Greg & Lindsey bought their dream home in Birmingham—here’s how

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IMG 2717 scaled Greg & Lindsey bought their dream home in Birmingham—here's how
Kristin stands with Greg and Lindsey in front of their new home. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

Buying a house is one of the biggest and most important decisions in a young couple’s life. You want to find a place that will fit your needs now and for the foreseeable future. Most importantly, you want to find a home. A few months ago, Lindsey and Greg McKinney stumbled upon what seemed like their dream home. However, a couple of issues appeared to be dealbreakers. Luckily, Lindsey and Greg had their real estate agent there to fight for them.

Lindsey & Greg Find Their Dream Home

IMG 2722 Greg & Lindsey bought their dream home in Birmingham—here's how
Lindsey and Greg McKinney, who bought their home through LAH Real Estate. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

For the past few years, Greg and Lindsey have lived with their three children in McCalla. Although they had a big yard for the kids to play in, several factors convinced them it was time to move.

So Greg and Lindsey sold their house and moved in with Lindsey’s parents while they saved up for their dream home. Ultimately, the couple wanted to land in the Inverness/Oak Mountain area. However, the prices were a bit out of their budget.

Suddenly, a Dream Home

IMG 2706 Greg & Lindsey bought their dream home in Birmingham—here's how
The home of Greg & Lindsey McKinney. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

“I found this house and it had all of the checkpoints we were looking for at a decent price, so I called up Kristin—she worked her magic and we toured just an hour later.”

Lindsey McKinney

Out of nowhere, Lindsey found a house that seemed like the perfect purchase. Sure, it was aggressively 80s—but the house had great bones, so a few cosmetic changes would set it right as rain.

After touring the property several times with their real estate agent, Kristin Slaughter, Lindsey and Greg decided to do something wild—they sent in an offer.

“We decided to send an offer on the house on our 10th anniversary. Now, we joke that we bought each other a house for our 10th anniversary.”

Greg McKinney

An Unexpected Bump in the Road

“Kristin has a lot of contacts—that’s another great thing about her—so she introduced us to all the inspectors and contractors we needed.”

Lindsey McKinney

While looking over the house, one inspector found a potentially deal-breaking problem. The sewer line back to the street was slumped and disconnected. He quoted them at $8000 to make the necessary repairs.

When the McKinneys asked the seller to pay for the repairs, they refused. For a while, it seemed as though the McKinneys dream house was about to slip through their fingers.

Someone to go to Bat for You

IMG 2730 Greg & Lindsey bought their dream home in Birmingham—here's how
Kristin Slaughter of LAH Real Estate. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

“When you’re in that spot, you’re desperate to have an advocate, someone in your corner. That’s where Kristin really shined.”

Greg McKinney

Then, Kristin worked her magic. She compiled a list of all the expenses the McKinneys had in addition to the sewer—move-in costs, repairs, inspections, etc—and argued that it was unfair to shift the burden to them. After 12 hours of negotiation, Kristin was able to convince the seller to cover the repair cost. The home was theirs!

So What’s Next For Greg & Lindsey?

54819BFF 528C 4D57 AFFD 4173A9CFB0FD Greg & Lindsey bought their dream home in Birmingham—here's how
Before and during the interior renovation—say goodbye to the half-walls! Photo courtesy of Greg McKinney

Currently, Greg and Lindsey are renovating their new place before they move in (the 80s were not a great time for interior decoration). After they tear out the old and put in the new, they’re excited to move into their new home with their three children.

Although the transaction is complete, this is not the end of the friendship between Kristin and the McKinneys. She likes to stop by and offer tips and suggestions on the renovations. As she likes to say, her job as a real estate agent does not end when the house is sold.

On the hunt for your own dream home in Birmingham? Make sure to give LAH Real Estate a call—they’ll go to bat for you!

Do you have a superhero real estate agent? Share your story by tagging @bhamnow on social media!

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Nathan Watson
Nathan Watson

Senior Content Producer + Photographer

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