gordon was an architect of note and this was a lovely example, and crucially only touched where it was needed – electrical, heating and plumbing updates. We wrote an offer and then waited, on tenterhooks as it was Saturday and the seller didn’t want to look at offers until Monday. Letters were written, friends sent to the open house on Sunday to report back on activity and then the phone call Sunday early evening.  “You know what? We are accepting your offer. Your buyer is exactly who we are looking for and the price is right.”  WOW. Our mini campaign had worked!!  My buyers are over the moon and so am I.

I guess the take away is this.  Never give up, keep at it with all the right intentions and it WILL happen.

So, now I’m ready for another client!  I’m good at this.  And   I love it.

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