The title of this is not clickbait. I did, in fact, become a home-owner on impulse 6 years ago today. Now, one might think that this is irresponsible. Because why would someone just make an in-the-moment decision to say “well screw renting. I’m gonna buy a house instead”, and then just do it without months if not years of planning and saving? Well, turns out I had plenty of friends, and especially family, who thought exactly that. To sum it up, it’s fair to say I had almost no support or encouragement during my journey and MANY people questioning my decision making thinking I was taking on too much too soon. After all, I was 25, had just bought a (not inexpensive) car, was living on a single retail management income, and had a mountain of personal battles I had been working through. So I get it, but BOY were they wrong.
This article will be structured differently than our others, as this is a reflection on my own personal experience which cannot be summed up in one short quick-to-read paragraph. It’s important to me to share the real first-hand side of real estate and shed light on how my personal journey set me up for success yes as an agent, but more importantly in my life as a whole.
So how did I come to this rash decision to buy a house? Well, my friend and roommate at the time said she didn’t want to renew our lease and to me, the logical next thought was to stop wasting my money and to pay a mortgage instead of rent. So my cousin referred an agent, the agent connected me with a lender, and I told them I had no idea what I was doing and trusted their guidance entirely.
Now keep in mind, I was not stacked with money and my credit was passable at best (somewhere mid 600’s). Not once did either person in my team of real estate ninjas make me think for a second that I wasn’t qualified enough to make this happen. For at least 8 years my motto has been “no problems, just solutions”, and they certainly worked to that mantra. Here were some of the issues I had and the solutions my agent and lender came back with:
“I don’t have enough money saved up”
No problem, try sellers assist and apply for this grant program.
“My credit isn’t the best”
All good, you still qualify for FHA with credit under 700.
“That’s all really great, but all of my money is going towards buying the house. I won’t have money left over in case something fails”
Here, have a one year home warranty on us so you can take a year to build that savings back up without worrying about spending thousands on sudden unexpected repairs.
It’s amazing what can happen when you run out of excuses. So what ended up happening? After many home tours, a rescinded offer, and a last minute request to see the neighboring house, I put in an offer and went under contract. And on February 21, 2017 I sat down at that settlement table and walked away with possibly the worst hand cramp of my life and the keys to my own home. I didn’t get the big celebration, the house warming, the popped champagne or the family congratulatory visit, but that was okay. Because I did it, I did what nothing in my life really set me up to be able to do without some serious drive, trust, and determination. There was no waiting for the right time, or waiting for the pieces to fall into place. If there was anything I learned, it was take the idea, take the vision, and go. Figure it out along the way by finding people who will give you the tools, resources, and guidance to get you to where you want to be as responsibly and safely as possible. I am not the agent I am because I’m competitive, it’s because I have been the buyer with the weaker file and experienced first hand how to get it done.
Six years later I am still here in this house. The house where I discovered that same year I’d be bringing a baby home to, the house I’ve made countless memories in, and the house I’ve been able to provide to my child with more than I ever thought I’d be able to provide. And quite honestly, it’s the same house that raised a LOT of eye brows, yet:
- Never had a late mortgage payment
- Had all the appropriate insurances to protect my finances when issues came up
- Now has over $100,000 worth of equity that I can pull from if ever necessary (that one’s my favorite).
All of this is to say, if you want to do it, do it! I am here to help you, my team is here to help you. It is what drives my passion for what I do on so many levels. Whether it’s buying you first home, selling to up-size, or working to handle the estate of loved ones, they all carry real human emotions which play a major role in the whole process. Surround yourself with the ones who are sensitive to that and will work for you to get it done.
#januskygetsitdone #noproblemsjustsolutions
