Longmont Real Estate Sold !
It was almost exactly a year ago I met Nathin and Anna. They were referred by another client. From the first meeting I would sum them up as an organized couple… Diligently saving for their first house and already pre-qualified with a lender. They had a goal and a plan. If I had met them before this point, I would be guiding them down the very same track they were on! An awesome way to begin their Longmont real estate search.
We started out discussing the type of property they were interested in. They had two two dogs and preferred a yard. At least a townhome with a fenced, first floor patio would be required, but really a house would be better, with room to grow and play. Nathin worked in Boulder and Anna in Longmont.
As you might know, the last 18 months has been very competitive for buyers and Longmont Real Estate was no exception. A buyer looking to buy a home for under $200,000 is competing with both other first time home buyers and with investors – who come with more cash. As each new appropriate Longmont property hit the market we dived on it.
Lets look at the Longmont real estate statistics for the price range up to $200,000:
In just the last month, about 19 houses under $200,000 hit the market in Longmont. Given that it takes 4-5 weeks before closing can occur, we dont expect any of these new listings to have closed already (and none have) but what about getting an acceptable offer? Yes, it’s good to be a seller when you only have to be in the top 11 of the 19, in order to secure an acceptable contract to buy in less than a month!
Average Days on Market = 15
(Normally I might put together price/square foot chart here too, but given the diverse condition, location, lot size and ownership history, that information would have been fairly useless to you.)
My clients were comfortable a bit lower than $200,000 and they had favorite areas for Longmont real estate, so no, we didn’t look at all the homes that make up the data for Chart #1. But we looked at many of them.
OMG, there were days when I felt a shower was required, after visiting some of the foreclosures and short sales that came up! From pet stains and smells to deferred maintenance and down right house-abuse, they took it all in stride. Every home we visited, they looked through the “down side” and found the silver lining. They envisioned the work they could do to build equity and make it the Longmont real estate they dreamed of owning.
We put in about 8 offers during this time. Never once were we the only offer. Actually that is a complete understatement! Hahaha. We competed with investors and those qualified in much higher price ranges and were often one of 6-12 offers on the table… Even when the bank/owner was giving first priority to owner occupant buyers!
A few months in to the search, Anna and Nathin shared some exciting news with me. Anna was pregnant. Hmm… “No pressure Dallice, but you’re now working by under a different time constraint”, I thought to myself. I knew that by August they would be expecting a baby, cooking in the summer heat, growing out of their condo in a big way and likely feeling like house shopping was not their first priority anymore.
We kept looking…
Then Nathin got a new job in Denver and things began to change a little. The market was still competitive, but the Longmont neighborhoods we were focusing on now, were further east, closer to Anna’s family and an easier commute for Nathin. Neighborhoods such as Idaho Creek (Weld County) are newer, still in the right price range (which had gone up a bit, as they saved more down payment each month!) and are big enough to regularly offer up listings that fitted us nicely.
I took Anna to a cute home on Durango Place in July. Nathin was working, it was a hot day and Anna, very pregnant but still full of energy, told me it was “the one” pretty much immediately. We submitted the offer, knowing there were already a few on the table. I wrote a cover letter that introduced Anna and Nathin to the seller. It went along the lines of “We may not be the most qualified buyers but we assure you that…” (Sorry, this is the advantage I give my clients and I can’t share the contents of the letter). The listing agent confirmed that she had received 6 offers on Durango and would get back to me.
A short time later, we had the counter proposal in hand. Nope… the purchase price was not to be changed, just a couple of details and dates. 🙂
We were under contract and it was time to take Nathin to see the Longmont real estate he was buying! Not surprisingly, he loved it.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, the house passed inspection with flying colors and I asked Anna her due date. August 17th?… Yikes! That’s just days before closing!!! When I tell you this couple is easy to work with and nothing ever gets to them, I’m not kidding. They were preparing to welcome their first child into the world and buy their first house in one busy week and still didn’t seem overwhelmed.
Lickety-split I had a power of attorney drawn up by Fidelity National Title Company in Longmont! That week, Anna went in and gave Nathin the authorization to sign closing documents on her behalf – you know… Just in case.
I called to check in on Anna the week before closing. “Need anything”, I said? “No”, she replied. “All good. But ready… really ready for this baby now”.
A day or so later I called Nathin to confirm his time and date for signing closing papers. I asked about Anna and he replied “She’s good. She just gave birth.” And just like that, I had three clients! With the same degree of calmness and collectedness they had shown me all year, they began one of the biggest weeks of their lives.
They closed without drama on Durango last week and moved in over the weekend. Their two dogs and tiny baby girl now happily with them, in their new home with… And I could not be happier for them.
Sometimes people ask me what I like most about my job. Yeah, the working from home and being my own boss is good, but its the people that make it spectacular. I got to meet two new babies last week and I watched a really deserving and hard working young couple get the house of their dreams and start a new chapter of their lives. They allowed me to be a part of these huge events and trusted me to guide them through the home buying part. It’s an honor and I don’t know what I did to get so lucky! 🙂