By Alyssa Isenstein Krueger, March 19, 2018
Congratulations to my buyers Judy, Nelson and Bridgett on their purchase of a swanky condo in Sunnyside! Judy is currently in California finishing up a work contract, so unfortunately she was not able to make it to the closing. So as to not be left out of the getting house keys for the first time photo, Judy is represented by the duck and can be seen here on the phone screen.
After decades living in California, the trio recently made the move up to Portland to live the good life and be closer to their daughter and grandchildren- who just happen to be dear friends and neighbors of my family. When they moved to Portland last summer, they settled into a rental in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Back in California, they lived far from anything worth walking to, and when they landed in the Sunnyside neighborhood, the oyster revealed her pearl. Laurelhurst Park, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores and funky shops- all within an easy walking distance. Once their house in California finally sold, we began the house search in earnest with the goal of finding a detached home with early 20th century charm. After looking at houses that were not quite right- too depressing, too small, too expensive, not close enough to the action, a townhouse style condo came on the market in the heart of the Sunnyside neighborhood. While a modern condo wasn’t what they originally pictured themselves in, the location was so ideal that we went to see it within a few hours of it being listed. Once inside, it was love at first sight. The space, layout, kitchen set up and bedroom/bathroom count were perfect and having fallen in love with Sunnyside, the location outweighed their desire for a detached home. We wrote the full price offer up that evening and thankfully no other offers came in so it was an easy choice for the sellers.
As a sign (actually three signs) that it was meant to be, each door to the exterior has a mezuzah hanging on the doorpost. For those who don’t know what a mezuzah is, it’s a small container containing a scroll in Hebrew affixed to the doorpost that symbolizes the home is a Jewish household. When one moves from a home, it is customary to leave the mezuzah in place in case the next occupants are also Jewish. Judy and Nelson are Jewish, while Bridgett goes along for the ride, and seeing the mezuzahs confirmed to them that this home was theirs. Of course the sellers would have no way of knowing if the buyers of their home would be Jewish, but I always trust that when it comes to finding the right house, it mysteriously almost always works out the way it was supposed to, and little signs like the mezuzahs for my Jewish buyers always reassure me that in fact, my buyers have made the perfect choice.
Alyssa Isenstein Krueger
Broker | OR
She/Her
I am living the dream. Working as a real estate broker in my home town brings this native Portland gal joy beyond measure. Check Out My Reviews! I took the round-about-road towards this career...
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