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2007 > January

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Sunday, 28 January 2007

House shopping, episode 2 ::

The four days between the two structural engineers’ inspections on Fremont Way brought an odd state of limbo. Would the house turn out OK? If not, would I keep looking? Would I find anything I liked as much?

The second inspection was last Friday. Thursday, I was driving from the Bay Area to Anaheim for the NAMM show when Julie, my agent, called and told me about a gorgeous house that had just come on the market. In Anaheim, I hooked up my laptop and found the listing on the web.

Back from Anaheim, on Monday morning my agent and I went to see the house. I really liked the area, Los Trancos Woods in Portola Valley, just 15 minutes from Palo Alto. To get there one drives through a lot of open space and houses on large lots. It’s just a little way up a winding road into the foothills. Every house is different in the neighborhood. There are lots of oak trees around. The soaring ceilings, glass, and wood finish inside are spectacular. The only negatives were that it was a bit more than I’d planned to spend, and that space could get a little tight with a hypothetical future cohabitant, depending on how much space s/he needs.

Another buyer and her agent came through while we were there. Julie and I went to the selling agent’s office after seeing the house and learned that there was already an offer (4 days after the house went on the market), and that the seller would choose between the offers the next day, Tuesday.

A new state of limbo: how much to offer? If I didn’t get this house, would I see another like it or the first one?

Tuesday morning, still tossing it over in my mind, I drove to the house and just sat outside for about 20 minutes. Julie called and told me about the comparables: this one seemed “priced to sell.” After lunch I went over to sign the paperwork for the offer, considered the level of interest in the house and the comparables, took a deep breath, and gave her a number a good bit over the asking price—but still less than a close comparable that had sold in the fall.

A bit after 4 pm, I was in a division meeting at work, standing near the back. My phone buzzed. It was Julie. I bolted for the exit. She was very excited: “we got it!” Could I leave work immediately and sign the counter-offer? (There were just some minor details, like choice of an escrow company.) I arrived 30 seconds before she did. The selling agent was very nice and gave me a map of the trails in the area.

I should be moving in about 2 weeks!

<< House-shopping, episode 1

2007 > January

AKN2BNU >>

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