Two Houses, Alike in Dignity, in Fair Verona (Plus One in West Orange)
A Blended Family’s Quest for the Perfect Home
When Heather Anderson and Chris Kinney got engaged last June after dating for three years, they started looking for their first place as a couple. But a cozy one-bedroom wasn’t going to cut it. Both of them had two teenage children from a previous marriage, so they suddenly needed a house fit for six.
A New Beginning
Before the engagement, Ms. Anderson, 45, had been renting a small Cape Cod cottage in Verona, N.J., where she raised her son and daughter. Mr. Kinney, 49, was living 20 miles south in Clark, N.J., where his daughters would spend weekends after his divorce.
Challenges and Opportunities
“When my kids weren’t with me, I would usually go down and stay with Chris, but going back and forth all the time was challenging,” said Ms. Anderson, a school social worker. “We wanted to try to be together more.”
Finding the Perfect Fit
That meant finding a turnkey house with at least three bedrooms that could comfortably handle a rotating combination of parents and children from one day to the next. “Blending a family is a process,” she said. “Our kids all get along nicely, but it takes time, and you want people to really be able to have a little bit of space and not have the home environment be a stressor.”
The Search
The couple homed in on Essex County, though they knew their $800,000 budget would go further in towns like Verona and West Orange than in more expensive ones like Montclair. “Originally, we were looking at $650,000 being a starting point, but quickly realized that for the area and type of home we were looking for, that would not be a reasonable range,” Mr. Kinney said.
The Right Guidance
For guidance, they hired Lizette Brown, a broker with Compass who lives in Verona. “Whenever someone gives me their budget, I tend to start $100,000 lower because of bidding wars,” Ms. Brown said. “That’s what we did, and it opened my clients’ eyes to see what they could actually get in their price range.”
The Waiting Game
Even with a down payment secured with the sale of Mr. Kinney’s Clark home, the couple began to doubt their chances after visiting more than a dozen listings.
A Surprising Solution
“I started to feel like it was going to be impossible to find something that would check all of our boxes and also be in our price range,” said Mr. Kinney, who figured they’d end up in another rental before they found the right house to buy.
FAQs
Q: What was the couple’s initial budget for their new home?
A: $650,000
Q: Why did they decide to look in Essex County?
A: Because it offered a wider range of affordable options compared to other areas like Montclair.
Q: What was the couple’s biggest concern when looking for a new home?
A: Finding a place that would comfortably accommodate all six family members and provide a stress-free environment.
Conclusion
After a thorough search and some expert guidance, Heather and Chris finally found their perfect fit – a beautiful home in Verona that exceeded their expectations and met their needs. Their story serves as a reminder that with patience, perseverance, and the right support, even the most challenging home-buying journeys can lead to a happy ending.
