1ST TIME BUYER

Marlena specializes in addressing the individual uniqueness of every home and knows how to take a home from “Oh” to “WOW”!

Never in a Million Years

Never in a million years… did I think I would own a home. I was broke and broken. I was a single parent with two small kids, working full time and going to school and I still qualified for Food Stamps.

My kids received free meals at school which was a very humbling experience—especially for me being white, middle class and college-educated.

It took years for me to get my thinking straight about the greater possibilities of life. I took these experiences of defeat and depression and with the help of professionals, friends and family, I found a more empowering way of being. I started to focus on what I could do and start to rebuild my life.

Fast forward…after 10 years of being a single parent, I met the man of my dreams.  It wasn’t like he was going to be the answer to all my problems—I just knew we would walk hand and hand together and do this thing called life. He was by no mean my “meal ticket” out of poverty. (He was renting a room in a house and the only “furniture” he had included a box springs and a sleeping bag for a bed.)

Another Fast Forward… we have since owned 4 homes! So…you never can tell, anything is possible. It all starts with knowing what you want, knowing you are “enough”, finding people who will help support and guide you, and the willingness to learn what you need to know to get from Point A to Point B and, eventually, you’ll have your dream come true.

TIP #1

Start somewhere! Start with a vision.

Figure out why you would want to buy a home.

What does it mean to you?

Why is it important to you? 

What would you love?

The answers to these questions will help you find your “Why”.  This “Why” will be what drives you and becomes your vision for what you want and why you want it.

But first…Where do you start???

MYTH 

First time home buyers need a HUGE down payment.  

FACT

First time home buyers don’t need a huge down payment. There are many low-down payment mortgages that first time home buyers have access to.  Some first time home buyer loans are as low as 3% and some of them (USDA and VA loans) are 0% with special requirements.

There are things that they just don’t teach you in school!  For instance, your credit score. Do you know the difference between the Report Date and Due Date that helps drive your credit score? Let’s get educated and become “Financially Smart!”. If you’re about to retire, it’s never to early or to late to do financial retirement planning. This is an on-going process and again…they don’t teach you this in school…so, let’s get started.

Check out this FREE booklet and guide to first time home buyers called, “The (Future) Homeowner Club—A 12 Month Game Plan for Buying Your First Home.”