How I Bought a House at 19!!!

First, we need a little background information! I moved out with my boyfriend (now husband) at the age of 17. He was still living with his mom so I basically moved into his mom’s house with him. We lived there without having to worry about many expenses just our want and needs. We didn’t even think about saving at that time (which we really should have). A few months later, I got pregnant and I knew for sure I did NOT want to live at my mother-in-law’s house with a newborn. I began to look at apartments since we didn’t have anything saved for a house. We got the apartment one month before my due date! (CRAZY, I KNOW!!)

***Now I am a person that once I have my mind set in something, I will do my best to achieve my goal. I also firmly believe in God’s timing. God does everything for a reason, but that doesn’t mean we get to sit back and wait for things to just happen without any effort from our part. ***

One thing my boyfriend and I knew for sure was that we did not want to rent any more than what we had to. We both agreed that we were going to do our best to only rent for one year and hopefully before our 1 year contract was up; we would have a house (nothing big and fancy, just a simple house for our family). We were able to save $1,000 within the first 6 months. We knew that was not a lot of money for home-owners but we were still very proud of ourselves. Shortly after that we did our Income Tax and we saved it all, $3,500. So at this point, we had $4,500 saved for our future house, which is still not a lot but you have to start somewhere, right? 2 months later, we were able to save another $500 which increased our savings up to $5,000 for a down payment.

Finally, we started looking for a home! We knew what we wanted our house to be like so we kept those things in mind. (You don’t want to move into a house that you completely hate! It will make you miserable! Have requirements for your future home!) We knew for sure we wanted a brick home, in a nice neighborhood, with at least 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, central AC, and an average sized yard! We looked and looked and looked and looked. I found some houses that I thought were okay, but they did not meet all of our requirements. Luckily, my husband and I were on the same page and he helped keep me in track and not fall for any house I pointed out.

I found houses that I thought were going to be ours for sure! But my husband was not having it, whether it was in a bad neighborhood or not enough land. He did not give in. I was starting to get a little frustrated myself because our contract was almost up and we still couldn’t find anything.

Fortunately we had someone to get a second opinion from, my dad. He rents houses, so he was also there to advise us on what we need to consider before getting our hopes up. It is always good to have a somewhat expert on that topic, especially for first time buyers! I consider my dad a professional on this so I never doubt his judgement.

10 months into our 1 year contract and we still had nothing. Fortunately, my dad was also on the look-out! (The more people you have helping, the better!) We finally went to go look at a house that a gentleman was willing to sell to my dad before even putting it on the market! We took a look at the house… Nice neighborhood? Check! Brick home? Check! 3 bedrooms and 2 restrooms? Check! Central AC? Check! An average sized yard? Check! Check! Check! We could not believe it. The house did need new flooring and painting but overall it was perfect. Our credit was not the best since we were still getting started, so my dad bought the house under his name. We put $10,000 down, we had $5,000 on us already and we were able to borrow another $5,000 for our down payment.

By the time the paperwork was finalized, we had one month left on our 1 year contract and I could not stand it anymore! I didn’t want to keep living at our small 1 bedroom apartment when we had the keys to our HOME! We packed our stuff and left and I was able to work something out with our landlord and still get our deposit back! We made the payments on the house and remodeled our home to our taste and everything was done just in time for our second baby’s due date! We are currently still in that house and now it’s under our name since we were able to increase our credit score within the year! We are hoping we can get it paid off real soon and get a bigger house for our third child that is now on the way!!

Overall, I would advise to be patient. I know that can be very hard especially when you’re on a deadline! But the right house will come eventually, even if it is 2 months before your deadline. It’s better to actually look at all of your options. Also, please take your time and get a second opinion as well. You may think “THAT” house is perfect but there may be something you’re missing due to all of your excitement. Trust me, I’ve been there!

Also, be prepared! We were able to have at least half of our down payment saved by the time we found our house. If possible, have it all saved.

Most importantly, put your pride to the side. Some people struggle when they’re finally on their own and that’s due to their own pride. It is okay to accept help; there is nothing wrong with asking for some assistance. Especially when you’re young and have no idea what you’re getting yourself into like my husband and I. Persistence is key! Do not give up. If you really set your mind to something, you can achieve it. Don’t be too quick to throw in the towel. When you finally reach your goal, it will be worth it!

It will be worth it to be able to say that you are 19 and living in your own home!

We lived in my mother-in-law’s house for 1 year.

We lived in our apartment for 1 year.

& we bought a house soon after!

We thank GOD for everything. Do not ever stop thanking him for all your blessings. We wouldn’t be where we are now without the grace of God and his perfect timing!

 

XO,

Mariela Oviedo