Thinking about buying a home, but not sure how to afford it? Welcome to the Down Payment Diaries, where real people spill about how they saved and splurged on their path to homeownership. If you’d like to submit your own Down Payment Diary, please fill out the form here.
Today, a wife and mother of two shares how her real estate agent helped her write a winning offer in the competitive market of Trumbull, Connecticut—one of the hottest ZIP codes of 2025.
What was your home experience when you were growing up?
My parents owned a home before they got divorced. After, my dad ended up renting and my mom bought a condo that she still owns. When she remarried, she bought a new house. Growing up, I saw both what it looked like to rent and to own.
Had you owned a home previously?
I always thought I would buy a home—and I did: a 1,400-square-foot starter home.
Why did you start thinking about buying again?
As my daughters were getting bigger, the living room and dining room started feeling small. My girls didn’t have anywhere to play or keep their toys. It felt like we were on top of each other, which was stressful.
How did you decide upon Trumbull?
We were already living in the same county, just 15 miles away. We were in a city with a population of 100,000 and liked that Trumbull’s population is just above 35,000. We wanted an area with lower density that felt less city-like. Trumbull also has a combination of affordability, the great amenities that you get for your taxes, and great outdoor spaces. This town has pools, parks, opportunities, and a sense of community. This whole town feels very family-focused.
How long did you look before finding your home?
We were actively looking for about two to three months. I connected with a real estate agent really early in the process—too early. I was ready to start looking at homes right away, and he told me we had to list our current home first. Once we had an accepted offer, we could start looking.
What was his reasoning?
He said that in this market, if your offer states that you have to sell your home first, nobody will accept. Homes in this area, if priced right, sell in a couple weeks.
Did you have to rent a house after the sale of your home?
Luckily, no. The people who bought our home agreed that we could do a one-month rent back.
How many homes did you see in person?
After our old home was under contract, we saw 15 or 16 in person over the course of about five to six weeks. Online, we looked at well over 100.
Did you have any non-negotiables?
The biggest thing was community. We wanted outdoor spaces and parks, which is why we were pretty set on Trumbull. As for the home, I wanted a kitchen big enough that we could hang out. I had this picture in my mind where the kids could come home from school and have snacks in the kitchen and we’d talk about their day. We also wanted more land. The house we left was on 0.12 acre. It had just about 5 feet on either side.
How did you know this was the one?
My real estate agent said that the longer you spend in the house, the more it shows that you want it. He was right. In this house, we were lingering, envisioning ourselves living there. With this house, I could see it. It wasn’t about how nice the countertops were or if the bathrooms were remodeled. It was that feeling, knowing I could see myself raising my daughters here. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it.
Did it surprise you that this house resonated with you?
This wasn’t the type of house I envisioned at all. When we started, I wanted a colonial. That’s what we had before, but I didn’t realize how much the style of home you live in changes how you live. When we were in our previous home, we only used the bedrooms to retire at night and nothing else. This house is a ranch with all the bedrooms down a long hall. Here, my girls now spend time alone or playing with friends in their bedrooms. We use every part of this house, which we love.
Where did the down payment come from?
Mostly from the sale of our other house. The money we got from that house sale set our down-payment budget, and we had to be really targeted.
Did you make any other offers?
Two, and both times we were blown out of the water by higher offers. Our offers were $40,000 and $45,000 over asking price, and those homes closed at $20,000 to $30,000 more than that—so upward of $60,000 over asking.
What offer did you make on this home?
This house was listed at $695,000. When we first wrote, we offered $709,000 and said we wouldn’t ask for any concessions for small things under $5,000. A few days later, the listing agent came back and said it was now a best-and-final situation. We revised our offer to $720,000 and we increased our down payment from 20% to 25%.
Were you confident in your offer?
I knew we weren’t the absolute highest offer. We made our offer stand out by leaning all in on terms. We stated that we’d do an inspection, but only a health-and-safety inspection. In other words, we would only come back and negotiate if there was an issue with something big, like the roof or septic, that would affect our health and safety. We were also flexible on the closing date. We wanted to do everything we could to make our offer more favorable without just throwing money at it.
What do you think made the difference?
In this competitive market, you need a professional who really knows what they’re doing. My real estate agent was on top of everything. He stayed in constant communication with us and with the other agent. He anticipated things that the other side was going to request. That kind of proactiveness kept the deal on track. Does the money count? Of course. But if the seller receives several offers within the same price range, a good real estate agent is going to go with the offer attached to someone who seems like they can get the deal done.
You were so impressed, you decided to make a career change?
I thought our real estate agent was so phenomenal and delivered such personal attention. I formed such a connection with him that I decided to go work for him. A few months after my family and I moved, I started taking my licensing classes. A few months later, I got licensed and started working with him.
What do you love most about Trumbull?
Trumbull has lots of playgrounds, walking trails and paved trails. The community events for kids include fall festivals, town-wide Easter egg hunts and outdoor movie nights.
What do you love most about your house?
Having the extra space has been a palpable change. This house has a finished lower level where we have our TV, and there’s room for my girls’ Barbie house, play table and teepee. It’s a hangout space. We all have more breathing room, which really increases our quality of life.
The realtor.com® editorial team highlights a curated selection of product recommendations for your consideration; clicking a link to the retailer that sells the product may earn us a commission.
