A story of two houses
Lessons learned about finding the first home
Growing up, I told myself that I would not tie myself to material things, and in a sense, I followed through with that. After meeting my future wife, I could not think of anything else, but finding a safe home for us. On my part, I was reacting a little instinctually, but for Martha, having a good house to start our lives was nothing but logical. We moved to L.A., and I thought finding a house in such a large city was going to be a piece of cake. Well, it turns out that that was not going to be the case. Luckily for us, all the right pieces fell into our lap.
Right away, my parents told us they would be helping us with the deposit for the financing. Then, our good friend, Jinah, said she would be our real estate agent. She was nothing but a blessing for us.
We had the right team, the best team. But with any complex endeavor, there are bound to be bumps in the road. I was the first to go down. I was exhausted after two weeks of looking for the perfect home. Martha and Jinah soldiered on, and they found us the perfect townhouse in Alhambra. We stayed there for 8 years, and we raised our daughter there for her first 5 years. We had a lot of great memories in that first house.
I learned that buying the first home is not just about managing money, or finding the right neighborhood. Those are the goals, and not the process. I’m not a professional home buyer. I don’t spend the work week buying a home and filling out documents. I was lucky enough to have a friend as an agent, but I was careful to follow through with her advice. She was set on finding us the right home, and with the lessons learned, we were ready for the next move.
In 2017, we moved our family to Escondido to start new careers and to be closer to family. The second purchase was a lot easier than the first. We had our documents prepared, the credit score was way above average, and of course, we had another great friend/agent ready to help us in San Diego.
Through careful preparation and keeping an open mind, the experience of becoming home owners in California has been a rewarding experience. This experience is something I hope will be one of many lessons I’m going to pass on to my daughter.
Finding the first house is not always about money or location. Healthy relationships with family and friends can make all the difference. A home is not made of four walls and a roof. Family makes the home.
