How We Helped a Monmouth County Mother Take a Piece of Her Home with Her

Sold her home to Doorifi in Belmar, NJ 07719

In July 1998, Robin Race began marking her children’s heights on the pantry door of her Belmar home. At the time, her son Cameron was 8 and her daughter Lauren was 12.

“Back then, my daughter was taller than her brother,” Robin recalls. “As the years went by, he caught up and surpassed her.”

It was one of many cherished memories tied to the home. Even after her children moved to other states, the house became a central gathering place for the family. That’s why deciding to sell wasn’t easy.

“My daughter had a real attachment to the home. When my granddaughter, who is six now, found out we were selling, she cried.”

Robin, a referral coordinator in a pediatric practice, had been thinking about selling for years. The home was far larger than she needed, and the upkeep was becoming a burden. Still, memories and the thought of the selling process kept her from moving forward.

Finding a Simpler Way

She remembered how stressful her past two home sales had been and had heard too many stories from friends whose deals fell through at the last minute. She also dreaded showings — living alone with a dog meant shuffling her pet in and out every time buyers came to view the home.

That’s when a colleague at her practice recommended Doorifi. “She had nothing but great things to say,” Robin says. “I thought, ‘When I’m ready, I really think I’m going to consider this.’”

Later, Robin went online, entered her address, and received an offer from Doorifi — one that was higher than she expected. She didn’t act immediately, but a few months later, she requested an updated offer and showed it to her family.

While no one was eager to let the home go, they understood Robin was ready for a fresh start. She briefly spoke with a real estate agent but realized the listing price they suggested wasn’t much higher than Doorifi’s offer — and came with a lot more uncertainty. “I wasn’t able to stay another six or eight months if the house didn’t sell,” she explains.

A Personal Touch

Selling to Doorifi turned out to be simple. Robin chose her own closing date and worked closely with her Home Advisor, Jordan, who guided her through every step. She was initially nervous about the home assessment, but quickly felt at ease. “From the moment I met someone from Doorifi, it was a good thing,” she says.

About a week before her final walkthrough, her son asked what she planned to do about the pantry door. She didn’t have an answer. A few days later, her daughter Lauren called, saying she wished she could get the door to keep the tradition alive. At first, Robin thought it was impossible — the movers were coming the next day — but Lauren’s request stayed with her.

Robin reached out to Julie, her Closing Manager, to ask if taking the door was an option. “I got pretty choked up because it was a big day for me. Julie just said, ‘Take it.’”

Two hours before her final walkthrough, Robin and a contractor friend carefully removed the door and placed it in storage.

“The compassion and response I got… it meant the world to my daughter,” Robin says.

Now, she plans to reinstall the pantry door in her new home and continue measuring her grandchildren as they grow — keeping a treasured family tradition alive.

“I’m so thankful it all worked out. It felt like it was meant to be.”