Short version:
The Mewies are moving!
Long version:
Last Friday night, the twins’ godparents offered to babysit so the Mewies could continue their search for a bigger home. Little did we all know, this act of generosity sparked a chain of serendipitous events.
Mrs. Mewie and I decided to visit a gorgeous home recently added to Redfin.com. We instantly fell in love with its online pictures and had to see it in-person. It just so happened that the owner, “D”, was at the house too. His family had already moved out but he was there to quickly clean up since there was an open house earlier that day. For the brief time we shared together, we enjoyed the conversation and learned about his family’s history and their love for the neighborhood. Even before we said ‘goodbye’, Mrs. Mewie and I knew we were going to put an offer for D’s incredible home.
On Saturday evening, we submitted the offer.
On Sunday, my actual birthday, our prayers were answered… but not the way we anticipated. When Vickie, our real estate agent, called, she first said we were outbid by 2 other buyers, who were offering at least $5,000 more. My heart sank but I knew deep down this should not have been a surprise. This isn’t the first time this has happened – a few weeks ago, we were outbid on another home as the sellers received 50+ offers (ridiculous, huh?). As we were listening to Vickie on the phone, Mrs. Mewie and I were mentally preparing for bad news.
Vickie then shouted something unexpected. “The seller still accepted your offer!”
We were speechless. Vickie explained that our initial encounter with D last Friday was a crucial factor in the sellers’ decision making process. From what I heard, they were not necessarily looking for the most profitable sale, but because they love their neighbors, they wanted to sell their home to a family they think would fit with the rest of the community. I have to admit, as happy as I was to hear about the acceptance, I had serious doubts about how true that was.
On Monday, Vickie emailed to tell us that after reading this letter from the seller, she was absolutely certain this is the perfect home for our family. For security reasons, I edited out some names.
Needless to say, my doubts quickly vanished. How often do sellers write lengthy letters full of love and respect to buyers?
In the afternoon, I brought my parents and in-laws to check out the home with Vickie. Within minutes of exploring the home, everyone was beaming with smiles. My mom-in-law even said, “So, wanna trade houses?”
As we were leaving the house, we noticed a mini-van parked in the driveway next to my car. Weird. But then we saw D, and his wife, K, unloading lawn chairs from the vehicle. As their thoughtful letter mentioned, the neighborhood frequently hosts block parties – and of course, the community was celebrating Memorial Day! After introducing my family to the sellers, D said, “Have a beer and let me introduce you to everyone.” My initial thoughts: “What!? We haven’t even closed yet!” But D seemed sincere and thoughtful – I could not refuse.
After taking 5 steps from the driveway, about 8 neighbors came up to greet us. It was a surreal moment being circled by strangers and their children. Everyone welcomed us with warm smiles and strong handshakes. We ended up talking a good 10-15 minutes with our new friends. Throughout the conversations, I observed the folks enjoying their ice cold beers, engaging in fun chats with other neighbors and smiling as they watched their kids playing in the community’s private cul du sac. I learned that D’s kids are best friends with one of the neighbor’s kids. I also learned all of these kids learned to ride a bicycle on this special spot. It was touching to see and feel the love everyone has for each other.
I’ll always remember when one of the neighbors made eye contact with Maya, who was patiently sitting in her car seat. Smiling to my daughter, she said, “You will be so happy here.”
I believe her.