Buyer's Series February 21, 2024

Buying My Little Dream House

It was 112 years old: a charming little house in the Big Tree neighborhood of Casper, Wyoming- the historic part of town where streets were lined with beautiful old homes and big cottonwood trees that shaded the sidewalks.

In the middle of this area was the house my husband and I fell in love with, and it was completely updated right down to the studs, wiring, and plumbing. My mind swirled with thoughts of sitting on the front porch swing after taking evening walks under the cottonwoods, and before taking a bath in the jetted spa tub in the beautifully tiled bathroom.  This wasn’t the first home we purchased; we had bought several over the years, but this one was our favorite.

Like with anything you fall in love with, however, it is not long before the honeymoon period fades.

Once your offer is accepted, you enter into a legal contract with the real estate  agent, the seller, the bank, and others.  I have to admit thoughts of holding hands  with a lawyer never entered my little dream of sunset walks down a tree-lined  sidewalk.

Through this process, we learned the sewer line was damaged by the roots of those  huge trees, worried whether or not the crack in the basement wall was more of a  concern than the inspector thought, and held our breath when the appraisal came  back lower than the purchase price.

Did we lose sleep? Yes. Did we wonder if we made a good decision in making an offer on this house? Absolutely, but we hung in there- with the help of a terrific real estate agent, Jennifer.

Jennifer negotiated with the seller and the seller’s agent on our behalf, and much to our relief. With her help, the seller agreed to pay for the $13,000 sewer line repair, helped us get a second opinion on that crack in the basement, and even negotiated with the seller to pay for the difference created by the appraisal. While the fact the seller was super motivated to sell and relocate played a major factor in these negotiations, Jennifer was there for us. We weren’t figuring out this closing process by ourselves- especially when dreams of sunset walks under the cottonwoods became the stark reality of tree roots in the sewer line.

Now it is my goal to help others purchase their dream home like Jennifer helped us. As a licensed Colorado Realtor, I would be honored to help you purchase your next home. By choosing me as your Realtor, not only would you be receiving my upmost dedication, but also the incredible resources of Windermere Real Estate.

Do you have questions about the buying or selling process? Let’s meet and discuss your goals!

Next week: Buyer’s Agent or Transaction Broker: What’s the Difference and Which Do You Choose?