Buying a House You Can’t See
~ A Transaction that Touched my Heart ~
When I first read about the August Challenge being hosted by Carol Williams and Ralph Gorgoglione I knew immediately what I would write about.
This transaction takes me back almost 21 years, about a year and a half after I was first licensed in Boston. I signed on with RE/MAX Destiny in the Harvard Square area of Cambridge and was with them for 3 years before making our big move to Carlsbad, California.
A number of my buyer clients while I was in Cambridge were first time buyers, some of whom knew each other and referred their friends to me. The couple in this post were first time buyers, and I don’t recall exactly how we came to meet except they were given my name. But I knew they would be special from the very beginning since they were seeking their first home in the Cambridge area. They well qualified, both had good jobs, they had great credit and a pre-approval plus a strong downpayment.
Plus he was blind!
In addition to a particular price range and having 3 bedrooms, the critical need was for a single story condo with close and safe access (minimal road crossings) to the public bus system for him to get to work and to run errands. Winter time and rush hour were particularly challenging times for using the bus system for someone who is visually impaired and we had to be mindful of that.
I realized very quickly that I had to be careful of my language and my assumptions. Oh, not the swear words – I don’t swear around clients – but not saying things that referenced being able to see, such as “What do you think of that (pointing)?” D’s wife took special care to describe the homes we saw in great detail and to answer his questions about colors, room sizes, views out of the windows, the accompanying yard or outdoor space, and so much more. The other senses – touch, smell, hearing – were particularly important for evaluating the homes we saw, and touring homes took a lot of extra time...so different from someone without visual impairment.
I know I don't remember all the nuances and challenges of our home search after all these years, and I certainly learned a lot about being flexible and not doing things the traditional way.
I remember going downstairs into the basement in the property they ultimately bought (1st floor of a remodeled duplex) to check out the storage area and almost did not warn D in time to avoid hitting his head on a low beam over the stairs.
The home they closed on in November 2004 fulfilled their needs in so many ways – location, size, price, and was the 1st floor of a duplex home right down the street from the bus stop with a great private yard. They had hoped to have a family at the time but had not yet been successful, however I learned a couple of years later than they had twin daughters. Such irony, and the home worked perfectly! What joy!
Needless to say this transaction touched me in many ways. This young couple was deeply committed to their home search, despite their challenges, and I was honored to have helped them successfully navigate the home purchase process before I relocated. And it was a terrific learning experience for me. I’ve stayed in touch over the years and hear from them occasionally.
I am so very thankful for being part of this couples' life and the challenges they faced yet never complained about...even all the paperwork. Fortunately D had computer software that translated written words into spoken language, and his wife helped with translation.
This transaction made me so much more aware of the need for compassion, patience and understanding when working with any buyer...sometimes we are aware of what's going on in their lives and sometimes we aren't.
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