Nest House Hunt follows first-time home buyers on the search for their dream
homes.
In the summer, we introduced you to House Hunter James Q. of Burlington. A
28-year-old health care IT consultant, James is hunting for a duplex — ideally, he
says, in Burlington, South Burlington or Winooski.
In the year that he’s been working with Julie Gaboriault of Coldwell Banker
Hickok & Boardman Realty, James has put in two offers — but neither has
panned out. Timing everything just right is tricky, he says: One place he really
loved accepted another offer just two hours before he submitted his — for
$15,000 more. “That was a bummer,” says James.
So as he struggles to find the right place, his search has slowed down a bit. “In
my price range, there’s a couple diamonds in the rough, but there’s also a lot of
junk,” he says. He described one Winooski duplex he toured as “three heroin
needles away from being condemned.”
“It’s tough because Burlington’s rental market is so competitive,” he continues.
At this point, he’s focused on putting a little more money in the bank so that the
next time he’s ready to make an offer, it can be more competitive, too. While
broadening his search area could give him more options, James isn’t willing to
sacrifice what’s important to him. “I’m gonna stay in Chittenden County,” he says.
“I travel a lot for work; being close to the airport is huge for me.”
Making the search easier for James is Coldwell Banker’s property-listing cart. It
sends him listings relevant to his desired location and price range. “Based upon
what’s on the market, it drops into my ‘cart,’” he explains. “I get an email daily
about what’s available.”
Gaboriault and James remain optimistic that he’ll find what he’s looking for in
due time. “I’m not in a rush,” he says. “I’m just looking for the right opportunity.
It’s gotta be the right thing and the right moment.”
You know what they say: Good things come to those who wait.
When James has found his home, we’ll be giving him a housewarming
present: three hours of complimentary organization or interior design services
from Jana Muratori-Asaro of Interior Rejuvenation in Burlington.
Follow along!
We’ll keep you posted on our House Hunters’ progress on our website at
sevendaysvt.com and in our biweekly e-newsletter, Nest Notes. (And if you
haven’t signed up for Nest Notes yet, you can do so here.
It will arrive in your inbox every other Friday with tips on home, design and real
estate.)
Would you like to be the next Nest House Hunter?
If you’re a prospective home buyer, let us share your progress, learn from your
experience and, ultimately, help you celebrate with a gift to “warm” that new
house. All you’ll have to do is keep a few notes, check in with us once a week
and send photos!
Who’s in? Contact us at nest@sevendaysvt.com.
This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2015.
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