My first home

I'm a very lucky girl. As a college graduation gift, my dad agreed to give me a down payment for my first home, and I agreed to handle the monthly mortgage payments. As a student who studied finance in college, I knew what I was getting myself into in that respect, but no matter how much you study real estate finance nothing can prepare you for the roller coaster ride that is being a homeowner for the first time in your life. I'm twenty-two years old, and I live by myself, so it was kind of a lot to take on.

My dad and I, embarking on another journey together.

Buying a home is not an easy task. I started my hunt for the perfect place back in November, and I thought I had found the perfect one bedroom, one bathroom townhouse in midtown (just outside of downtown) Houston. It was modern, had new fixtures everywhere, it was on the second floor of a 4-story building, and it was in an extremely desirable location. I got my pre-approval from the bank, the owners accepted our offer, and all seemed like it was going in the right direction! Unfortunately, complications with the mortgage and the building the condo was located in ended up killing the deal in March. It was crushing... I had invested months of my time and energy in trying to buy this place and it ended up not working out. However, I believe in God's plan, and that everything happens for a reason, and I knew I would end up finding another place that would work better for me.

A few weeks after the first deal fell through, I called up my realtor and we continued the search for the perfect townhouse/condo. We saw a lot of lemons, I'm not gonna lie. We looked at a lot of very old-fashioned places that had not been updated since their original build in the 50's, 60's, or 70's! We saw some very ugly places to be honest. It was very difficult to find what I wanted, in the right location, with the budget my dad had set for me. Finally we came across a gem. Located in a small complex with only 14 units, we found the most charming little place with a courtyard outside, directly across from a nice park, in the right location, AND it was two bedroom and two bathroom! A much better deal than the first place I had put an offer on. This place was beautiful from the moment I walked in. The building is a "historic landmark" originally built in 1927, however the townhomes were updated in 1999. It had so much more character than the original place I was interested in. Every room had gorgeous hardwood floors, minus the bathrooms which were tiled. Both bathrooms included a double vanity and a shower, and the master bath had a jacuzzi tub! There was a large walk in closet in the master, and the kitchen was beautifully updated with black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. This was the one! I put an offer on it the day we found it, it was quickly accepted, and so the waiting game began. What seemed like endless communications with the bank, title company, and my realtor finally ended successfully! I had a place to call my home! I was over the moon excited, and I couldn't wait to get out of my tiny studio rental with awful parking. My new home boasted two covered parking spots... all mine :)

Home sweet home.