Kate & Michael

Michael, Kate, and their two sweet boys were introduced to me by their financial advisor, Guy Ben Ari.

They confided in him that they weren’t sure they were ready to purchase a home. They had never owned a home before and like most people, felt nervous and apprehensive.

He reassured them that they were financially ready and suggested they have a conversation with me.

Upon first meeting each other over Zoom, we all immediately knew we’d be a great fit. They were excited, nervous, but trusted that I’d help get them through the home buying process. Most importantly, they were some of the sweetest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.

As an Alameda native, Kate knew she wanted to purchase a home in Alameda - a small East Bay island with a tight knit community and highly rated schools. It’s a competitive market so we knew we’d be practicing some patience.

The lack of inventory in Alameda had them briefly looking in Oakland instead.

I brought them an off-market opportunity in Oakland, which was perfect for them - such a dreamy home. They were absolutely smitten by its charm.

They had a tough decision to make = Give up their desired location to purchase a dream home. Many Bay Area buyers are faced with the same decision - do you give up the location you truly want to stay within your price range? A part of my job is determining when it’s most realistic for clients to give up one of their “must-haves” versus when they should stick to their original “must-haves”. This decision is usually based on what is actually realistic. If it’s not possible to purchase in your desired area due to pricing, then looking elsewhere can be a great way to get your foot in the door and become a homeowner.

I knew Kate & Michael had the ability to purchase in their dream location, we just needed to keep trying and to remain resilient/patient. After much deliberation, they ultimately decided to stick to their original goal of purchasing in Alameda;

so they passed on the Oakland dream home.

I reassured them they were capable of purchasing in their dream location, they just needed to stick with it.

Not too long after, another off-market opportunity presented itself when I connected with another agent who was preparing a home for sale in Alameda. They were mid renovations when we came to tour the home, which meant there was dust, debris, and half-painted walls.

Kate and Michael were able to see past all of that and completely fell in love.

The sellers were also completely redoing the landscaping which made it easy for K & M to picture their sons running around the yard. The home had space for the boys’ favorite hobbies - toy trains and art. In every house we toured, we looked for the “train room” and this home had plenty of space for that!

The home had that old school Alameda charm - intricate wooden fireplace surround, gorgeous trim, double pocket doors between the living room and dining room

They thought there was no way we were going to get our offer accepted on such a dream home. But we did!

The home never hit the market so we didn’t have to compete with the tons of other buyers who would have loved the opportunity to purchase this home.

Escrow went smoothly (except for some hiccups with the lender). I always recommend working with a reputable local lender or credit union instead of a big traditional bank. They can definitely slow down the process making your offer less appealing to the seller. In the end, we got through it together.

Once they received the keys, they realized how vital it was to overcome the nerves, the fears, and all of the pesky doubts, in order to grow together as a family in their new home in Alameda!