Opportunity Knocks: Music teachers find harmony in first home purchase

Jeremy and Jennifer Satalick are hoping to make beautiful music together once escrow closes on their first home on the east side of Carson City.

The couple are music teachers, Jennifer at Dayton Elementary, and Jeremy at Bishop Manogue in Reno. Tired of renting, they began looking to buy a home after school let out in the spring.

They looked at 15 different homes in their search, trying to find the one that would fit their needs, and not take too much work.

"We looked at some foreclosures that were in pretty bad condition," Jennifer said. "It would have taken thousands to get them into condition to move in."

Then the Satalicks thought they found the one they wanted, but it was not to be.

"We made an offer on another house, a short sale, and found out it would be four months before we would get an answer on that," Jennifer said.

Because they wanted to take advantage of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, they couldn't wait that long. In the meantime, they found a four-bedroom home for sale in the Seeliger area that looked like a good deal.

"We saw this one, and it was just painted, and it's a pretty clean foreclosure, so we're pretty happy," Jennifer said.

The grass that once covered the front and backyards had died, but the rest of the house is move-in ready.

"The backyard is dirt right now, and there is a big pond that is still there," Jeremy said.

"That's going to be the big project after moving in, getting the yards done," Jennifer added.

The couple liked the home so much, they offered more than the asking price and beat out one other offer on the property. Jennifer said the Smith team at Coldwell Banker Best Sellers helped them get all the inspections and other tasks done quickly, and they are hoping to start moving in any day.

The couple has a few words of advice for other people hoping to take advantage of a buyer's market in real estate. First, get pre-qualified for a mortgage to find out what you can afford. Next, be patient.

"Look at a lot of different homes, even when you are fixed on one, keep looking," Jeremy said. "It helps going and looking at other homes to reaffirm what you do like."