The Stark* home seemed promising, but we knew by now not to get our hopes up. Also, the real estate images online never provide a full picture. Space seemed OK. Flood history? Check. What’s more, the layout matched our hopes: ample room for the kids to play, equal bedroom size for the two of them, nice back yard for Lady. Everything seemed right; again, we didn’t want to get our hopes up. Hope, indeed, is a dangerous thing. Don’t envision furniture arrangements. Don’t listen for the pitter patter of small feet. Never assume anything will go right. If you can figure out how to do this while buying a home, please let us know, because we never could manage to remember this one rule.

The Stark* home, much like the McKnight home, screamed just that: HOME! We were home. This was the house. Bigger than McKnight, more stable than Vickijohn and in an area close to family and good elementary schools. The anxiety, however, soon hit. The original asking price was north of what we could afford. We knew homes in the area were being gobbled up by investors, especially the ones with no flood history. We braced ourselves for a tumultuous offer period.

After some market research and consultations with our realtor, we landed on a reasonable offer price within our budget, one that would not be so low that it would put us out of the game completely. Finally, on the advice of our realtor, I drafted a letter to the owner. He told us these can sometimes push an offer over the edge, especially if the seller is “human.” He also told us they could get thrown in the trash. Couldn’t hurt either way. On the eve of submitting our offer, I held my breath and sat down to write what I considered to be the most important letter I’ve ever written:

January 26, 2019

Dear Seller:

Thank you for the opportunity to submit an offer for your beautiful home.

My name is Nicholas Almanza. I am a writer and work for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Jessica Almanza is my partner. She is a talented photographer and works for the University of Houston. You may have seen her work on billboards around town. Our children, Sebastian and Gigi, are too young to have resumes, but we feel they have above average potential.

After months of viewing listings, receiving bad news, persevering and repeating our mantra, “the right first home for us is out there, we just need to find it,” we honestly believe we finally have. It is our sincere hope to call 1000 Stark* our new home. Since the start of our search, family has been our top priority. Our burgeoning family means everything to us. Naturally, we want to find the right space for them to grow and the right yard for us to play.

From the moment we stepped inside, all we could feel was a strong sense of home. The location is near schools our children will soon attend and provides easy access to our areas of work. Every wall and fixture tells us that this home is no stranger to raising families, and we’d like to carry this legacy forward.

As a side note, we are proud Houstonians who have called the Westbury/Westwood neighborhoods home since before our oldest was born. We truly feel this area holds the very best of our city. We envision swings and book cases, decorative bedrooms and family meals. The natural light inside is perfect for photography, and we finally found enough space to breathe. What’s more, the neighborhood is minutes away from grandma and grandpa’s home, which is a huge bonus for our kids since their grandparents spoil them endlessly.

We look forward to working with you. Again, thank you for considering our offer. As a family of creative types, we see so much potential in taking the canvas your home has lain and crafting a new and exciting story and picture.

Sincerely,

Nicholas, Jessica, Sebastian and Gigi Almanza

The following day, we learned our offer was accepted!

Overjoyed, excited, nervous and uncertain of the future, we grabbed the good news as it arrived and prepared for our final step: renovation.