My First Time Home Buyer Experience during a Pandemic in Portland Oregon
Written by Vanessa Ng
The year is 2020. It's October, and I'm peering out the window of my new make-shift home office on a crisp Fall morning. My view is one with a tall row of maple trees, having recently purchased my first house back in June. I never imagined I would be a homeowner. But then again, this has been a year full of unexpected surprises.
Vanessa Ng of @foodbellypdx, hanging inside the kitchen of her new home! Photos by: Emily Triggs
Being born and raised in Vancouver BC, Canada where the real estate market is notoriously expensive, the prospect of purchasing a home seemed like a far-fetched goal--one meant for "later on" in my life--since I never had a reason for needing more living space. My partner Matt and I were renting in a 700-square-foot apartment in the Pearl District for several years, and saw no need to change our living situation until March 2020 hit.
That second week of March was the tipping point for a plethora of personal and professional changes in our lives and the world. With stay-at-home and work-from home mandates for the foreseeable future, Matt and I decided to fill the additional time spent in the apartment by adopting a 8 week-old puppy! We welcomed Penny, our energetic little red Goldendoodle, who stole our hearts at first glance.
However, it wasn't long before we realized how unsustainable it would be to keep going up and down multiple flights of stairs every time Penny needed to go outside. I started to browse homes for sale via apps like Zillow and Redfin on my phone. I got a lot of unsolicited calls from pushy real estate agents but figured that was just part of the process. It's funny, because oftentimes the idea of being a first-time homebuyer is romanticized, but for me, it certainly felt more stressful than anticipated. With the backdrop of a pandemic, I didn't have the luxury of touring houses for fun. COVID-19 safety protocols meant virtual tours or limited in-person viewing hours, with no more than 2 people inside at a time, physical area restrictions, masks/booties/gloves on, etc.
Sisters, reunited! Vicki and Vanessa are now living in the same neighborhood, making it easier to adventure and explore the Portland area together!
Upon one particular house-tour, I met Natalie - a Client Advisor from a real estate company called Flyhomes. We hit it off right away, and she changed the house-hunting game with her personalized service, which made the whole buying process much less stressful than it could've been. If you're not familiar, Flyhomes is a start-up company that offers a fresh humanistic approach to buying and selling a house. With presence in competitive markets such as Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston, Flyhomes leverages financial innovation and on-demand technology to back home buyers. What appealed to me about Flyhomes was the fact that they had an energetic tech-savvy team. They seemed like a company that truly understood the unique set of socio-economic challenges that millennials buyers (like myself) face in a traditional industry like real estate.
One of our favorite pastimes is paying a visit to the Portland Farmers Market. It’s a fun and easy way to support the local food community, especially in these times.
The two main things on my "wish list" was 1) a modern kitchen (for all that extra time at home cooking!); and 2) a place in NE Portland within proximity to my sister Vicki, the 2nd half of @foodbellypdx. After touring about 6-7 spots total, in June we found a new build that immediately felt like "the one" right when we walked in! We decided to make our first offer, and Natalie helped us strategize a competitive plan. To our surprise and delight, after some negotiations, it was accepted!!
Matt and I hastily moved our stuff out of the old apartment, and got the keys the same day as our moving date. It feels like a blur since then, with many evenings of family take-out and pizza boxes on the floor. Luckily, we are walking distance to a Portland Farmers Market, so some fresh veggies have been eaten as well.
As we continue to get settled in, I can't help but smile, knowing that this space already feels like home.