When the Right Price and the Right Buyer Meet

Halleluiah! 8203 Stevenson Road is under contract! This is the "perfect house" that took me years to find for the special needs of one of my favorite families, only to have them decide they wanted a two-story home in a very kid friendly neighborhood.

In our business, we are all too familiar with the frustration of young families struggling to own a home where their children can be happy, safe, and go to good schools. Think what it must have been like for a young couple with a child who had a disabling genetic disease that requires special accessibility. Then realize that the disease, Mucolipidosis type IV (ML4), is both rare and untreatable. Merely coping with daily life is an immense challenge for such a family. Finding a home that met all their special needs seemed nearly impossible.

Then one afternoon I took a listing in Baltimore County that I knew at once was perfect for them. The home had everything they wanted in a ranch house, plus it had a lower level garage. The only thing we had to do was put in a second driveway to the side of the house where there were sliding doors that we replaced with French doors. This gave single level access and that was it – perfection.

After a couple of years, as the children grew, the young family opted for a neighborhood with more children, so the "perfect" house went on the market again. It's been months, and we've had plenty of lookers but no buyers, even with price reductions and Accelerated Marketing. Susan and Paul asked again, "What do you think is the reason our home has not sold?" I know that the majority of you would say, "The only reason a house does not sell is PRICE." And yes, the price is very important. However in this case, the RIGHT buyer had not seen it.

So many people who saw the house wanted cathedral ceilings, wanted the modern Jacuzzi tub. This home is solid stone built in the 1950's on a beautiful lot fenced with patio and two driveways for easy access from both levels. But this is not a home that lends itself to soaring ceilings.

Now, a retired couple has found this to be a perfect home, a perfect location, and a comfortable price. They were amazed at the condition and how right it was for them. The buyer's agent is Linda Odum and her daughter Courtney Odum-Duncan. Many years ago I had a transaction with Linda, a top notch Realtor® with ReMax. I remember it well, a log cabin home in the woods, again a home that needed a very special buyer. It was the first log home that I ever listed and thought it would be impossible to sell; boy, was I wrong! I had more calls on that property than any other.

When Linda brought a young family to look at the property, I noticed that the kids were having such a good time with the owner's dog. Knowing that my seller was moving out of the country, I asked about his pet. He was concerned; the puppy had never known another home, and to transport him would not be easy. I suggested writing the dog into the contract! It was the first time that a dog was a part of one of my transactions, but that is what helped make it work. What did we have? Happy seller, very happy buyers, one very happy puppy, and two agents who worked together to make it all happen,

I am again looking forward to a smooth settlement with Linda and Courtney. The contract came in Friday and we had a signed contract in less than 24 hours. When the right price and the right buyer combine, what fun it is when everyone is working to get the deal done.