ActiveRain's August challenge is called "The Transaction that Touched Your Heart." Our goal is to share a sale that made an impact on us. And as soon as I read about the challenge, I knew which transaction I would share. But then I realized I had already written about my favorite sale in the post called "The story of a perfect real estate match" back in 2017, but it's still my favorite so I'm going to have to tell it again!
Nearly five decades ago, a young couple rescued a dilapidated 1897 house from its eventual collapse. They loved the Victorian "bones" and saw the beauty hiding behind the worn exterior. They subsequently dedicated years of elbow grease to fix her up.
The end result was a home that was evidently loved. She had thick pocket doors, stained glass windows, original yellow pine hardwood flooring, built-in bookcases and chestnut moldings. There was a wonderful wrap around porch, a sunny breakfast nook, ten acres of land, two pole barns, and more.
The time came, though, when the sellers were ready to retire to another state, and they had to let the home go. They were not fans of real estate agents but they eventually agreed to use an agent, (me).
So they put their beloved home on the market and received several offers, but the offers and buyers were not the "right" ones to love the home going forward. The sellers just weren't ready to sell to someone who wanted to rip out rooms and change the historical feeling of the home. So they decided to take the home off the market for the winter. They updated a few more things during that time, and were ready once again in the Spring to sell their home.
Right around the same time, a couple started working with me, looking for their "forever" home. They supplied their requirements, and off we went to look at homes. They didn't find the right house the first few times out, but I happened to know the Victorian home intimately and thought it might be perfect for them, even though it wasn't quite what they had said they wanted. So once the home came back on the market, I took the buyers to see the home. (Please note, representing both buyer and seller was explained ahead of time in terms of what that meant and what I could and could not share with both parties. They both decided not to use a different agent.)
When the buyers walked into the house behind me, Mrs. Buyer let out a quiet sigh, and whispered to herself, "I love this kitchen!" I knew we had found a match. As they wandered around the home, exploring nooks and crannies, with smiles and wide eyed wonder, it was evident this was going to be a wonderful day. By the end of the tour, the buyers knew they wanted this house. The sellers were nearby and the buyers wanted to make an offer immediately so we went outside and chatted. I walked back inside and spoke to the sellers and by the end of the visit, an offer had been successfully agreed upon, and there were smiles all around.
Then the transaction closed. But the story doesn't end with an austere atmosphere of paperwork and signatures. The buyers and sellers saw each other many times between offer acceptance and closing. They became fast friends with not only each other, but their agent. The closing experience was one with hugs, kisses, laughs and promises to stay in touch. And a year afterwards, when the sellers had a house warming get together at their new house several states away, they invited the buyers to come. And they did.
When I asked for reviews, the first one in was as follows:
"I cannot say enough about MY Kathleen Palmiotti, otherwise known as "Miss. Above And Beyond". Kat understood the wants and needs of my husband and I when she represented us as buyers and showed us whatever we asked her to, answered all questions, gave her time and energy to our search and never batted an eye. As she became more familiar with us (not just as buyers, but as REAL PEOPLE) the walls literally came down. Luckily for us (husband and myself) during our search, we were interested in a certain house. Wouldn't you know it, KAT REPRESENTED THE SELLERS!!! and told us we would be a perfect match for the house and the sellers would love us.
My husband stood in the yard after touring the house and cried. This home and surrounding property is everything he could imagine and more. Ms. Above and Beyond was totally correct. We became not just buyers in search of a home, WE WERE THE FUTURE OWNERS, as the former owners said "We are not just going to sell our house to just anyone, we want the right people in this house, you guys are the right people". I still cry at this, as this is the very house of my every dream. They became our friends, we became a team, and Kat Palmiotti was our Team Captain! I'M NOT CRYING, YOU ARE!!!"
And as a PS, I contacted the buyers this summer just to check in and they still love their forever home!
As for the sellers, they let me know I had restored their faith in the real estate industry.
And that is the story of a perfect real estate match and my favorite transaction ever.
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(And to the challenge team, it's okay if I don't get challenge points because this is essentially word for word from the last time!)
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