Blythe Lawrence over at The Seattle Times asked me to write a little something about “people who fall in love with a particular house or houses and eagerly wait (sometimes for years) for them to go on the market.”
Have you ever “stalked” a home? Blythe’s request reminded of a time when I lived and worked in the little town of Newtown Borough, Pennsylvania, which was laid out by William Penn in 1682.. The town was chock full of historic and unique homes of varying styles, shapes and sizes. It was not uncommon for people to schedule their daily walks past their favorite houses and dream of some day owning “The big yellow house” or “the Grand Home near the Buck Hotel”.
Fairly often people would come to me and say “if the yellow house ever goes up for sale, can you let me know?” The yellow house was just about everyone’s favorite. More often people would come to my office wondering if any of their favorite homes, of which there were many, might be coming up for sale. Being a rather bold person myself, I would say, “Well, why don’t we take a walk around town and you can point to all of the homes you like, and I’ll write down the addresses. Then we’ll just knock on the door and ask the people if they are thinking about moving. Or you can write them a letter complimenting their home and ask them to please let you know if they are ever thinking about selling. It always surprised me when they didn’t want to do that.
As Blythe pointed out in her email, more often people become “Real Estalkers” walking by the house almost every day. Dreaming that one of their favorites would one day have a “For Sale” sign out front and they would buy it. I thought it was pretty simple to just write them all and find out…but I realized that people didn’t want to know that NONE of their favorite houses would be coming on market. They didn’t want to shatter their dream that someday soon it would. They didn’t want to spoil their morning walks fantasizing about the possibility.
Do you have any stories for Blythe? Have you ever stalked a home hoping it would someday be for sale, and then eventually buy it? Seems to me Rhonda Porter may have stalked and found her dream home. Blythe is planning to write a little something on this on Thursday, so if you have any stories for her, please post them here in the comments.
Thank you.
I know exactly how those people feel. Though, my dream house is just something that I cannot afford. The only private island in the Portland Metro area is on Lake Oswego and it is a 5 acre island with a huge gorgeous house and guest house on it. I drool over the very idea that you could have a beatiful wild island with a boat house and shoreline all around you and within a quick 15 minute drive to downtown Portland. If I EVER had the chance to get that house, I would jump all over it before anyone else had the chance.
I have a stalker house, but I will never let you know which one it is because I have to drive or walk by it at least once a week and if it ever comes on the market, I will be delighted:) – Of course it looks like it could be straight out of Money Pit!!!! I don’t want any competition!
That raises a good point, Courtney. Wanting your dream home, period, and wanting it at a good price, don’t often go hand in hand. If someone does send a letter to the owner indicating their current and continued interest before it is for sale, they will likely get the property, but not at best possible price.
For unique property or unique locations, getting it and getting it at the best possible price? Getting any property at the best possible price normally = being willing to lose it to someone else.
We stalked a neighborhood on Capitol Hill for years and walked up and down the streets with the kids in a wagon and a box of pre-written letters to the owners of our favorite houses, having the kids run up the stairs to tuck the notes inside the screen doors of our favorite homes.
And it paid off. We found our dream home this way, an old 1914 Craftsman Tudor transitional, used as church offices for years before we bought and restored it.
I’m not sure I would do that for anyone else, but I do suggest it to buyers if they have their heart set on a particular house or neighborhood.
We stalked a neighborhood on Capitol Hill for years and walked up and down the streets with the kids in a wagon and a box of pre-written letters to the owners of our favorite houses, having the kids run up the stairs to tuck the notes inside the screen doors of our favorite homes.
And it paid off. We found our dream home this way, an old 1914 Craftsman Tudor transitional, used as church offices for years before we bought and restored it.
I’m not sure I would do that for anyone else, but I do suggest it to buyers if they have their heart set on a particular house or neighborhood.
Thanks Marlow! That’s a fabulous story!