I met Rebecca, Irroro, Jite, and Odette back in 2014 when they were looking for a rental home to make the big move from San Francisco to Seattle. After a few years of renting in Phinney Ridge I got the call that it was time to find their forever home. I was so excited! When we started it was hard to tell that theirs would be a long journey but in the end, they made a very savvy home buying choice. Our home-buying adventure took nearly one year and we lost some bids that felt quite hard along the way.

From Roller Coaster Ride to Happy Homeowners

It can be crushing to make a bid on a home and lose. You’ve already started to mentally move in with your belongings, occupy it with new memories. But then someone outbids you by just a little, or the sellers decide they like someone just a little bit more. Buyers with limited financing face the worst of it, especially in competitive markets where large down payments and waived contingencies are the norm.

It takes patience, and a good real estate agent who knows that part of the job is providing emotional support, not just writing up deals. Over their year of searching, making offers, and getting outbid, Diva Dwellers Rebecca and Iroro were resolute. We worked through the setbacks and eventually they WON! It was so rewarding for the whole team to see it come together.

But back to the house: It was NOT love at first sight when Rebecca, Iroro and Roy walked through. Namely, the paint was really garish. The walls looked like dripping mac & cheese. But the couple had started to train their eyes to look past such details.

They had been toughened by the market, and they thought hard about their priorities regarding size, condition, and location.

They realized that for them location was less of a priority as long as the street was lined with trees. The layout, with space for the whole family and the view was really hard to pass up. Queen Anne was not on their original short list, but after realizing what was most important in regards to a house and neighborhood they were excited to see a home outside of their focused view.

It was a real gem, after all, but it seems that other buyers had a hard time looking past the paint, too. Rebecca and Iroro were the sole offer on the house, and I was even able to negotiate to have some of their closing costs covered by the seller! After painting and a few other handyman fixes the home was move-in ready. Now, after a few years of living, the home is the perfect space for the whole family.

Not long after their house buying victory, I was introduced to Rebecca’s mom Kathy who also ended up buying a condo in North Seattle. The Orife’s have been very good friends ever since I met them. I am so excited they get to tell you about their home search.

Hear more about Rebecca and Iroro’s odyssey in their video.