ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA — Having an agent who listened and put our needs first made all the difference in our home buying story. It was a long road, but patience and a commitment to our values pulled us through.
After what we experienced, I would tell anyone to listen to their gut when it comes to finding good real estate representation. If that real estate agent isn’t putting humans over houses, look for someone who will.
In February 2023, we were living with my sister and searching for the right home within our price range. My husband, Richard, and I were looking for something better fit our family’s needs, where we could build a great life together.
In Southern California, the housing market was still really competitive. We had been watching houses and the market for several years, but our family felt that 2023 was the right time to find our home.
We started working with a real estate agent, but they were determined that every offer should be about $50,000 above the listing price.
Something in my gut just didn’t feel right about the situation. People were disregarding inspection reports, waiving all contingencies, and bidding far over asking price. We didn’t feel comfortable with any of those things. However, the agent seemed to think that this was just how things worked now.
After one month of looking, our family didn’t feel comfortable with the way this agent was representing us. We needed a real estate agent who would listen, offer creative solutions, and put our needs over making the sale.
That’s when a mutual friend connected us with Khoa Ha with NextHome Wealth Builders.
Khoa made the process easy. Even though finding the right home took a long time, it wasn’t stressful. He was very accommodating with his schedule and so flexible.
We knew that by choosing to be committed to our price range, and being picky about contingencies, our home search might take a little longer. Khoa must have helped us see more than 50 properties between March and May 2023. We must have looked at about three to five houses per week and I was constantly looking at online listings. In addition to the houses I found online, Khoa would send many properties my way that fit our needs.
While this might seem exhausting, we had a really good mindset throughout the process. I knew that until the papers were signed and the keys were in my hand, the house wasn’t mine. I never really got attached to a property. We understood that if the seller wasn’t interested in our offer, then the house likely wasn’t meant for us.
We continued to stick to our convictions, with Khoa patiently guiding us through the process. The amount of work he put in on our behalf was amazing. When all was said and done, he helped us make 13 offers.
With rejection after rejection, he never pushed us into compromising on our principles or what we wanted. That was the biggest difference between our former representation and Khoa – he was never a pushy salesman, but always an advocate who put us first.
As the months stretched on, I admittedly got a little tired. Through it all Khoa was optimistic, supportive, and helpful. I was about to give up, when Khoa found two homes. If these didn’t work out, our family felt it was time to take a break.
One of these houses was a four bedroom home in Anaheim. It had all the features I was looking for – a living room and a family room, vaulted ceilings, tons of natural light, exposed beams, and enough space for our whole family.
After only two days on the market, the sellers dropped the price on this perfect house by almost $40,000. We submitted an offer for $15,000 below, and the seller accepted it right away even before the first open house. Escrow was opened on Friday and two and a half weeks later, the house was ours!
Looking back on our experience, the advice I would offer others is to follow your gut feelings and find a real estate agent who puts your needs first. Buying a home is a huge investment and you need to watch out for yourself.
Stick within your budget and be willing to be patient. With the right help, you might just find the home that was meant for you.
