11. Amy, one of Matt's friends from law school, called me when she was ready to buy in the Belleville area. After our first day of house-hunting, Amy was discouraged. Like so many people, she expected to walk into a house and fall in love. So, we had my "Wedding Dress Talk": Touring houses is not like trying on wedding dresses. Rarely does a homebuyer walk into a house, and just "know" that it's the one. Why? You ask... There are just too many pieces to a house. You may love the inside - the layout and colors are perfect, but be less than thrilled about the location. It may be situated on the most perfect spot on earth, but not have enough garage space.... There are an almost infinite number of parts and pieces - that most likely won't all be exactly what you envisioned or would have chosen if you had built it/decorated it yourself. (And even on the rare occasions there's a house that meets EVERY possible want and need.... There will still probably be somethingyou don't like about it.) With a slightly different outlook; our home search turned around, and we came across a few good possibilities. Ultimately, she got a great house that she is very happy with. The previous owners had the house decorated very nicely, so it was easy for Amy to envision herself (and her stuff there). The yard was fenced for her dog - and there was ample closet space for her meticulously organized clothes:)
12. John and Melanie were a pretty classic example of not being able to find exactly what they were looking for. Melanie and I would preview houses - and then take John through only the best contenders. I was determined to find John and Melanie a house they loved. I started working with them in July of 2007... that's three years and one month between beginning our home search and their closing.
For the longest time, Melanie and I had a standing Friday appointment. Every Friday - without fail, we would see ten houses. Every week, I would think to myself, this is the week! But every Friday afternoon we parted ways saying, "Well, see you next week."
Two years ago John and Melanie sent me a Christmas card and written on the inside was, "Thanks for your seemingly eternal patience."
At one point, we found a house they LOVED. It was PERFECT... the house was perfect; but not the lot. It sat on two acres - a little more land than they really wanted to take care of at the time. But then I found them the EXACT same floor plan - almost the exact same house - in a subdivision - on a smaller lot. I called them immediately, and met them both there within hours. But, that yard was too small. (It really was small.)
A little more than a little defeated, I asked, "Have you ever though about building?"
Not too long after that, they found a lot, we met with a few builders, we toured more houses to get some design ideas.... then the real fun began. They decided to work with Matt's uncle, Larry Vitale of LMV homes - the same builder that built for my client, Marla, two years ago. (He also helped with our front porch rebuilding.) Larry helped them design a true custom home. What started as a pretty basic floor plan evolved into a courtyard home with a HUGE kitchen and open sunroom. There wasn't a single detail in the house that wasn't carefully planned to accommodate their lifestyle, family, furniture, collections, and hobbies.
Because I love interior design - and because by this time - I was pretty close to John and Melanie; I helped them select a lot of the materials for their new house. Melanie and I spent many afternoons looking at flooring, cabinetry, countertops, light fixtures, faucets, etc. The final product is BEAUTIFUL. I am so proud to have helped John and Melanie bring their dream home into existance.
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