I was always one of those people who repeatedly said that homeownership was not for me. I was positive that I didn't make enough money, my credit wasn't perfect, and I had no down payment, among many other things. Little did I know that what I thought was a positive mindset was actually quite negative. My husband, Cody, and I found ourselves in high-debate mode one evening over the idea of purchasing a home. We assumed our financial limit was going to be terribly low, so we decided to consult with a real estate agent for some guidance. We thought, "What the heck? If anything, we would at least know where we stood and, more importantly, if this was even possible for us."
The very next day, we spoke to a lender, submitted all the required documents, and, to our amazement, received our pre-approval letter within a few hours. The amount on that letter exceeded our wildest expectations. Suddenly, we found ourselves at the starting line of homeownership, and we looked at each other and said, "Let's do this." In the beginning, my husband was on the fence, and understandably so. Buying a home is a significant commitment. After touring a few properties, we finally made an offer on a home. It was the smallest and oldest among the places we'd seen, but it felt the most like home. The best words we could have hoped to hear were, "Congratulations! You're under contract!" From that moment on, everything began to fall into place. Fifty-five days later, we were standing on our new back porch, proudly saying, "We did it."
The year we bought our home, I also became a Realtor. I was captivated by the entire home-buying process and had an intense desire to share this experience with others. I wanted to let people know that, just like us, they too can accomplish this dream. One of the most significant factors that helped us was receiving down payment assistance. My husband and I are Native American, and we discovered that our tribe could assist us with our down payment. We are incredibly grateful for this support. Since then, I have assisted other tribal members in utilizing this down payment assistance. But my mission goes beyond my own community. I have made it one of my missions to study and learn about other available down payment options so that I can educate people from all backgrounds about the various options for down payment assistance available to them.
For those of you who have doubts and have repeatedly told yourself, "I will never be a homeowner," I've been in your shoes, and I understand how you feel. But I've also experienced the incredible feeling of walking into a home that's truly yours. I am committed to putting my all into every real estate transaction because I want to be the one to share the words, "Congratulations! You did it." The smiles and excitement that follow these words are precisely why I do what I do.