29 Apr A personal referral for a beloved family home.
We recently purchased this home in Lincoln Park from a friend of a friend. At this point, most of our family and friends know that we “do real estate”, and that we buy houses ourselves. We are always humbled and grateful when someone refers us to help one of their loved ones. Having recently lost Tara’s father unexpectedly (just over 3 years ago), it always hits us hard when we are contacted by a seller who is calling us because they have lost a parent. This family experienced the loss of two parents, not far apart. They were not sure if they wanted to keep this home, sell it through a realtor, or sell it to an investor directly. A mutual friend suggested they call us, and we were more than happy to go see the home and have a conversation and give them as much information as we could, so they could make the best decision for their family. It was so obvious in speaking with the family how important this home had been to them and their parents. We did what we always try to do, and gave the family information that we hoped would help them in figuring out their plan. We never pressure anyone to sell us a house, because in so many situations, it is more than just a financial decision. We don’t ever want to cause anyone to be more overwhelmed than they may already be. After we left the house and the family, they of course discussed things, and ended up calling us back. After answering a few more questions, they opted to sell the house to us, and we decided on a purchase price that everyone was happy with. We of course were thrilled, not only to be purchasing the house, but just knowing that these wonderful people were trusting us with something that held so much personal value to them. Then the fun started – they asked if we would be able to close by Friday. This was on a weekend, but Monday was a national holiday – so essentially, they wanted to close in less than 4 business days! Well – Challenge accepted! We couldn’t promise, but we were willing to try! We gathered every document that we knew we would need, and that would be needed from the sellers, and first thing Tuesday morning, we contacted the title company to see if they would be willing to try and get us closed on Friday. They were on board, so off we went! Amazingly, everything went beautifully and we did it! The sellers were incredibly flexible and accommodating, and we were able to have them close right at the house! We closed in 4 days!
There were still many items in the home, so we made sure that the family was able to take everything that they wanted to take before we closed. The remaining items were able to be left behind, which we hope helped, as it’s difficult to empty things out of a home when you have your own careers and children. It takes a lot of time and can be costly. In this situation, we were even able to donate some items to local people and charities, which is always a bonus. This family also decided they wanted to see the house after we worked on it. While we usually do a “full rehab”, where we demo and replace the kitchen and bathrooms, we ultimately decided not to do that this time. This house was in great shape, and just needed things like fresh paint, refinished hardwood floors and new carpet, new fixtures, and many repairs and other various updates, as well as bringing everything up to code so that we could obtain a rental certificate. The kitchen in this home was notably special, because their mom had installed the beautiful backsplash herself. The family had mentioned that she was very proud of her work, and really enjoyed how it turned out. Had we decided to remove the cabinets and countertops and install new ones, the backsplash would’ve been destroyed – so, it had to stay. Sometimes, there are just special connections between people and houses and the stories that go with them, and as cheesy as it may sound that this time it involved a tile backsplash – it was important and just felt like the right thing to do. All of the family members wanted to come to see the house before it was rented out, and we sincerely hope that we did them, and their parents, proud. The house now has a new person making it their home, and we hope they are feeling all of the love that this beautiful home comes with.
If you’re considering selling your home, or would just like to know what your options might be, click here. Have questions? We’d love to book a call with you! 
No Comments