From a Tract Home to Acreage in Fallbrook

The family

Amy and JP were living in a three-bedroom tract home in Oceanside. It was a nice house on a quiet street. It just wasn't built for the family they had become.

With a little one at home and older kids coming to stay, there weren't enough bedrooms to go around. Amy's parents needed to move in with them, and there was no space that would give them any privacy. The backyard was a small patio, and the neighbors were close on every side.

What they needed

• Bedrooms for all the kids
• A separate space for Amy's parents with its own bathroom and entrance
• Land, so the kids had room to play and nobody felt on top of each other
• A plan to buy the new home and sell the old one without moving twice

The plan

They wanted to find the right house first, so we planned the purchase and the sale together from the start. The market was wild, with multiple offers on almost everything, and most sellers wouldn't consider an offer that depended on the buyer's home selling. We wrote a strong contingent offer anyway, and it was accepted. Then we got their Oceanside house on the market, and it sold in a matter of days.

The home

We found it in Fallbrook on 1.21 acres, with valley and mountain views. The lower level had a guest bedroom and full bath with its own patio and entry, which became Amy's parents' suite. Upstairs gave the kids their own rooms. Outside there was a pool, big oak trees, and room for a play set.