From Clients to Friends: Closing a Chapter in Lakewood

Chelsea Steen
8 hours ago
3 min read

One of my favorite things about real estate is that some client relationships grow into genuine friendships over time, and that's exactly what happened with Lindsey and Michael.

About five years ago, Lindsey and Michael found me through Google when they were preparing to sell their home in Sloan's Lake. Like many savvy sellers, they did their homework. They interviewed roughly eight different agents before ultimately deciding to work with me. Their trust paid off almost immediately. During the first weekend on the market, we received a cash offer that came in $100,000 over the list price. It was an incredible outcome, and together we successfully closed that chapter of their real estate journey.

Not long after, Lindsey and Michael reached out again, this time with a new goal. They were interested in purchasing an investment property that would help them build long-term wealth. After exploring several opportunities, we found an amazing duplex in Lakewood that checked all the boxes and aligned perfectly with their investment strategy. It was exactly the type of property they had hoped to add to their portfolio and they went ahead and purchased it!

As life often does, things changed over the next few years. Children entered the picture, careers evolved, responsibilities grew, and the realities of owning an investment property became a little less appealing. While the duplex had served its purpose well, Lindsey and Michael decided it was time to simplify and focus their energy on this next stage of life.

Together, we developed a strategy to prepare the property for the market and position it for success. Once everything was ready, we launched the listing and immediately saw strong interest from buyers. During the first weekend on the market, we secured multiple offers and quickly went under contract.

Unfortunately, the transaction took an unexpected turn when the first buyer terminated the contract before even completing their inspection. For sellers and listing agents alike, this can be one of the most frustrating situations imaginable. When a buyer walks away so early in the process, it can create an unfair perception that something may be wrong with the property, even when the home is in excellent condition.

Rather than letting the setback define the outcome, we got right back to work. After returning to the market, we once again generated strong interest and secured a full-price offer. During the inspection period, the buyers submitted a lengthy list of requested repairs. Through careful negotiation, we were able to narrow those requests down to just one essential item, helping protect Lindsey and Michael's bottom line while still keeping the transaction moving forward.

From there, everything came together smoothly. The appraisal was completed, financing was finalized, and before long we were sitting at the closing table celebrating another successful sale.

Congratulations, Lindsey and Michael, on closing this chapter of your lives. Victoria and I have been so honored to get to know both of you over the past several years. Watching your family grow, Victoria photographing your wedding, helping you navigate multiple real estate decisions, and becoming genuine friends along the way has been one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. We are incredibly grateful for your trust and support over the years and cannot wait to see what comes next for your family. Here's to the next adventure, and hopefully another real estate transaction together somewhere down the road!

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