By Living Room Realty, February 1, 2021
Vanessa and I met when we were mere ‘babies’ while working in the restaurant industry circa 1998–I really wish I could find pictures! Over the years we have remained close friends. And I was so thrilled when she contacted me to help her and her new husband to find a house!
Vanessa and Dan have always been close-in SE Portland people. Location was #1 on their list; and #2 was an opportunity for multi-generational living so Vanessa’s dad could eventually move in with them. Dan was the most stern about location. He did NOT want to go above 60th, North of Burnside or South of Sellwood and it had to be walking distance to a bar, a store and a decent restaurant. We saw a ton of homes but none of them seemed to quite fit the bill, were just outside of their desired area or they were out of budget.
To my surprise it was Dan that sent me the listing to this house and was excited to go see it. “But, Dan? It’s in Milwaukie!” I said. But he was charmed by the ample amount of space, the pool and the built-in bar. Talk about having a bar within walking distance! Vanessa was charmed by the absolutely incredible plants in the sunroom giving this house so much light and unique interest.
Vanessa and Dan have run into some hard times over the last few years dealing with tragedy and heartbreak. They had gotten engaged before the pandemic and decided that they still wanted to get married despite it all. They had a small and beautiful family ceremony in upstate New York in October. All of their difficult experiences have led them to the conclusion that this moment is all you have and you have to go for what you want. I’m so proud of them and honored to call them friends.
One of the main reasons I got into this business was to help people follow their dreams. Vanessa and Dan can now start building wealth and a future for their family and more importantly a home for their entire family… and a place where I can go swimming in the summer! Congratulations friends! You did it.
