Distinctly Montana Magazine

S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 S P E C I A L S E C T I O N 8 1 406.224.8680 & 406.539.5889 info@VOSSANDCOREALESTATE.COM has consistently ranked #1 in closed transactions year after year since 2016! according to the Gallatin Association of REALTORS® EXPERIENCE INTEGRITY DEDICATION ✓ ✓ ✓ Voss Sartain Voss Sartain Seven days later, Amy had found a home for us that had been on the market a year prior and never sold. A local investor had plans to purchase it but had pulled out at the last minute. The house wasn't listed on the MLS (multiple listing service) but would be soon. She asked us if we want- ed to make an offer. We told her, "Yes, we would." My parents went to the bank and were approved for the line of credit. Then, they put an all-cash offer in on our dream house on a Monday. By Tuesday, Grandpa's health had taken a turn. I sat with him. He kept asking if we had found a place yet. "A home," he said, "is the greatest investment you'll ever make. You just gotta get into a house." This, from a man who still lived in the three-bed- room house he had purchased in the forties for $12,000 and raised six kids in. We held hands and cried. He promised me that he would have a talk with the "big guy" upstairs and help us get into the right home. I thanked him for letting us park our RV on his proper- ty. I thanked him for the chocolate. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. The next morning, he was gone. Ryan baked a chocolate cake in his honor. With tears in our eyes, we ate chocolate cake and remembered him. I woke up the following day to a text from Amy. The sellers had accepted our offer on the house, and we closed three weeks later. So technically, my parents owned it, but only for a short while before selling it to us with our VA loan. We closed on our house on January 27th, 2021. This whole process taught me a lot, and it's only in retrospect that I have been able to see how lucky we were. Other than tenacity, a great realtor, and a bit of creative financing, my only other piece of advice would be to have a little faith. I'm not a particularly spiritual gal, but there is no doubt in my mind that Grandpa's talk with the "big guy" upstairs helped us arrive where we are today. OTHER THAN TENACITY, A GREAT REALTOR, AND A BIT OF CREATIVE FINANCING, MY ONLY OTHER PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD BE TO HAVE A LITTLE FAITH. CASSIE MADDEN PHOTOGRAPHY

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