Celine and Zach’s home search was not a straight line.
And honestly? The best ones never are!
They came into this process with something really powerful: vision. With renovation backgrounds and the ability to take on a project, they weren’t afraid of work. They just needed the right kind of work.
The Victorian That Wasn’t Meant to Be
We first fell in love with a stunning 1800s Victorian in Whittier. Brick exterior. Character for days. The kind of house that makes you romantic about old homes!
Then we got to inspection.
And when I say “old house things,” I don’t mean charming quirks. I mean beams being held up by what looked like a single 2x4. A structural crack running from crawl space to ceiling. The kind of findings that shift you from “renovation project!” to “structural risk…”
We tried to make it make sense. We ran the numbers. We talked through it.
Ultimately, it felt too heavy.
So we terminated.
And they were sad. I could feel it. When you picture your life somewhere and then walk away, it stings. But walking away from the wrong house is often the most powerful move you can make!
We took a breath. Reset. And got back out there.
Enter: “The Christmas House” (aka Old Lady Edna’s House)
Then it popped up!
Wallpaper. Original cabinetry. Dated everything. It had that “you can see it if you squint” energy.
We were some of the first through the door. And immediately we knew: this wasn’t a flip. This wasn’t an investor special.
This was a home that had been loved.
The original owners had passed, and their children were handling the estate sale. Celine and Zach would only be the second owners. There was weight to that. History. Sentiment.
And it mattered that my clients weren’t investors. They weren’t here to gut it and list it six months later. They were building a life.
So when we wrote our offer, we led with strength and strategy — and we led with heart.
We came in strong.
We wrote personal notes.
We made it clear who they were.
We secured it under list price with concessions!
Huge!!!
Then Inspection Hit
Inspection was… a lot.
Roof. Sewer line. HVAC. Electrical. Plumbing. The “big four” plus more.
We submitted a thorough, detailed inspection objection because this house needed real work — and every dollar mattered for their renovation plans.
The first response back from the seller?
Not good.
It was the kind of response that makes you look at each other and quietly start preparing to terminate.
But instead of escalating or posturing, the listing agent and I did what good agents do: we worked through it.
Back and forth.
Revisions.
Numbers.
Contract language.
Insurance conversations.
And slowly, it came together!
What We Secured
Celine and Zach ended up getting approximately 99% of what we asked for, including:
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A new roof through insurance
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Sewer line cleaned, repaired, and dual sweep-outs installed
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Electrical panel upgraded + bad wiring and GFCIs replaced
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Leaking waste pipeline repaired
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Chimney cleaned
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HVAC cleaned and serviced
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Radon credit
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Credit to replace outdated water taps
On a house that needed this much work, this resolution was everything!
It protected their budget.
It made the renovation numbers make sense.
It gave them a solid foundation to build from.
And they closed — happily!!!
The Part No One Talks About
Here’s the thing about buyer transactions like this.
They are intense.
We go from first showings to contract to potential termination to inspection negotiations and late-night texts about structural cracks. It’s emotional. It’s strategic. It’s vulnerable.
And at the end of it, these clients become your people.
I genuinely miss our house tours. The texts. The “okay, what do we think?!” moments.
But I also cannot wait to watch this renovation unfold. I’m literally saving Pinterest pins for them at this point. That’s where we’re at!
Celine and Zach — thank you for trusting me through the hard pivot, the almost-walk-away, and the negotiation marathon.
You didn’t just buy a house.
You bought the right house.
And that is always worth the fight! 💛
