The Rollercoaster of the Home Purchase

#PurchaseOffer #Rollercoaster #RealEstate #Faith #Journey #Esther #Pray #Budget #HomePurchase #bid #grace

Author: Esther Fisher

A Christian for many years, she studied and worked in the United Kingdom, China, and the United States, and currently resides in Southern California.

Life is a journey of many seasons, marked by peaks and valleys, yet always accompanied by the grace of the Lord, who brings forth unexpected blessings from even the direst situations. When I immigrated to the United States, I experienced a season of God's grace in the search for a home.

My mother had been living in the United States for over a decade. With my arrival, she finally decided to purchase a home, hoping to spend her later years peacefully. The real estate market in Los Angeles has always been vibrant, and finding an affordable, desirable home is often a daunting task. It’s not uncommon to see people spend three to five years searching without success. On the other hand, with thousands of homes on the market, choosing the right one is a challenge. My mother and I entrusted this task to the Lord, supported by prayers from our church fellowship.

I had previously read "The Fourth Dimension" by Pastor David Yonggi Cho, where he emphasized that prayers should be specific, helping to identify God's response in achieving one's goals. Inspired by this, we prayed and outlined our needs for the house:

1. Location: My mother, a devout Christian, has attended the same church for many years. She participates in Sunday services, small group meetings, prayer meetings, and choir practices several times a week. As she doesn’t drive, we wanted a home within a 15-minute walking distance to the church.

2. Budget: We combined our savings and decided on a budget based on this amount.

3. Structure: As my mother ages, stairs are becoming increasingly challenging. Therefore, we hoped to find a single-story home.

4. Backyard: Many homes in California boast a backyard with a swimming pool, but maintaining one is not easy, especially since my mother, due to health reasons, should not swim. We both love gardening, so we hoped for a backyard suitable for such activities, without a pool.

5. House Age: Since this was our first home purchase in the U.S., we had no experience with older homes. The area we were interested in has a long history, and houses built after the 1970s are relatively easier to maintain. So, we focused on homes built after 1970.

With these criteria in mind, we actively began our search. We drew a circle on the map, with the church at the center, within 15 minutes of walking distance as a radius. This focused our attention on a specific area, filtering out much of the noise. I searched online while driving around the neighborhood, calling real estate agents when I saw a for-sale sign, and scheduled viewings if the house met our criteria. We prayed, asking God to guide us to the right house and were prepared to wait patiently if nothing suitable appeared.

Soon, the first house that met all our criteria appeared. After viewing it, we prayed, asking God to open the door if this was His will and to close it if it wasn’t. We submitted our first purchase agreement. The owner did not counter our offer but asked for some time to consider it. We increased our bid after a week, concerned that our offer wasn’t competitive. However, the agent informed us three weeks later that the seller had decided not to sell, and the house was taken off the market. Thus, our first attempt ended. We realized that this house was not God’s plan for us, and since we weren’t particularly attached to it, we moved on, continuing our search.

While driving near the church one afternoon, I spotted a house for sale on a quiet street. The golden sunset bathed the street in a peaceful beauty. I immediately took a liking to it. Although it was $70,000 over our budget, I decided to contact the agent listed on the sign, expressing my interest and my ability to pay quickly. Upon learning more, I found that aside from the price, this house met all our criteria. The agent mentioned that the owner had some tax concerns and needed to consult with their accountant before deciding whether to sell. She took my name and number, promising to contact me if everything aligned. Later, I noticed that even the for-sale sign had been removed, and I assumed the owner had decided not to sell. I forgot about it since it was far beyond our budget, and the agent hadn’t contacted me.

About a month later, a second house that met our criteria appeared. Unlike the first, this one took us on an emotional rollercoaster. Though a bit farther from the church, it was still within a 20-minute walk. It was cozy and charming, meeting all our needs, and its smaller size made it more affordable. Moreover, it was on the same street as my mother’s good friend, Mrs. Guo. The two had been close friends for many years, often praying together over the phone. Our families got along like kin, supporting each other. Moving there would allow them to meet daily, pray together, and share their love for gardening. Delighted, we submitted our purchase agreement the day after viewing the house. Learning that another buyer was interested, we quickly increased our offer. We often heard that buying a house in Los Angeles requires competitive bidding, and we were prepared to pay more.

