DC Newlyweds Find Perfect St. Petersburg, Florida Home

Well we’re back. And we’re really excited!

You may remember us as the couple currently living in Washington, DC who are looking to relocate back to Florida where we’re both from. In December, we met Chris Hounchell of Chris Hounchell & Associates, and spent a day touring several neighborhoods in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area to get a feel for where we might want to live. We also visited numerous houses to see what our money might buy. At the end of the day, we were focused on several neighborhoods and excited to find just how much our money could buy.

After lots of phone time with Chris, and hours pouring over listings in our target neighborhoods, we returned to Florida in April to spend three whirlwind days. We hoped to find what we were looking for but were in no particular hurry. By the time we arrived at Chris’ office, he had our days all mapped out and we were off.

By the end of the first day, we had narrowed our search to the historic Old Northeast neighborhood, which is just north of St. Petersburg’s bustling downtown and close to the water. By the end of the second day we had found the perfect house. Four bedrooms, two stories, older home with lots of character, a pool (which I insisted on, sometimes over my wife’s objections, but once she saw the sparkling blue water she was hooked), great landscaping, a nice back yard, room for future children, etc.

After a day of discussion and lots of guidance from Chris, we made an offer and held our breaths before returning to DC. Within a couple of days, we received a counter offer from the buyers. Once again, Chris provided invaluable guidance supported by his years of experience and we submitted a new offer. We felt like we were getting close, but we were still a bit over budget. After just a little more give and take, we and the sellers settled on a price we all felt was fair. Chris drew up the paperwork, scheduled the necessary inspections with his legions of pro contacts, and once again, we held our breath.

I flew down and dogged the inspectors for a day before flying home. As a first-time homebuyer, it was an invaluable and very educational experience. Sure, they found a few things that needed attention, as we knew they would, but nothing that would become a deal breaker. Once the formal reports were in, we met with Chris on the phone, reviewed the inspector’s findings and agreed to move ahead. The bank appraisal was next. I can’t share here the appraiser’s report, but suffice it to say we were pleased.

So, we’re scheduled to close in about a month! We can’t describe how excited we are. We’re buying our first house, and returning to our home state of Florida where most of our family lives and we couldn’t be happier.

The only snag we’ve encountered so far is that Chris is a Florida Gator (as is my wife), and I’m a stalwart Miami Hurricane fan, despite having graduated from the University of Florida. Those fundamental differences aside, I can’t think of anyone better to have worked with throughout this whole process than Chris. He was thoroughly professional, and he represented us extremely well. Chris Hounchell & Associates rocks, even if Chris wears orange and blue.

For more information, contact Chris today at 727-642-9107.