my journey to home ownership

I’d thought it’d be cool to write a short blog on my journey to home ownership.
My first apartment was in a complex where my best friend at the time was living. I used to spend the night over there frequently and when the time came for me to get a place of my own, my friends apartment was the first place I looked. I ended up leasing a unit that was across the street from where he lived. I loved it. It was a spacious one bedroom with a balcony on the upper level. It had a large living room and dining room as well. I was literally nine miles and about a twenty minute drive from work. Best of all the utilities were included so my $600 a month payment went really well with my budget. I learned how to properly grocery shop, cook, and most importantly I learned how to budget. I found alternative means of entertainment, I read books, rented movies, and used leaking wifi, as an alternative to paying a cable bill, (which ironically I could have easily turned on myself, but chose not to for obvious reasons).

I had my place for roughly three years, and I thank God for the experience. The last months of that third year began to go down hill though. For one I had neighbors across from me who often had domestic disputes in which I or someone else had to call the cops regularly. I also had new neighbors below. There was this woman there, very small in stature, very loud in mouth. My apartments were old, probably older than me. So the walls were thin and one could hear everything. The woman who lived below me would always argue with whomever she’d have in her apartment, and would blast music throughout the day night as if there was this constant house party going on. She also had these screaming dramatic bed escapades that would last throughout the am hours on work nights. To top it off I would wake in the morning and smell weed, come home from work and smell weed, and lay my head down at night to smell the same. The straw broke the camels back when I woke up one morning to go to work and found my 92 Honda Civic missing from my parking space. I remember standing there for about ten minutes in silence and disbelief….not anger mind you, but just sheer disbelief. I laugh about it now because there was one word that echoed in my mind at the time I stood there, and to my African American readers you may well know what word that is, ha, but I digress. Needless to say it was time to move.

Anyway. My mom made me a great offer. Stay with her and her husband for a while, save up money for a car and try and buy my first home. Within about four or five months of my stay I had enough to put down on another Honda Civic, this time newer. I remember the same guidance and motivation my mom had given me before I moved into my apartment was the same guidance and motivation I was receiving during my time back with her. I am extremely grateful to both her and my step father for their kindness and guidance during that time.

I remember as this new year rolled in, I had by that time begun to get very close with a particular family that attended my congregation. A family that would shortly thereafter, welcome me into their home to live. This family, in their kindness not only opened their home for me to stay at no charge, but also aided me in my search for a home. They had extensive knowledge in the real estate,loan, and mortgage industry, and they helped me in the process of becoming FHA approved and found a few places and went with me to check them out. There were times when I would see a place and think, man this is it. Only to be disappointed. It got to a point where I had stopped being optimistic and literally was preparing myself to rent again. And then it happened, they found a place. It was perfect; not only was it a foreclosure but it was a HUD home, and so as you can imagine the price, along with the deal that HUD provided was a perfect match. But even with this place too, I had to be knocked up side the head (not literally lol) to try and get it. Because again,essentially I was thinking, "the first is coming up, I need to rent again, I don't want to be a burden to this family" while the family was saying essentially , "this is a great deal, you need to do all you can do to try and get it, you didn't come here for nothing, your not going to walk away a looser" So I mustered up the courage to bid, and by the grace of God my bid was accepted over that of investors. Everything worked out in God's perfect timing, and this critical lesson in life was again reaffirmed in my spirit.

He placed the Yarufalie's (Greek family I am staying with) in my life to guide me through the uncharted waters of buying a home, to constantly educate me in my ignorance, to provide food, and a place to lay my head. He also provided spiritual nourishment as well as they are a strong family of faith. I thank God for them, and I am indebted greatly to them in His Love.

My journey is just beginning. As I await closing, and all of the many things that must be done afterward to get in and settled. I am trusting more and more in God, as things fall into place. I'm also trusting that as He led me to this, He will grant me the grace and means by which to maintain it and the wisdom to do with it what He wills. I learned a short while ago that we must dedicate our blessings to Him. And thats what I definitely plan to do with this place.

Everything from the mortgage broker, to the realtor, to of course the Yarufalies, all have made this whole thing go so smoothly and seemingly effortlessly; and I am grateful for the peace that I can say that I have about it all.




I will provide one picture of my place below. And ask that you, reader, pray as I wait to close before the 30th of this month. Thank you for your time and for your prayers. Take care.