Deal Story | Crookston, MN
Saved for Last
A first home in Crookston, bought from California, with one weekend to find it.
By Josh Tuinder | Last Updated: October 6, 2026
Buyer
Delenn, First Home
Where
Crookston, MN
The Hurdle
Cali to Crookston,
plus a big inspection
Closed
May 2026
Where it Started
One Weekend, Several Houses
Delenn and I connected through Zillow. She hit “get more info” on a listing, and I was the lucky one who answered the bat call. She was living in California and wanted to buy her first home here.
She flew up for one weekend and we looked at several houses. I saved the best one for last. It had a stained glass light hanging over the dining room table and a game room addition in the back with a pool table and a wood stove. She was sold.
Relocation is only hard if you make it hard.
what went sideways
The Inspection Found More
The inspection happened while Delenn was still in California, so a lot of this deal was sight unseen. When the report came back, the inspector flagged the old vinyl tile on the basement floor as suspected asbestos. Testing confirmed it.
That was more work than any of us expected going in, and it’s not a weekend DIY job. It needed a specialist, and we needed a plan before it cost Delenn her budget.
what i did about it
One Phone Call
I called the listing agent and walked him through what the inspection found. Delenn wanted to do the work herself, so instead of asking the sellers to make repairs, we renegotiated the seller concessions.
The sellers went from the original $3,000 up to $13,000. That was an extra $10,000 Delenn could put toward the work on her own schedule. She hired a specialist and had the tile removed.
How it ended
Welcome to Crookston
We closed on May 22, 2026. Delenn was happy when she arrived from California, and she has since turned part of the basement into a rental unit so the house helps pay for itself.
Fun side note: Delenn’s loan officer was Ron Meridith with Guild Mortgage in California. Before he got into mortgages, Ron pitched in the big leagues for the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers. I had his baseball card when I was a kid. Small world.
And if you want to see what sold her on the first day, checkout that light fixture! That’s the stained glass light over the dining room table, the one I saved for last.
What I would tell you
Be clear about what you need
Some of the work in a relocation, like the inspection, happens sight unseen. Clear communication about what you need is how the work gets done right.
Find a boots on the ground agent.
Pick someone who is willing to do the grunt work for you while you’re hundreds of miles away.
Make buying the easy part.
Relocating is hard enough. You’re leaving family or the home you know, and starting a new job or a new life. Your agent should make buying a home the least stressful part so you can focus on the rest of your life.
what they said
About a week ago, I finalized the process of buying my first home, a single family house in Crookston, MN. Working with Josh as my realtor was the saving grace in what I feared would be an overwhelming process. Josh was informed and professional while also being emotionally available to help me through this new challenge. Every snag we hit he was able to help solve, and now I am a proud homeowner. I highly recommend Josh Tuinder to those who are hoping to own property in Grand Forks or surrounding areas.
Delenn · Google review, 5 stars · Read all reviews
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