Moving to Bend for Family: The Purchase That Took Six Agreements

One day before their out-of-state home was supposed to close, the buyer backed out.

By then, our buyers had already worked through two local purchases that didn’t make it to closing. They had a third home under contract and were staying in a Bend Airbnb while they worked toward the move they wanted: being closer to their grandchildren.

Now the sale their purchase depended on had fallen apart. The local sellers were still waiting, and Shannon had another difficult conversation to navigate.

Across the purchase attempts and the sale of their previous home, there would be six total contractual agreements before the local purchase finally closed. Shannon represented the buyers through it all.

First, they had to find a home that worked

These buyers came to us through a referral from past clients. They wanted to be near family, and their budget meant searching broadly across Deschutes County. They also needed to sell their primary residence out of state to make the purchase work.

Shannon referred them to an agent there. From that point forward, the two agents were coordinating both sides of the move.

The first local property went under contract. But an easement running through it made the home unsuitable for what the buyers needed. They withdrew and started looking again.

On the next home, they got another offer accepted. Then, about two weeks before closing, the appraisal came in low. The financing couldn’t move forward on the existing terms, and the sellers wouldn’t adjust the price.

That purchase ended, too.

There were real costs to starting over. The properties involved septic systems, wells and fireplaces, with inspection needs to work through. After using the same inspector multiple times, Shannon negotiated reduced inspection costs. She also kept track of contractual deadlines to help protect the buyers’ earnest money.

Each time a purchase ended, the search began again. The reason for moving hadn’t changed.

A third accepted offer. Then the sale of their previous home unraveled.

The next home attracted five offers. Shannon helped the buyers secure an accepted offer that still depended on their out-of-state home selling.

They moved into a local Airbnb while the transactions worked toward closing. Then came the withdrawal one day before the sale of their previous home was supposed to close.

A second buyer came along. Roughly two weeks later, that agreement fell apart as well. Another prospective buyer couldn’t secure financing.

Meanwhile, the local sellers had a home under contract and no completed sale on the other end of the move. They needed to understand whether continuing with these buyers still made sense.

This is where Shannon’s work mattered

Shannon and the agent handling their home sale had the same approach: stay calm, stay in contact and keep working through the next problem. They maintained a positive tone while being honest about the setbacks.

That relationship mattered because an update on their home sale could change the plan in Bend. Shannon needed to know what was happening there so she could have useful conversations here.

The local sellers were experienced home renovators. They understood that transactions could hit bumps. But understanding a delay and agreeing to keep waiting are two different things.

Week by week, Shannon kept them informed about what had changed, what steps were underway and how the problems were being handled. Repair negotiations continued alongside those conversations.

There wasn’t one conversation that fixed everything. There was a series of conversations that kept everyone informed enough to make the next decision. The sellers continued with the buyers, and the work toward closing continued.

Finally, a way forward

Eventually, a family member was able to co-sign, allowing the buyers to secure their new home without first completing the sale of their primary residence.

That change gave them a workable path to closing. After the failed purchases and repeated setbacks with their home sale, their local purchase finally closed.

They had come here to be closer to their grandchildren. Now they had a home from which to do it.

When I think about this transaction, I think about how much work happens after an offer is accepted. Inspections, financing, deadlines, repairs and conversations with people whose plans keep changing. Shannon stayed engaged through all of it.

She couldn’t control the appraisal, the buyers on their home sale or every financing decision. She could keep the details moving, coordinate with the other agent and make sure the local sellers understood what was happening. The buyers, sellers, agents and financing change all played a part in getting this one closed.

If you’re evaluating a property, our article 10 Things Bend Homebuyers Miss Before Moving In covers practical details to investigate alongside the transaction itself.

And if your move to Central Oregon depends on selling a home somewhere else, talk with us about how the pieces fit together. You can also get to know Shannon and the Kromm Team. We’ll help you think through the sequence, the questions to ask and what needs to happen next.