Finding Home in Monte Sereno

I must tell you about my clients and 18782 Withey Road in Monte Sereno.

The story begins in winter 2019. My client contacted me while she was working at Splunk, said she and her partner were considering buying a home in the Bay Area. We met for the first time at a Starbucks in Santana Row and I summarized the state of the market. We kept in touch.

They started looking more actively in the beginning of 2021. Their target was narrow, as they’d adjusted their needs to fit school and other preferences (a peaceful place in the hills, but not too far in the hills).

We focused on Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno. There often isn’t much available in these areas: the search went slowly. But they were in no rush – we remained patient, awaiting the right home.

A year passed. In some months we were lucky if one home meeting their criteria became available. Then, a beautiful property came on the market. It was listed far above budget, so we wondered whether it’d even be worth touring. I called the listing agent to inquire about the seller’s flexibility on price. I determined it would be worth visiting and that there was flexibility.

She and her partner loved it but we went back several times to ensure it was the right home for them. The question then was whether to make an offer and at what price.

I pulled up a list of houses I’d recently sold in the area, compared their prices to the price of the target house. We made an aggressive offer, as there wasn’t much competition for the home.

And the offer was accepted – several hundred-thousand below listing price, though the house had been on the market only a few weeks!

This is just the beginning of the journey, as anyone who has bought a home knows. Next comes the lending process.

Because it had been so long since she and her partner were pre-approved, their loan conditions had changed; this posed an issue when we went to contract. The issue arose two weeks in, as the sale was progressing through underwriting.

Red lights were flashing – would they be able to keep the house for which they’d successfully bid? I immediately called seven lenders that same evening – from wealth management companies to mortgage brokers – in an attempt to save the deal.

The lenders came back with multiple good options, and the clients decided on one that best suited their needs. A lot happened “in the sausage factory” on this transaction, but we absorbed the bumps well and minimized any negativity in the clients’ experience – anything we could do ourselves that a client wouldn’t want to hear or didn’t need to deal with, we took care of it. Fast-forward a few weeks, and our clients were moving into their new, peaceful home in Monte Sereno!

This situation illustrates why it is SO valuable to hire an experienced Realtor instead of settling for a faceless app to shepherd your transaction!

Congratulations to my clients! While the journey took several years, friendships last forever. I am blessed to work with the most incredible people. Looking forward to staying in touch!

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