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Selling a Classic Home in Carthage, Jasper County Missouri

By
Real Estate Agent with United Country Countryside Realty

Home exterior

Putting a buyer and the home of their dreams together is always a thrill.  It's even better when the home is a classic historic home and the buyer wants to restore the home to its original glory.  That's one of my favorite moments in real estate.

Last week was the closing of one of those enjoyable deals.  This beautiful historic home in Carthage has been vacant and sitting on the market for a long time.  It's not my listing, so I've simply been admiring it from afar and sending it out to historic home customers as I had them.  None of them were ready to take it on, though.

Meanwhile, the home popped in and out of active status several times.  It must have been fate, because it became available again just in time for the perfect buyers.

These nice folks traveled from several states away to look at homes, after finding my office from another historic listing on our United Country website.  We had talked on the phone.  We had discussed many properties.  I had mailed them all kinds of local information and listings. 

They love Victorian homes and had already made their current classic home into a showplace, so I knew they were serious.

They'd seen this home on the web, and it kept coming up in the conversation.  Unfortunately, it was under contract during most of our preliminary discussions.  They were disappointed, but accepting.

Then, just the week before they were planning to head down for a visit, the home came back on the market!  We had agreed on an itinerary of classic homes ranging across 100 miles of Southwest Missouri.  But in my heart, I knew they were coming for one house.

So I made sure to meet them in Carthage first thing in the morning and we headed right over to the home they'd been dreaming about.  It's less than one mile from our office.  We pulled into the driveway.  We parked.  We walked up onto the porch.  I don't think we even got in the door before they were saying:  "This is it.  This is the one." 

We went through room after high-ceiling room, admiring the original woodwork, the majestic staircase, the irreplaceable original touches everywhere.   On our way out, we stopped in the front hall and said goodbye and thank you to the big old-fashioned portrait of the home's original owner. 

Original Owner

I think he smiled.

That was it.  That was the only showing.  They wouldn't go anywhere else. 

We went back to the office and wrote an offer, I sent them down the street to the bank, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Sometimes, real estate is a beautiful thing.

 

Comments(2)

Charlottesville Solutions
Charlottesville Solutions - Charlottesville, VA

What an incredible looking place. I would love to see the inside of it.

Your Friend in Charlottesville!

Jul 29, 2008 12:19 AM
Judith Reppert
United Country Countryside Realty - Mount Vernon, MO

Thank you Charles.  It is lovely inside, with the grand staircase, the pressed tin ceilings, and all that good stuff, right down to the heavily decorated doorknobs and lock plates.  It's amazing, the craftsmanship that used to show in the smallest items.  I have photos, but somehow they just don't do it justice.

Lots of work to be done, but the buyers are looking forward to it.

Jul 29, 2008 03:12 AM