Congratulations to Denver's newest homeowners - Heather and Tyler!
Mine and Heather's paths crossed while working at the beloved Thump Coffee back in 2019! We've maintained a sweet friendship since those days and some of my deepest laughs have come from spending time with Heather. She possesses a beautiful blend of levity and realism that makes every shared moment uniquely brighter and funnier. Tyler's energy is upbeat and he's one of the most ambitious people I know. I've observed him as he's grown his career and have noticed that the moment he wants something, it is already in his hand.
I've loved getting to know Heather and Tyler better over the years and always enjoy my time with them. They're down to earth and great at hosting intentional gatherings.
Needless to say, I was thrilled when they reached out to me with a goal of buying a home.
Heather and Tyler entertained the idea of homeownership back in 2022, but the timing wasn't quite right. They put off the search until this year when they discovered they were expecting a baby!
In May they sent over a home that caught their eye and we scheduled a tour for that day. It was a corner unit townhome in Lakewood that had everything they needed, but it was priced strategically and the competition was fierce, forcing us to fold.
We continued to explore the available real estate and as more homes came on market, we noticed that prices began to drop. They were looking for a townhome or single family home with at least three bedrooms, preferably on the west side of town with close proximity to Tyler's work. They were comfortable making updates over time and were more focused on getting a great deal, rather than finding a move-in ready home.
A single family home in the Athmar Park neighborhood caught their eye after a significant price drop. It was a charming 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home with a 1-car garage and a nice sized yard.
They decided they wanted to pursue this property, so we drafted up a clean offer and were soon under contract!
This deal was extremely unique and served as a huge learning lesson for me because this particular property was owned by a real estate company that purchases homes in need of repair and quickly flips them before putting them back on market. I won't name names, but I'm certain that you, dear reader, have seen their signs around town and you may have even toured one of their listings. I was no stranger to this company, but I hadn't worked a deal with them yet.
I learned the hard way that this company simply doesn't operate at the highest level of service or industry standard.
Though it was easy to get under contract, we had a few hiccups throughout the process.
The first being that a different family unexpectedly moved into the property right after our initial inspection. The business model of the company selling this home allows anyone to access their properties without representation, which makes it very easy for rental scams to occur. In this case, a migrant family fell victim to an online scam, paid someone a security deposit and first month's rent, then moved in. Luckily, our inspector went back to the property two days after the inspection to retrieve his radon testing machine and we were able to quickly contact authorities to assist the renters in moving out. It was a heartbreaking scenario to watch unfold and we had to reinspect the home and have it deep cleaned by the company.
Then, we had to fight tooth and nail during the inspection period for items that are typically repaired by the seller. My clients loved this home, but it needed some work. The inspection report came back with high radon levels, a cracked sewer line, old galvanized piping, and a gas leak, among other items in need of addressing. Initially, the company was only willing to address the sewer, but we didn't give up.
In the end, we were able to max out our seller concessions amount to $25,800 and receive a check at closing for $1,810 to cover additional plumbing repairs - a serious win for my clients and a proud moment of negotiation flexing for me. Heather and Tyler were able to allocate these concessions towards an interest buy down and locked in their interest rate around 4% for the first year.
In addition to a successful inspection resolution, the home appraised $10,000 over our offer price, meaning Heather and Tyler walked into instant equity.
With these savings, they were able to get to work on necessary repairs immediately after closing. By the time they had their baby shower in August the home had a new sewer line, a radon mitigation system installed, the gas leak repaired, a brand new electric panel, and all of the galvanized piping beneath the home was updated. This was my very first time going to a baby shower at a home I've sold. I was so happy to see how beautiful they'd made it in their few short months of homeownership. Their style is superb and every room was touched by their sweet aesthetic.
I'm REALLY proud of Heather and Tyler for focusing on their home buying goal and making it happen. I'm also so grateful they trusted me to help them through this process.
This deal wouldn't have been possible without the following angels:
Maddy Westra of EFT Loans - Maddy is my go-to lender and she ALWAYS delivers supreme education and communication throughout the lending process.
The Kastberg Team at Pillar to Post - This team of top notch inspectors did a great job inspecting and re-inspecting this home!
Kyleigh Sutton, Transaction Coordinator - Kyleigh is an absolute angel who keeps all of my deals on track and running smoothly.
Congratulation Heather and Tyler and thank you again for allowing me to help you through this process. I hope you have many, many, many years of happy memories in this home.
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