How we won it
Three agents in the first hour.
We walked in on day one thinking we might have an early shot. Within the first hour, three other agents were there with their buyers. Inventory was tight, really tight. So the question stops being whether you like it. It becomes how badly you want it, and what you're willing to do not to lose it. That's the hard conversation, because not every buyer can stretch.
We had lost before.
We'd written offers on other homes, homes they liked but didn't love, and we got beat. Then this one came up on a perfect day, and it clicked for everyone.
A micro-market buyers wait for.
East Wilmette: walk to Gillson Park and the lake, close to Plaza del Lago, New Trier High School District 203. Tight inventory, strong demand, low turnover. This isn't just Wilmette.
We did the homework.
Similar homes were trading in the high $1.8 millions, even past $2 million depending on the house. So when the seller called for highest and best, we knew where the market actually was.
Win the house, not the price.
$255,000 over asking, a strong appraisal gap, clean terms. No hesitation. The goal wasn't to win on price. It was to win the house.
The appraisal agreed.
Asking was $1,675,000. We secured it at $1,930,000. It appraised at $1,986,000: $56,000 above what they paid. The buyers walked in with equity on day one. The sellers got a clean offer that closed smoothly at a price the market fully supported.
“Sometimes you wait. Sometimes you walk. And sometimes you step up.”
Facing a house everyone wants? How I approach it
Prices and dates from MLS records; the appraisal figure is from the transaction. Closed 2026.