Ever since moving to the Puget Sound area in 2008, I had been living in an apartment or condo.
Which was fine for my lifestyle at that time, but as Pearl, my French Bulldog, started getting older, I really wanted her to have a yard.
I talked with my wife, Katherine, about the importance of a yard for Pearl and why it meant so much to me.
So our home search started:
It wasn't about how many bedrooms, or baths or square feet. The home search was about a yard for Pearl.
In fact, that was the name of the saved search, here on PersingerGroup.com and the MLS.
"A Yard For Pearl"
Yesterday I noticed a red bump on Pearls front left paw. I immediately took Pearl into the vet.
The vet didn't give good news.
They took some of the cells from the bump to send in for testing, but the vet gave me the bad news:
Cancer.
The test was just to see how bad it was and what stage the cancer was in.
When we came home, Pearl did what Pearl does. Pearl went in to her yard and found a spot in the sun.
This Isn't A Sad Story
My wife told me she couldn't believe how calm I was being and that I seemed in good spirits.
I explained to her that maybe as Pearl's last days come closer, I'll be sad, but I'm so happy and grateful for the time and adventures Pearl and I have had together.
Pearl and I moved across the country together. It was a great road trip going from Wisconsin to Washington.
And I was able to give Pearl her yard.
Pearl's Yard
The home that Katherine and I bought is not our dream home.
It's not fancy. It's not extremely updated.
It's a three bedroom, two bath home.
In reality, there are a quite a few things that we don't like about it. But what we love about it: It has a yard for Pearl.
Experience has shown that the people who struggle with their home search are looking for a home that IS something.
A home that IS 4 bedrooms.
Or a home that IS updated.
Or a home that IS located in the right place.
Too many people have a wishlist of FEATURES that their home must have. And these people struggle to find a home and miss out on great deals, because a home is not something that just IS.
But the people who end up finding a home, a home that they love, that is a great deal are looking for what the home DOES something.
For example: We wanted a home that gave Pearl a yard. This meant she had a place to run, play and lay in the sun. And we got to watch her and enjoy her enjoying all those things.
I don't love the home that Katherine and I bought because of the location, the number of bedrooms, or bathrooms or the size of the master suite.
I love the home because of what it DOES.
It gives Pearl a yard. And that yard DOES something for Pearl.
And seeing Pearl enjoy her yard and knowing that Pearl enjoys her yard DOES something for us.
If Katherine and I would have been caught up in the beds, baths, location thing we might still be looking for a home and I wouldn't have all these memories of Pearl enjoying her yard.
And those memories are what is making dealing with the reality of our current situation bearable.
At Persinger Group we believe a home is where memories are created and memories are shared.
Keep that in mind as you search for your home. Don't just look for what the home IS. Think about what you want this new home to do for you. Think about the stories you want to create and share there.
Don't just search for what a home IS...
That IS 3 bedrooms...
That IS 2 baths...
That IS updated with a new modern kitchen...
That IS close to work...
Look for a home that DOES something.
I'm glad we did.
