After bouncing from the East Coast to the Midwest, a job provide pulled Kevin McGregor and Monika Johnson farther west, to Oakland.
The 2 met of their early 20s by way of a gaggle of associates organizing bike rides round Washington, D.C., the place they have been residing after school commencement. The couple later headed to Michigan, the place Johnson attended enterprise faculty. After she graduated in 2019, a job in California beckoned.
Now 36, each have careers in quintessential Bay Space industries — Johnson works in finance for a wine firm, whereas McGregor works in account administration within the clear power sector.
In time, the couple established a tight-knit neighborhood in Oakland’s Glenview neighborhood, simply north of Freeway 580 and southeast of Piedmont, frequently assembly up with associates for “wine Wednesdays.”
4 years into renting a two-bedroom, one-bathroom duplex, they felt it was time to purchase.
“We wanted to put down some roots,” Johnson stated. Staying near associates was a excessive precedence.
“Our community there, the Glenview crew, was something we didn’t want to lose,” McGregor stated. “Neighborhood feel was super important to us.”
Past that, in addition they needed to be close to trails, and have a giant yard for his or her 75-pound mixed-breed canine, Luca.
“One of the things we’ve enjoyed about Oakland is that you have access to the city and great food and culture, and you’re also a 10-minute drive to fantastic hiking trails,” Johnson stated. “It feels like we’re getting the best of both worlds.”
With a finances of $1.1 million, they have been on the lookout for a house to which they may add worth.
“We wanted an opportunity to bring something with good bones more up to date,” Johnson stated. “Lots of homes in Oakland are either recently flipped or need a lot of work. We considered taking on a bigger project, but ultimately we wanted to still live in it while we did renovations.”
On condition that they have been trying within the Oakland Hills, they have been involved about insurability, too. They enlisted the assistance of Cheyenne Ward, a Berkeley-based dealer with District Properties, who used the time period “Oakland trifecta” to explain what they have been on the lookout for — one thing that wasn’t at excessive danger of landslide or liquefaction, or on a fault line. He additionally helped them line up insurance coverage and financing earlier than they even made a proposal.
Right here have been the choices they thought-about:
A multi-level residence with a terraced yard
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This five-bedroom, two-bath residence, inbuilt 1947, had been owned by the identical household for the final 70 years. It had 2,228 sq. ft, unique wooden paneling, massive home windows and a hearth. However the kitchens and loos have been locked in a Nineteen Eighties time capsule.
The yard, terraced and dotted with fruit timber and patios, was the spotlight. It was listed at $998,000.
An outdated kitchen, however with forest and bay views
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This three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,785-square-foot home was inbuilt 1942 in Lincoln Highlands, a residential neighborhood simply south of Joaquin Miller Park. The open residing and eating room featured curved partitions, an uncovered beam ceiling and refinished hardwood flooring. The kitchen and loos nonetheless retained most of their Forties options.
A number of rooms featured sweeping views, stretching from the Alameda Naval Base to Mount Tamalpais. The house featured decks on the highest and backside flooring, searching right into a woodsy yard. It was listed at $998,000.
A historic Tudor charmer simply down the hill
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A bit farther down the hill, this 1931 Tudor-inspired residence included three bedrooms and two baths, measuring 1,884 sq. ft — all simply steps away from Dimond Park. The lounge featured a hearth body with a gas-insert heater, and the kitchen had not too long ago been repainted and up to date with new quartz counter tops. The yard was smaller than others they toured, with a small patio, pebble pathways and a shed for additional storage. It was listed at $849,000.
Which one did they go along with?
McGregor and Johnson put in a proposal of $1.1 million on the multi-level residence with the terraced yard, however have been outbid. Wanting again, they’re glad they didn’t find yourself with a five-bedroom residence. “Less to clean,” Johnson joked.
After touring the Tudor, they found it wanted extra work than they needed to do — however the itemizing agent, Deidre Joyner, pointed them to her different itemizing up the road — the one with a woodsy yard.
Initially, Johnson and McGregor thought the house could be out of their value vary, however they observed that it hadn’t gone into “pending” standing even after the unique provide deadline Joyner set. They shortly arrange a tour and liked the inside particulars, just like the well-maintained flooring and curved partitions.
“It felt like a place where we could kind of carry on the legacy of folks who had taken good care of it before,” McGregor stated.
Ward, understanding that houses are usually priced low to get a number of gives, suggested the couple to submit a proposal over asking. After getting an estimate on how a lot work could be required to convey the home into good condition, Ward additionally suggested them to make their provide noncontingent on financing or insurance coverage, each of which they’d already squared away.
Two days after their tour, whereas driving as much as Lake Tahoe for a ski weekend with associates, McGregor and Johnson submitted a proposal of $1.1 million. The following day, they have been on the chairlift after they acquired a name from Ward. They’d received the home.
It turned out that their provide had are available $50,000 decrease than one other on the desk, however the competing provide was contingent upon inspections and securing an insurance coverage coverage. That made the sellers nervous.
“We had already done all of that,” Ward stated. “We got a discount just from doing our homework in advance.”
In addition they say they benefited from timing — President Donald Trump’s commerce wars this spring gave various consumers pause. Which will have given these nonetheless in the marketplace, like McGregor and Johnson, an edge.
“We were willing to stomach a bit of uncertainty,” McGregor stated. They are saying they’re glad they didn’t transcend their preliminary finances, regardless of listening to from mortgage officers who instructed them they may simply refinance if charges go down. The couple didn’t wish to take any probabilities on that entrance.
“We made a decision we knew we could live with for a long time,” Johnson stated.
McGregor and Johnson moved into their new residence this spring and have already welcomed associates for dinner, neighborhood walks and canine playdates.
The primary residence venture? Buildiing a fence, so Luca can run free within the yard. The kitchen renovation will wait, for now.
Extra chapters in our residence search sequence:
• First-time East Bay residence consumers with a $750,000 finances and no agent
• Searching for good faculties, nature and ‘a sense of privateness’ on the Peninsula for $3.5 million
• Downsizing retiree needs a $1.2 million residence close to San Jose
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