When we submitted our offer on Thursday, the agent said it was very competitive and that the owner would likely respond by the end of the day. But by Friday afternoon, we had heard nothing. I called the agent several times, but he didn’t answer, as if he had suddenly vanished. We sensed that something was amiss. Though we had entrusted the matter to the Lord, we spent the weekend in anxious anticipation. A relative, experienced in the real estate market, criticized us for not bidding higher, fearing we might lose the house. We began to regret not offering more since we had room in our budget. On Monday afternoon, the agent finally answered the phone. He apologized and said the seller had chosen another buyer. Before hanging up, I curiously asked if our bid was too low. Surprisingly, the agent told me that the house had sold at the original asking price, without the other family increasing their bid! Both families were represented by the same agent, and the seller had chosen the lower bid, which was unusual.

This second house seemed almost tailor-made for us. From Thursday's joy to Monday's shock, our family’s emotions soared and plummeted like a rollercoaster. Our spirits hit rock bottom; we felt puzzled and disappointed, but no matter how we felt, God had clearly closed that door. Mrs. Guo, ever composed, encouraged us, saying, “It’s okay, keep looking! The Lord will provide.”

In the following days, we were too disheartened to muster the energy to look for another house. Early one Friday morning, I was awakened by a call from an unfamiliar number. The voice on the other end was urgent: “Are you Esther? Are you still looking for a house? Can you come see one right away?” It turned out to be the agent from the "quiet street" house. I honestly told her that our budget was short by several tens of thousands. She assured me that we could discuss it after viewing the house and confirmed that our funds were ready for a quick, all-cash transaction.

I took my mother and a professional architect to see the house. It met all our expectations, and the architect was also impressed. Having seen many houses, we could make a quick decision. The agent explained that she was only contacting us now because a previous buyer had failed to secure financing and had to back out. The seller, now clear on their tax issues, needed to close the sale before the April 15th tax deadline. It was already early April, so the payment method was crucial for them.

The previous buyer, a relative of the seller, had negotiated the price down by $60,000, which was a huge help to us. Knowing that the final price was only $10,000 over our budget, the seller agreed to settle at our budget as the final price. It was almost unbelievable—in a market where overbidding was common, we not only avoided increasing our bid but also secured a 10% discount. It was a miracle. Everything proceeded smoothly, and by April 15th, all the paperwork was completed, resolving the seller’s tax issues. Both parties and the agents were pleased.

In retrospect, this house, which is now our home, is the largest, best-conditioned, most cost-effective, and closest to the church among all the candidates we had seen. It’s a single-story, has no pool, and the backyard has fruit trees. My mother can walk to church in just seven minutes! Who would have thought that while we were still reeling from rejection, the Lord would surprise us with a "beautiful land" beyond our expectations? As David said in Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” The Lord swept away our doubts and low spirits, filling our hearts with gratitude and joy.

Later, I asked the agent what made her think of contacting me after a month. She said she was a Catholic, and because my name, Esther, is a biblical name, it left a strong impression on her. She often attended early morning Mass, and when the loan fell through, she prayed during Mass, asking the Lord how she could help the owner sell the house before tax season. Suddenly, she thought of the name Esther. As soon as Mass ended, she found my number and contacted me, and everything fell into place.

My mother and I were already content with that second house—though it was somewhat small and a bit far, it seemed adequate for our needs. Yet, we had no idea that the Lord had something far more beautiful in store for us. It was as though God was weaving a splendid tapestry, and in the midst of it, we could not see the final design. Our faith wavered, our emotions rose and fell with the uncertainties. But in the end, all things worked together for good, fulfilling God’s perfect will and forming a picture of breathtaking beauty. As Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

After we moved in, we discovered that our neighbors were exceedingly kind, watching out for each other. We opened our living room, and the church small group sometimes gathers in our home. It fills us with joy to welcome brothers and sisters into our home, to serve the Lord in this way. All of this truly surpassed anything we had asked or imagined.

Through this experience, we witnessed the Lord’s marvelous power and mystery. It seemed as though He used the process of these three houses to train our faith. It was as if the Lord was telling us not to rush into despair during times of difficulty, not to be confined by the “partial view” before our eyes, but to walk forward in faith, to quietly watch how He would unfold His wondrous works. We came to know His good, pleasing, and perfect will, just as Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

We thank the Lord, for He has made our lives a remarkable journey. We share this experience with you, our reader, hoping that you too may find encouragement in it. When faced with trials, do not fix your eyes on the world; rather, strive to strengthen your faith and keep your gaze upon the Lord. For as the Lord says in Psalm 34:10, "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing."