Aileen was a longtime renter and found herself believing it was time to make a move and invest in a home for her family. As a mother of three, she wanted her children to have a permanent place to call home but was unsure if she could purchase a home on her own.
She was smiling as she shared that she found herself talking to God and saying, ‘You know I’m paying so much money on two bedrooms…my lease is about to expire. If it’s okay with you for me to have a home, I’m okay with that.”
Aileen shared that regardless she would be okay, but just wanted to be pointed in the right direction.
She began looking into buying a home and contacted Gateway Mortgage to help her with her home lending needs. At first, she was unsure if she could afford a down payment, but the team at Gateway Mortgage told her about REI Oklahoma’s Down Payment Assistance program. After walking through the REI Down Payment Assistance program, she saw that buying a home was something she could do.
Aileen took a leap of faith and toured two homes for sale. The second home was her favorite and she had the added surprise that the appraisal and inspection were already taken care of, making for an easy process. Knowing she had Gateway Mortgage and REI Down Payment Assistance by her side, Aileen felt that she had made the right decision.
“I believe it would have been really hard for me to achieve that [buying a home] without [REI Oklahoma’s] help so I’m grateful for that,” Aileen said.
When asked what she is most proud of as a homeowner, Aileen began laughing and shared what many parents face when she said less bickering from the kids. “No issues with closet space and mess,” she shared.
Aileen is enjoying landscaping and having an outdoor space to do things like barbecue, play volleyball and potentially have a hot tub.
Thanks to all who partner with us to make home ownership a reality for people like Aileen.