Fiona Helps NYC Transplants Find Their Dream Home in Purchase, NY

Steve and Christine followed a journey common to young families during the pandemic. Dwelling on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with their two young children when the Covid crisis hit, they sought refuge with Christine’s parents in Nassau County on Long Island. They intended to stay for just a few weeks while they searched for a home in Westchester County.

It was a hectic time, and they knew the market was crazy, but Christine was seven months pregnant. About to become a family of five, they needed an exit strategy.

It was at an open house in Rye where they first met Fiona. Recalls Steven, “Fiona asked all the right questions. She helped us set our real estate goals in terms of size, location, and layout. She took time to weed out what we didn’t want and to see what was available. Then, she toured several homes with us. Some weren’t right but it helped us explore what was out there and narrow our choices.”

Fiona’s extensive broker network was instrumental in facilitating their search during a time when brokers were reluctant to hold open houses. Through her many contacts, Fiona planned home tours around their day trips from Long Island during a window of time that accommodated the schedule of Steve and Christine’s young children.

What they really appreciated about working with Fiona was how she put them at ease. Says Steven, “So many brokers were pushy; they were telling us ‘you need to put in a bid today.’ Fiona reassured us that we had time. She helped us navigate a crazy fast market while helping us to see what we liked and narrow our choices. Fiona kept us calm.”

Adds Christine, “I wanted a pool, five bedrooms, and access to a playroom on the first floor. But I did not want a house that needed work. So, when we found a home that needed work, I resisted. It was a hard ‘no.’ But Fiona helped us to see its potential. She helped us to see past what it looked like and what it could be for our family.”

Fiona worked with the couple to look at the footprint of the house relative to their growing family. She secured a home inspection, gathered comparable home pricing and helped them put in an offer on the house. With Christine’s pregnancy nearing the end, Fiona worked quickly behind the scenes to expedite the negotiation. “Fiona guided us through the entire process,” says Christine. “She navigated us through until we had an accepted bid.

The birth of their baby came before they closed on the home, and they signed the contract while in the hospital. Eighteen months after they went to stay with Christine’s parents in Nassau County, they moved into their new home in the town of Purchase.

When asked if they would recommend working with Fiona, Steven said absolutely and “without reservation.”

“Fiona’s experience and vision really helped us make an informed decision. We recommend her because she wasn’t overbearing. She facilitates and guides without being aggressive. We felt like we were drowning in a fast-moving market, but she helped us tread water. She made a difficult process a smooth transition.”