by Ann Huskey
The Story Of A Couple Right-sizing Into Their Dream Home & A Couple Of First Time Home Buyers Acquiring Their Dream Home
The Sellers – The story begins many years ago. A woman and a man set out to find a place to call their own, build their dream home, and raise their family. They watch and wait as their home is built. But, they could never anticipate the joy that their walls would hold or the many sorrows that they would face. Years go by, and the husband passes away. Leaving behind his wife and kids.
But, life goes on and the woman finds love again. She remarries and her new husband is a wonderful husband and father to her kids. They live many happy years in the home. They meet challenges with the grace and strength provided by a solid foundation of love. Their parents pass on and they honor the memories of their loved ones by planting memorial flowers in their garden. They travel together and enjoy many happy moments seeing the wonders of the natural world. But, they always come back, back to home….
One day, while traveling, the couple (now in their 60’s) find a beautiful forest. There is something magical about this spot and they know that it is meant to be theirs. Although this thought brings a smile to their hearts, it is bittersweet. This means that they will need to leave behind the place where they have played with their kids, grieved their lost family, and held their sweet grandbabies in their arms. They consider long and hard the move that they must make. Resolved, they call a Realtor.
The Home – Just outside of the city, a little neighborhood with winding roads, hundred-year-old oaks, pastures with horses, and a quiet stream. Within this neighborhood, a sweet little red cottage adjacent to the stream. Fences line the home’s acreage. For many years, the family that lives in the home had a rottweiler that would hop the fences. One of the gates still bears the image of the dog. A tribute to his legacy. The well-maintained home is quiet, filled with photos and paintings of both the family’s canine and human members. Behind the home, a playground sits (unused but still in good condition) next to several sheds and storage buildings. The back fence looks out to a creek. Walking towards the fenceline, one will discover the gate that leads out to the banks of the quiet stream that peacefully flows at the end of the land parcel.
The Buyers – High school sweethearts, the beautiful young couple had been together through military service, changes of location, college, and the birth of their first son. They hoped to have more kids but they wanted to have a home to grow into and a place to call their own. They had been looking for a space in the country where their dogs (rottweilers who hop fences) and kids could run around surrounded by nature. It was important for their new home to be located very close to their parents. This was a very close family. They had almost given up hope. They had been searching for over two years and had yet to find the one. Until they found this home.
The Buyer’s Agent (Me) – The buyers reached out to me because they wanted to see this home. The very moment they stepped onsite, they knew this was the home for them, and I knew it too. Unfortunately, they did not have a lot of money to cover the closing costs on their VA loan. I hoped that we could convince the sellers to cover the buyer’s portion of closing costs through negotiations. We prepared and presented our offer. That is when the other offers came in. We were now faced with a multiple offer situation and their dream home was on the line. I called the seller’s agent and told her about the sweet family. I told her why this home was perfect for them. I told her that their lack of money was not indicative of how serious they were about this home. I asked what we could do to make our offer more competitive. That’s when she asked if we could offer a shorter closing timeline. I asked the buyers and we were in agreement! We came out of the multiple offer situation ahead of the others and with the money needed for closing.
The Closing – At the closing, the sellers were faced with the buyers at long last. Tearfully, the female seller handed over all of the photos she had taken of the homesite so many years ago preconstruction and during the building process. She explained that she thought that they should have them now. They were not only purchasing the home but inheriting its legacy. The older man and woman explained the special places where they had planted memorial plants for those who they had lost. The buyers promised to take care of them. That is when the buyers handed over a thank you letter they had written for the sellers. It expressed how grateful they were. How it was the kindness of these sellers that was now allowing them to finally realize their dream. In real estate, you realize in moments like these, some things are just meant to be.
