How First-time Home Buyers Lindsey and Juan Carlos Landed a Dreamy Home in Old Roseville
Every so often in life, you find a home you know is "the one."
That's what happened to Lindsey and Juan Carlos just a little over two years ago on their journey to buying their first home in Roseville, California.
The couple had been dreaming of buying a house for years and were saving up — but they had questions.
What neighborhoods should they consider?
Could they find anything close to family?
How much could they afford?
What lender should they use?
They knew who to reach out to for help — their friend Kevin Burgoon.
Juan Carlos met Kevin while on the job at Trader Joe's, and the two built a friendship over the years. While the couple wasn't quite ready to buy, both Lindsey and Juan Carlos felt like they could trust Kevin to answer their real estate questions and give them honest advice about neighborhoods and the local market.
...there was never a time where I felt like my questions bothered him. He's just super open and willing to look up answers — he even answered my mom's questions, which was so nice!
— Lindsey Hernandez-Stumfol
"Kevin knows this area and what it's like to grow up here. He knows the neighborhoods and schools, so that was helpful…" Lindsey said. "And he's passionate about real estate and was excited to help us. Even before we officially hired him, there was never a time where I felt like my questions bothered him. He's just super open and willing to look up answers — he even answered my mom's questions, which was so nice!"
As the months rolled on, Lindsey and Juan Carlos continued asking Kevin questions, hustling, saving, and gaining clarity around what would make the house of their dreams.
Lindsey, a Trader Joe's sign artist/tattoo apprentice, and Juan, an EMT, knew they wanted a place with character.
Finding a home with room to start a family in a safe, quiet neighborhood was at the top of their list. A big yard for their two French bulldogs Pepper and Rocky, would be ideal. And if they could be somewhere near family in Roseville, that would be the icing on the cake.
The couple decided to keep a close eye on listings in Old Roseville, a great safe area with a flourishing downtown, tons of charm, and plenty of restaurants and coffee shops to enjoy.
Spotting "The One"
One day, their dream home popped up online.
Lindsey spotted a charming two-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Old Roseville.
It was close to family, had a big yard, a basement, and even a little extra space for an art studio. The home checked every box on their wish list, and the price was right. They had to see it.
Within hours Kevin was on the phone setting up a showing.
"From the moment we walked in, the details caught our eyes: the curved archways, crown molding and wainscoting throughout the house, and a big backyard filled with a garden, fruit trees, and a tetherball," said Lindsey.
We could see ourselves hosting our friends and family for summer BBQs and holiday gatherings. It was perfect for our dogs and future kids to run and play in the backyard," she said.
Everything felt right. The couple wanted to put in an offer right away.
Kevin was on board and offered to show them a few homes to make sure they felt certain about their decision.
"I appreciated that he provided the option but wasn't pushy," said Lindsey.
While Kevin quickly took them to view more homes, he also contacted a lender for the couple to work with on lining up financing. Lindsey and Juan Carlos saw more houses, but nothing stood out like the first one.
The couple decided to move forward with their offer.
"After that, things moved quickly. Kevin wrote the offer and suggested we write a letter to the seller. He even provided us with an example," said Lindsey.
They went to work on crafting a letter and securing their financing as Kevin worked up an offer. Lindsey appreciated all the guidance from Kevin.
"He made sure to push for the things we wanted in the offer while also advising us on strategies to make the offer a bit more attractive," she said.
Kevin put in the offer with the seller, and Lindsey and Juan Carlos anxiously awaited a response.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Instead of an answer, things came to a standstill.
The seller decided to wait over the weekend to see what other offers came in. They wouldn't even consider looking at offers until the end of the weekend, and all offers were in.
"That was hard. I didn't expect that. All we could do was wait," Lindsey said.
"But Kevin was great and reassured us everything was OK and that this was normal. The nice part is he stayed on top of the seller's agent to make sure we'd get an answer as soon as possible, just in case we had to take another approach."
Bringing It All Home
Lindsey & Juan’s patience and solid letter paid off.
Finally, the news came back that the sellers accepted their offer. They were ecstatic!
After hearing horror stories from friends and family about lackluster agents and lengthy searches, Lindsey said she was shocked at how smoothly the transaction went.
"I expected it to be this whole drawn-out process because that's what I've heard from a lot of people. For us, it was just a magical experience — the house sort of fell in our lap. I don't think that's normal, but it can happen. I know Kevin put his all into trying to get us this house."
Nearly two years later, the couple couldn't be happier with their home purchase.
Lindsey and Juan Carlos love that their home is so close to family and that their dogs have plenty of space to play. As a first-time home buyer, Lindsey is still a little surprised at how easily things came together and appreciative of Kevin's work to get them their dream home.
"If we hadn't worked with Kevin, I feel like that experience wouldn't have been the same," said Lindsey.
"It took the pressure off in many ways that I had an agent whose opinion I could honestly trust. He was so open about his advice without ever being salesy. We were able to put a lot of faith into what he said, and that made all the difference to me."
If you're thinking of working with Kevin, go for it. He takes pride in working for you and is excited to do whatever he can to get the home. He's basically everything that you would want in a realtor.
— Juan Carlos
