I first met Dana when she attended a monthly First Time Home Buyer Class, and was surprised to see a woman in her 50’s sitting next to 20-and-30-somethings. My first thought was that she was there to learn about the Home-Buying Process on behalf of one of her children, but after chatting with her for a few minutes it was clear she was there for herself.
The more I learned about Dana, the more I wanted to help her become a homeowner. She had been renting for all her life, and had been in the same rental home for several years with her 3 kids. I can’t imagine life on a daily basis trying to raise 3 children as a single parent—but somehow Dana made it look easy!
Once we were able to get her pre-approved, we really had our work cut out for us in the housing search. We needed to find a home big enough for the entire family, while only looking in a limited area in order to keep the kids at their same schools. Dana also had to be moved out of her rental home in about 90 days, so it was important for us to stay away from short sales and also foreclosures which needed a lot of updating and repairs, in order for her to move in quickly.
After seeing a handful of properties that needed some work, we found a nice home that fit the family’s needs and budget, and made an offer to the seller. After some negotiating, we came to a verbal agreement with the seller, and were waiting for their signed paperwork so we could begin the inspection and loan processing. But much to our surprise, that paperwork never came
After waiting for 2 days, we heard back from the listing agent that another offer had come in late, and the seller was going to accept it. So it was back to the drawing board!
Luckily the house two doors down was also for sale, and after setting up a showing for it we decided to try our luck again. This time, the offer stuck!
The house was in great shape, had updated utilities, a finished basement, and enough space for the whole family. Dana was thrilled, and I was extremely excited to be a part of her first home purchase.
After decades of renting, it was finally time for Dana to graduate to home-ownership. And I couldn’t be more proud to help such an amazing person fulfill their goals.
Congratulations Dana! Here’s to many happy years in your new home!
You were an amazing help to Dana through the process Steve and I know she is thrilled!