Kristin and Kyle already own a house. Actually, they own 2 houses.
Out of the blue I got a message from them in late February that simply said: “Dreaming of mid-century basements” with a link to a mid-century house in NE Portland.
I called back and asked “Is this you building your real estate empire, or is this just weekend house porn?”
They weren’t looking for a new house, but this one came on their radar and they couldn’t stop thinking about it. They did a couple of drive-bys and then we went to take a look. The home had been on the market for many months and recently had a sale fail. It sits adjacent to I-5, but it’s buffered by landscaping, a sound wall, and a nice fence.
The yard is huge and the mid-century vibe is strong. There’s a huge 2 car garage that’s big enough to house Kyle’s woodworking passion. It even has a garage opener—which they’ve been told means they’ve achieved grownup status and bought a real grownup house. The lower level has a fabulous vintage party room with curved bar, a locked liquor cabinet and a fireplace. It’s the perfect spot for their tiki bar dreams. The kitchen and bathrooms are updated and the bedrooms are big. The living room is perfect for Mad Men style cocktail parties and has a built in sound system.
We looked at the house on a Monday. They lined up their mortgage financing in just a couple of days and we submitted their offer by Wednesday. Fast forward 4 weeks, and Kristin & Kyle moved in to their mid-century tiki bar dream house.
But what about inspections?
Inspections weren’t easy on this one but we made it work. The house had elevated radon levels and we found an old abandoned leaking oil tank in the yard that was still holding 300 gallons of fuel. Those issues have been handled and the happy homeowners are settling in. They are very excited to return to a neighborhood they love within walking distance to Peninsula Park and favorite hot spots. We’re curious what they’ll find when they crack the lock on the old liquor cabinet.
I guess it wasn’t just house porn after all!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Interested in making Portland your home? Call Cheri Harney, at 503-319-4858.