Buyers find their Palo Alto “dream castle”!

Ashley and Dan were newly engaged and were looking to buy a home that would accommodate their blended family with four elementary school age children.

Ashley was living on the east coast with her two kids, while Dan was living and working in the Bay Area. The hunt for their home began with Dan and with scouting out various neighborhoods in Palo Alto where they wanted to live. After several outings the search was narrowed down to specific neighborhoods.

Ashley traveled out for a weekend of house hunting. As we showed them homes and listened to their assessment of each, we learned that they loved newer or renovated homes, and they valued a great room as a place where the entire family could gather for meals and daily life.

That weekend as we completed showing them the homes for sale, it was clear that none met their requirements…..but wait a minute! Such a home existed, and it had been on the market the preceding year and had not sold! Would the owners considering selling now?

Through community connections we knew the owners so we telephoned and explained that we believed that their home was a perfect match for Ashley and Dan, and that Ashley was in town for just the weekend with the intent of buying a home. We asked if we could schedule a showing appointment and if they would be willing to sell their home. We agreed to meet in an hour.

During the hour we toured the neighborhood, past the schools and parks and shared information about the recent sales so that Ashley and Dan were informed about values. We also took the time to explain a bit about the home we would be showing them. Of course it had a great room and was just a few years old, two of their primary considerations! The finishes of the home were very high quality and ornate which we described as “castle-like”.

As we approached the home, Ashley commented that she really liked it – a positive first sign! We introduced the owners who proceeded to give the grand tour.

The owners who had built the home for themselves proudly pointed out every detail that went into the design, construction and appointments of the home, including the stone veneer on the powder room wall, the intricate wrought iron stair railing and the delicate, ornate crystal chandeliers, the “castle-like” features! It was clear that for Ashley and Dan, it was love at first sight!

As we left the home and discussed the next steps involved in purchasing, Ashley shared that as part of bringing their family together the kids had established a joint savings account to supplement the down payment, and they had named the account “The Castle Fund”.

While Ashley was telling the story, Dan pulled out his phone to show us a picture that one of their daughters had drawn:

So, by the end of one weekend, Ashley and Dan had found a home that met their needs – perceptive listening, market knowledge, and deep community connections led to its discovery. Moreover, four little children realized their “castle dreams”.

The castle picture is still on the bulletin board of our office today, and we smile as we recall the pleasure we had in helping this family find their Palo Alto “dream castle”!