First-time homeowner – My story

Hey, you guys! Thank you as always for taking the time to read and visit my blog. I hope it can shed some light, make you smile, or at least entertain you for a bit. It’s been quite a weird time these past few weeks due to the recent pandemic that has changed everyone’s lives. Just like everyone else, I had to quickly adapt to the changes which were honestly challenging for me. Everything happened so fast. Talk about being excited yet stressed at the same time. It has been two months since I moved and got settled in my first house!

Let me start my story by saying this – I AM SO THANKFUL. At first, I could not even put into words how I felt about purchasing my very first house. A home I could call mine. As a single woman being able to do this all by myself felt surreal. I felt like I was going against old society beliefs that you should be married and be purchasing your first home with your spouse. For a while, I thought I should wait until then, but I am glad I went with my gut and made the decision to just go for it regardless of my relationship status.

To be honest, the biggest challenge for me was debating whether I wanted to buy a home in Dallas, where I have been living the last five years or try to buy a house in my hometown Houston, Texas. I knew that if I wanted to buy a home in Houston, I was probably going to have to wait another year or so because of work, income, etc. I’ll explain all that later!

I took the first step last July and had my credit pulled (I was nervous about that). At this point, I already had put some money aside in my savings account for a down payment. Although I was still unsure at that time about where I wanted to live, I felt I needed just to see what I could afford with my income. For those who don’t know, I am a loan officer at a mortgage company, so I had a coworker assist me with my application. I was able to get an idea of what a comfortable payment for me would be, and it allowed me to start looking for homes in my price range. I began to get excited but still felt a bit stressed out because I still had no clue where I wanted to live.

My lease was coming due late August, and I did not feel ready just yet. I renewed my contract for six more months. I told myself I would decide by then about my move regardless of whether I was staying in Dallas or going back to Houston. I also felt this would give me more time to improve my credit score, pay off some more debt, and keep saving my money.

Fast forward to the new year 2020; it was time to make a decision. I had prayed about it so many nights and discussed it with those close to me. I felt called to stay in Dallas for just a little while longer. At this time, I was already receiving daily emails on available houses, but I had not gone to see any in person. I had my credit pulled again, and now it was time to get serious about my house search. I was determined to find my perfect home! I looked at dozens of homes online and even put an offer on one but was disappointed when it wasn’t accepted. There were a few weeks left before my lease was up, and I still had not found a home.

Again, I started to stress about it and felt anxious. It was difficult to focus at work, and I thought that I was wasting time when I was not searching for a home. I questioned whether or not I was making the right decision. Was I too picky? Should I just get another apartment? Maybe it was not the right time, and I was forcing it. So many doubtful and negative thoughts filled my head. However, a part of me deep down was still hopeful and was telling me not to give up just yet.

After 7-8 houses, I found two more online I wanted to see in person. My realtor had scheduled us to see them on a Thursday, and I had to notify my apartments the following Monday whether or not I would be moving out in a month. I told myself that whatever was meant to be would happen. I decided that regardless of the outcome, I would figure it out like I always do. I fell in love with the second home and put in an offer right away! I looked at my phone a thousand times over the weekend before my realtor messaged me Sunday; we would not have an answer until Monday. I was like OMG; I needed to have an answer by then!

Monday comes and still no answer. I get another text in the morning that it will probably be “a few hours” before we knew anything. I was feeling annoyed and anxious about the whole situation. I called my apartments and practically begged for one more day to let them know. A little after six pm, my realtor calls me and tells me CONGRATS, THEY ACCEPTED. Whew! I was so happy but mostly relieved. I couldn’t believe it!

On Friday March 20th, I officially became a homeowner.

To wrap this up, I just want to say thank you to everyone who encouraged me and helped me with this process. I could not have done this without my sister, close friends, and my awesome coworkers that cheered me on throughout this journey. I am incredibly grateful for the people in my life. Although my mother is not physically with me, I continuously felt her by my side the entire time. Although buying a home was my decision, it was always what she wanted for me – something to call my own. That warms my heart the most about this entire experience.

My advice to anyone looking is not to settle, find a great realtor, and do your research! Also, you will never be “ready,” so if you’re thinking of buying a home go for it! I am working on another blog post where I share more tips and answer some questions I had when I first posted about it. Leave me a question or comment below if there is anything else you would like to know about my experience or in general.

Thank you for reading! Talk soon.