How Opendoor helped three generations find a forever home

Keith Westergaard and his wife Erin lived in a charming home in Paradise, Nevada, but with an active 5-year-old son, his toys, and two cats, the space felt increasingly cramped. They also wanted more space so that Keith’s mom, who was living in another home in Nevada that Keith owned, could move in with them.

The couple started looking at homes from a new construction builder which featured an in-law suite with its own entrance, living area, and modern kitchenette.

“We thought it would be the perfect setup,” Keith said. But in order to make the move happen, they’d need to offload two homes: Keith’s home and the house his mom lived in.

The couple was willing to put the home they lived in on the market, but they didn’t want to burden Keith’s mom with frequent showings, keeping the home in pristine condition, and coordinating with a real estate agent. Fortunately, something on the home builder’s site caught Keith’s eye: information about Opendoor, a company that could buy their old home from them in a seamless and hassle-free transaction.

Weighing the offer

“I thought to myself, ‘this is a really interesting concept,'” Keith said about Opendoor. “So I put in the address on Opendoor’s website to see what they’d offer for the place.”

He also did some comparison shopping, and submitted his home information to an Opendoor competitor in Las Vegas. But that offer came in at least $10,000 lower than Opendoor’s, he says.

Keith and his wife decided to move forward with Opendoor’s offer. Opendoor arranged a free home assessment, and after requesting a few minor repairs, the deal was done.

In comparison to his experience listing his other home, Keith says the process with Opendoor was far easier. On his listed home, some potential buyers made offers that were $20,000 below asking. Compared to that, he felt that the Opendoor process was fair and backed by research on nearby home sales.

A seamless closing

Opendoor “offered a very flexible timeline,” Keith said. He chose to close in 60 days. With his other home, he accrued a significant amount of moving and storage expenses to accommodate the buyer’s closing request.

Keith now encourages his friends to consider Opendoor as an option if they’re looking to sell their home. He also shared his positive experience online so that others could also benefit from the company in the future, he said.

Since it’s free to request an offer, he thinks it’s a step almost anyone should take before deciding if they should put their house on the market.

“You don’t have to make your house show–ready,” he said, adding that this is particularly beneficial for families with children. Keeping a tidy home and leaving for frequently showings can be quite stressful.

Making their dream a reality

Thanks, in part, to the ease of their Opendoor transaction, the Westergaards and his mom now live in their new home in Enterprise, Nevada. Keith and Erin are enjoying their sprawling backyard, where they plan to install a pool, and their covered patio. His mom feels at home in her 800-square-foot suite, and embraces the opportunity to watch her grandson grow up, and share in all his milestones.

“The Opendoor process certainly made the entire moving process go much more smoothly for us,” Keith said.

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