By Living Room Realty, April 2, 2021
Congratulations to John and Fei for closing on their nearly new construction in Gresham. Built in 2018 by the Sellers themselves, this house was dialed. So dialed that my clients felt confident making an offer on it sight unseen!
John and Fei were referred to me by their friends who bought a house with me last spring. Those clients relocated from Southern California and purchased a home in Damascus on five acres. After nearly a year of hearing tales of Oregon life, John and Fei made the decision to follow in their friends’ footsteps.
Once we connected and honed their search, the hunt was on. The catch: John and Fei were house shopping from 1000+ miles away. Many of my friends could not believe that people would make an offer, go through inspections, and close on a home without ever having stepped foot in it. But with their opposite job schedules and needing to prep their own home for sale, it was our only option.
Fortunately, virtual showings are kinda my thing. I love them for several reasons. 1, I can squeeze in showings without needing to coordinate with clients’ busy schedules. 2, buyers can review the videos at a time that works for them. 3, buyers have a visual record (in the form of ten to twenty 1-2 minute videos I text them) of the house they can watch and rewatch. 4, they get to hear me ramble on about this adorable breakfast nook or that killer natural light.
It also helps to have some other eyes and ears on the ground. Fortunately for John and Fei, their friends (my former clients) live about 15 minutes from this house. Neighbor-friends attended the inspections and gave John and Fei their own feedback, which was thumbs way up. And when our nit-picky inspector delivered a squeaky clean report, that didn’t hurt either.
On Wednesday morning, John and Fei signed their closing documents in SoCal. Then they loaded up the car with their two kitties and headed north. Thursday evening, they pulled into their new driveway, where they met both their house and their realtor face to face for the first time. Air hugs were exchanged and then, the moment of truth…
Yeah, they liked it. Really, really liked it. Buying a house from afar isn’t for everyone, but John, Fei, and kitties feel like they won the lottery. Cheers and welcome home!
