WHAT?!?!
Ok, I’ve slightly calmed down now but I’m still extremely excited. I shared the good news with my newsletter fam first last week, but I feel like the millennial dream. Homeownership for many people in this country is not attainable and the housing market over the past couple of years has made it an even more difficult process. Add in the fact that 44.1%% of Black Americans own their homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, compared with 74.5% of White Americans, and I’m even more thankful for the blessing and privilege of home ownership. For those of you who are also first-time homebuyers or just genuinely curious about our process so far, I wanted to share a bit about our journey!
We started looking for a house in the spring with the intention of putting an end date at the end of our lease in August. Because we were on such great terms with our landlord we knew the rent wouldn’t be raised too much. However, we just felt like this was the time to start taking a few home tours to see what we could get with our budget. I reached out to a realtor friend of mine (Krysta Medley) to see if it was worth it to start looking at houses right now. In the end, it’s important to know if it’s a sound financial decision for YOU, despite the external factors. After a long discussion, she essentially encouraged us to take a look and that’s when it all began!
I think the grand total was 5! Wanna know something crazy? We put our FIRST EVER offer in on a home over memorial day weekend- sight unseen. Now, hold on. I know you’re freaking out. BUT it was a great location, we knew the area really well and it was everything we were looking for. Our realtor gave us a FaceTime tour and we instantly fell in love. I don’t regret doing that one bit. Especially when I learned we lost out to a rental company that offered $85,000 over ask. (Yes, seriously). It wasn’t meant to be.
It can be stressful to constantly get your hopes up for an offer for it to not be accepted. Will even said if we didn’t get this house, he’d need a break before continuing on. And I can’t blame him! The time it takes for home tours, reading contracts- all while balancing everyday life… The emotional toll is A LOT.
But a lot of the homes we lost turned out to be HUGE blessings. The size would’ve been a nightmare to clean, would’ve been a stretch financially, the commute to work would’ve gotten old quickly, etc. The house we chose needs a bit more TLC inside, but it’s essentially move-in ready minus aesthetic upgrades. It’s only 30 minutes to Will’s office versus the current 50-minute commute and an area that continues to see growth. We really couldn’t be happier with our choice!
Ain’t God good?
I wasn’t really pulling in a steady salary until 2020. Between college, grad school, and living in 2 of the most expensive cities in the US, it was difficult to save. Will and I discussed buying when we first got married but figured it would be worth it to rent while we were new to Charlotte. Not only did this help us figure out what area we wanted to invest in, but it also allowed us the chance to enjoy the early stages without the stress of homeownership! Plus, it was nice to live in trendy, walkable neighborhoods like NODA or South End (areas that would be impossible to buy in for what we want). Once I started working for myself, it became infinitely easier to save. We pinched pennies but still found ways to travel when we could. We wanted to buy within the first 3-5 years of marriage and whatever worked with our leases, so it was just the perfect opportunity!
If you’re someone looking to make homeownership a reality one day, it might be worth it to just talk to a professional. I know it varies on the market and location, but there’s no harm in asking! Whether that’s a realtor, financial planner, lender, etc. it might shock you what type of resources are available out there today. I was the person who scrolled Zillow every night before bed and didn’t think we’d be able to make the leap so soon. Truly a Paul Rudd *look at us* meme moment.
(P.S. If you’d like me to chat more about what freelancers should expect when it comes to the home buying process, feel free to comment below and I might do a dedicated blog post!)
Again, this is a dream come true for us and I’m so happy I get to share with you all about our next steps. Thank you to everyone who was silently cheering for us as I shared home tours on stories all summer! I promise I won’t be transitioning into a home decor account. But definitely expect some more home content from me in the future! Let me know what content you’d like to see first!
Facebook | Twitter | TikTok | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube
You Might Also Like… MY CLOFFICE MOOD BOARD and BACKYARD PATIO REVEAL
Yay!!! Congratulations! Looking forward to a tour if you’re up for sharing!
Thank you so much! I’ll share what I can soon :)