SOLD! It was hard saying goodbye to our family home, but we are truly blessed and grateful to our parents for what they gifted us and accomplished in their lives. My father came from Germany in the 1950's with no money in his pockets, a suitcase, and a doctorate in Economics from the Free College of West Berlin. He met my mother, a Cornell graduate and government worker, at a party in New York. Together they moved west and started out in an apartment in the City. In consecutive years they had Dave, Bob, and when Fred came along they moved to 19 Tanfield Road and proceeded to have both me and then my sister Melinda. Five kids in six years: they were busy! An independent international business consultant and jazz producer, my dad was able to buy Tanfield because he closed a big deal at the right time. It was a stretch, like home buying usually is, but it was worth it.
They purchased the 19 Tanfield Road in 1962 for $55,000. In 62 years the property went up nearly 52 times in value. Say what you want about real estate. I say if you buy the right property in the right area (Marin County preferably), it can become the best long term investment you will ever make.
19 Tanfield Road was quite a dated house. While it felt like we did a lot to get the house ready for the market, we were really only scratching the surface. Fresh paint, refinished flooring and staging will only get you so far in a house that hasn’t been updated in 40 years. It could still use $1 million or more to bring it up to date and up to current codes. Not that we ever minded the condition, it was always home to us, a time capsule from our youth like so many homes I’ve sold.
I sell a lot of homes for people who are original or long-time owners like my family. While I experienced it from the periphery on a fairly regular basis, now I can say I’ve gone through it myself. Each home has its own stories to tell, and I am blessed to be able to share some of them with you, especially the stories about Tanfield which are so dear to my heart. Thank you for reading!