Buying a Home Sight Unseen

Some of you might recall my piece in the Patch about My First 30 Days in Marblehead.  Well, I remain transfixed, as I look out over the harbor on a quiet clear Saturday, watching the frost biting out of the Eastern. It occurred to me that maybe my followers would like to hear how I came to set ashore here.

While I grew up on the East Coast, I left for California shortly after college in upstate New York, to the chagrin of my parents. Truly, it was an experiment, and I assured them I would return after two years. That turned into about 35 years, peppered with many suggestions that I return to the proximity of family. Finally, after continued urgings, came the email “if you don’t get back soon, we will be dead”. 

Graphically, that was well put. Right to the point.

I am partial to views, especially water views. But looking out at the ocean just struck me as boring:  Beach, Ocean, Sky. Yes, pretty, but a tad monotone. I knew from my time in Tiburon, a view of a busy active harbor would be far more exciting.  So in thinking about the Northeast, Portland came to mind, Boston, New port, Portsmouth.

On a visit back to Boston, I happened on Marblehead for a day,  Definitely in the same class. We got a tour by a local realtor whom I will call Chuck, as that was his name. We saw a lot of places on the harbor. The next day, at the BYC, I saw a condo with a larger deck right on the harbor. We walked over, and I snapped a shot of one unit with a large deck and a commanding view, with a large American flag.

 I snapped a shot and sent it to Chuck: “if this unit with the American flag ever comes on the market, call me”.

 Then back home to California. No call came, not that I was surprised by that. What were the odds the unit would ever come onto the market? And that the realtor would remember some guy from California?

 Then a year later, Chuck called. “Your unit is on the market, and I am the listing broker. Since you asked first, I am calling you first”. Wow, ethics in real estate? (Later, after living in town, I realize this was more to do with the gentility of the people of Marblehead).

 “Chuck, thanks for the call, but I cannot breakaway to get back” However, I will have a couple of friends stop by.

 Which they did, and came back with lukewarm reviews. Surprising, since the unit had a vast deck (but shared with the neighbor) and wonderful views (but only from the deck).

Undeterred, we put in an offer. After some uninspired negotiations over the next week, we made a very surprising discovery.

We were bidding on the wrong unit!

The one we wanted was on the floor below.  Can you imagine? Chuck picks us up at the airport, bottle of champagne in one and, the keys inn the other. We drive over and as we walk up the stairs… “Hey Chuck, it’s this one!”…”No, no, you bought this one here!” Lesson: Be careful when buying over the Internet, especially when there is not return policy.

We pulled out, and returned our focus on straightening out an airline fiasco wherein United and Singapore airlines could not agree on our departure date. A bit unnerving when two airlines tell you to report to the airport on two different dates!

A week before departure, Chuck calls: “I have another condo for you. Fabulous harbor view, better complex, more money, but move in condition. Come back and see it”.  “Chuck, not now, but our friends will stop by again”

The reports?  “Now you are talking”. The offer goes in.

The only issue now is that it is Saturday, and United says we are leaving tomorrow morning, but Singapore Airlines says Thursday.  By persevering the phone trees, I got both airlines on the phone, and I merge the calls, so all three of us are working on the computer mix-up. But to no avail. Thirty minutes into it, both reps are yelling at each other, when Chuck calls – “We are still a ways apart”. Now, with a phone in each ear, on a beautiful morning in the Bay Area, I am working the airline and realty industries. Fortunately, I am on hold, on both calls, frequently, giving me time to pack. “Chuck, just tell them, we are leaving for Bali, so we do the deal today, or we are gone.” We ended up having a good productive negotiation, albeit compressed into a few hours.

So sight unseen, we have a new home in a new town. A sixteen day drive across the country, top down the whole way, we arrive in Marblehead July 28^th, to a great water view, in a beautifully rich sea town with a wonderful community.

Sight unseen, but a sight worth seeing once we arrived.