Serendipity: noun ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē Definition: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Example: They found each other by pure serendipity.
The First House
Johnine was listing a house in West Seattle. It was a small house—two bedrooms, one bathroom. A Cape Cod on a quiet street. The owner lived in Wisconsin, and after eight years of renting his house, he wanted to sell. The couple currently living there, two friendly people in their mid-fifties, needed to find a new house to rent. They wanted to stay in Seattle, and ideally in West Seattle, but they had not begun their search, and they had rented to so long that they did not even know where to begin.
The Second House
Johnine manages an investment property. It, too, is in West Seattle. It’s a remodeled house, and Johnine keeps it good condition. And because it is an investment house, the owners want to find long-term renters—people they can trust to live in their home for an extended time and keep it in good condition. But the old renters needed to relocate, and they moved out in late July, so Johnine began the slow search for new tenants who fit the owner’s criteria.
The Serendipity
Johnine asked to the tour the first house before she agreed to list it. The current renters (the couple in their mid-fifties) did not mind if she visited, and in fact, they even volunteered as tour guides. They were open and friendly, and they happily showed Johnine all the house’s features and quirks. Very helpful, very caring people.
During the tour, Johnine heard about their forced moving situation. They did not want to leave their house, or their neighborhood, but they had no choice. They needed to find a new place to live—and soon.
“I manage a house in West Seattle,” Johnine said, “and I’m actually looking for new renters.”
The couple was hesitant. They did not want to rent for a year and move again—they wanted to find a place where they could stay for quite a while. In short: perfect candidates for Johnine’s management property. And, even better, the two houses were only half a block apart. At the end of the tour, Johnine led the couple down the street and they traded roles; this time, Johnine played tour guide.
The couple fell in love. Not only was Johnine’s management property in their same neighborhood—even on their same street!—it was a step up from their old rental. Well-maintained and recently remodeled.
“Even if we had the option of staying in our old place,” they said, “we’d want to move here. Let’s do this.”
The couple might just have West Seattle’s easiest move ahead of them. Just carry things out the front door and down half a block—no moving truck necessary.
“It’s serendipity,” Johnine said. “For everything to work out that like? It’s just serendipity.”
For information about West Seattle house Johnine agreed to list: check out our website.
