WHEN KURT MORRIS and his wife, Carol, put their four-bedroom Sellwood-Moreland home on the market last spring, they were immediately struck by one early offer—from a family that Morris says reminded him of his own.
“They had crafted a very nice offer letter, explaining how much they loved our home and how they could see themselves enjoying all that our neighborhood could offer,” Morris says. “They even included a picture of their school-age daughter who looked very much like our own. We were pleased that the new homeowners would carry on in a place we had made a home for many years.”
So the Morris family bit, selling their beloved home to a couple named Ryan and Kristina Brown. The Browns said they were eager to move in and allow their daughter, Milli, to play in the house's “magical” basement and “exceptional” backyard.
Then a funny thing happened: They never showed up.
After Morris accepted the $550,000 offer, he says he drove by the home about once a week after his family moved out in July, always expecting changes the new owners would bring to the property. Instead, it didn't look like anyone ever moved in.
“The old neighbors reported people periodically picking up mail, but rarely any cars in front or apparent activity around or inside our old house,“ Morris says. “Something told me that our buyers weren't necessarily the sweet family anxious to settle into their new home.”
He was right—the Browns didn't move into their new home. They live in California. Instead of providing Milli with a safe place to play, the entire house can be rented for $150 a night on Airbnb.
