Berkeley family wins bidding war over home with a song
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- In the competitive Bay Area housing market money talks, but one family says singing set them apart.
Natan Kuchar is a high school music teacher, his wife Lili teaches elementary school, and the two rented a Berkeley apartment in the Poets Corner neighborhood.
When a charming home in their neighborhood went on the market back in November they put in an offer. Outbid by $20,000, the seller had an odd request.
"They want you to offer something creative beyond the money. Um, that's what she said," said Kuchar, recounting the phone call from his real estate agent.
So Kuchar sat down at his piano and started recording with his phone.
VIDEO: Natan Kuchar sings 'Our House'
"Hi Cathy and Joshua, this is Natan and I thought I would just show you how much my family and I would love to purchase your home," he said in the recording.
"Who has the words to say choose me," asked Kuchar and it came to him. He'd play Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
Kuchar sent the soul-baring rendition to his real estate agent Maya Karpinski.
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"And I cried that's basically what happened," recalled Karpinski, a Redfin agent.
"No joke, three minutes later Maya texted me back saying that we won the house," said Kuchar.
The Kuchar's were apparently the family the sellers were looking for.
"They wanted to keep Berkeley a little quirky and I hope they did that. I think they did that, yeah," said Kuchar.
Karpinski says always write a buyers letter, "Write this letter with your heart making your story a part of that house."
The lesson perhaps, don't under-appreciate the sentimental value of a home.
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