They wanted good schools, nature and ‘a feeling of privacy.’ What could they find on the Peninsula with $3.5 million?

Tej Ravindra and Niket Sirsi felt they had made some concessions when they purchased a house in Menlo Park almost ten years ago, but they had no regrets.

Therefore, the couple had no desire in settling down when they began searching for a location outside of their starter house in 2022 that would allow their 10-year-old son, Jishnu, to develop into his teenage years.

Ravindra remarked, “This time, we felt like we’re not going to get just anything.”

Sirsi stated, “We’re searching for a unicorn.”

The top priorities were a larger yard for their Dutch shepherd mix, Aurora, and a solid school district for Jishnu. They would travel as far south as Cupertino, but they preferred the Peninsula. They were also looking for more room for their home offices because they both work remotely for computer companies. Both emphasized the need to be close to nature, on a tree-lined lot, and to feel alone.

Sirsi, who was born and raised in Palo Alto, was aware that the Bay Area’s real estate market was usually trending upward. They felt compelled to modify both their goals and their budget as their search lasted longer than a year, then two, and finally a third. They started searching for homes at $2.4 million, but in the end, they looked at properties advertised for up to $3.5 million.

According to Ravindra, it was a moving target.

The houses they looked at are as follows:

Located on a property in the hills above Redwood City, this four-bedroom, three-bathroom home had a lush, tree-covered lot and a pool. The house has a recently renovated kitchen that led to a living room and fireplace. The house’s bathrooms were a little outdated, but the main bedroom was enormous and had high vaulted ceilings. It was listed for $2.75 million and was located in the Sequoia Union High School District.

This 1966 single-story home with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms had significant renovations in 2017. The house had a large terrace with views of Redwood Shores, a BBQ area, and a gas fire pit that encircled the whole property. The main bedroom has an en suite bathroom with a copper tub and sliding glass doors leading to a terrace. The kitchen had handcrafted cabinetry, cork floors, and two islands. It was marketed for $2.9 million and was located in the Sequoia Union High School District.

This 2,478-square-foot home with five bedrooms and four bathrooms was situated at the end of a long private lane on half an acre, surrounded by a grove of tall trees. Aurora would be protected because a fence kept the creek from running down the property’s back side. The top floor consisted of an open-concept living room and kitchen, while the lower floor had the bedrooms. It was listed for $3.5 million and was located in the Fremont Union High School District.

After touring the first option, Ravindra, Sirsi, and Jishnu made an offer without hesitation. However, they discovered that it was too late. Even if Ravindra and Sirsi were prepared to go higher, the sellers—a set of siblings who were handling their parents’ trust—had chosen to accept the fact that someone else had struck first.

After being let down, they chose to work with Debbie Wilhelm, a new agent, who accompanied them on their tour of the Redwood City property. The pair was keen to make an offer once more. Wilhelm told them that although though the house was advertised for $2.9 million, it would probably sell for considerably more.

She told them to get as high as they could. Niket and Tej made a $3.8 million offer.

It was still insufficient. An all-cash offer of $4.05 million was accepted by the owners.

Jishnu and the rest of the family started to feel the effects of the frequent ups and downs. He made the decision to quit going on house tours with his parents after getting his hopes up too many times. His mother remembers him stating, “You never get the house anyway.”

Sirsi was tired, too. He said, “I began to question whether we would ever find anything at all.”

Ravindra continued to search, though.

She remarked, “I have this never-give-up attitude.”

She forwarded Sirsi the link to the Cupertino home’s listing when she saw it in March. Despite his reluctance, he was happy to take a tour of the residence. They were in awe of the enormous redwoods, the lush lawn, and the private setting as they waited for their agent outside the house. They wanted to place a bid before they had even taken a look inside.

Out of all the houses they viewed, its asking price was the highest at $3.5 million. The couple pre-approved for a sum that was a little higher than the asking price of the house in order to position themselves financially to make an offer. They offered $3.6 million, but the seller made another offer, so they increased their offer to $3.7 million. The house was won by them.

The property was surrounded by trees, so closing was much more difficult since home insurance refused to sign a policy unless the trees had been pruned and they agreed to replace the roof with a new material. The couple eventually closed on the house in April 2024 and moved in a few weeks later when Wilhelm, their real estate agent, helped them find a new insurance agent.

The deck off the living room is a favorite spot for the family to spend time outside.

Ravindra remarked, “It’s so quiet that you can see all these animals walk by.” Although you’re more likely to find Jishnu playing computer games in his room, he has lots of space to play outside with Aurora.

Additionally, there is plenty room for visitors. Recently, Ravindra’s parents came from India to join the family for Diwali.

Since we’ve seen so many setbacks in the past three years, I genuinely didn’t think we would receive it, Ravindra remarked. I’m not sure how we were so fortunate.