Heidi and John Marsh wanted a house with a little character.

The Marshes were moving back to the Pacific Northwest from Boston, where they were both attending graduate school.

"Just after living on the East Coast with lots of old houses, we were specifically looking for something old," Heidi said.

Heidi's father, Loren Stayboldt, was in real estate, and she sent him to check out a Dutch Colonial house on 45th Place West.

What followed was a series of events and coincidences the Marshes could have never imagined.

For some reason, the real estate agent wasn't able to be at the house, and Lore...