I recently helped a client close on a lovely, 97-year-old home in Antioch. The 3-bed, 1-bath house at 315 W. 7th St. has original built-ins, original flooring, and a huge basement. There is some deferred maintenance and yard clean-up to do, but with time and money, my client plans to restore the home to its original grandeur.
My client was working with a tight budget and homes of a similar style with more modern updates were selling in the $575,000 range (the war in Ukraine, higher rates, and inflation have all shifted the market!). This home was originally listed at $499,000 but had no offers after 25 days on the market, when the price was lowered to $459,000.
About a week after that price reduction, my client saw the home and we called the listing agent to see if there was any interest. He said they had an offer, but it was low. We came back with a higher offer of $465,000. After the seller did a multiple counter to us and the other offer, we bumped up to $470,000 and won the house!
When they did inspections, we also got a $6,500 credit. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping somebody get into a home – especially one they did not think they could afford!
… and how cool is the rotary phone that when you got to chatting you could pull down a lever and sit to talk. It reminds me of old movies where the wife was chatting for hours with a neighbor.
