We wanted a house long before we purchased one. My heart broke with envy as I watched newly married friends purchase houses when my newlywed husband and I were hunting for apartments.
I brought home my first and second babies to a small, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 700-square foot rental. My blood boiled as I stepped over toys while trying to cook dinner in the one open-concept room that served as our kitchen, dining room, living room, and ultimately play room. Our days would drag on with no place to work off our excess energy, except for a miniscule deck that we weren’t even allowed to keep a barbecue on.
I wanted to buy a house for years. For years we couldn’t afford it.
Finally, one day, we considered our options. Maybe, just maybe, we could speak to a professional about acquiring a mortgage. Maybe, just maybe, we could afford one.
We started house hunting.
There is a kind of relief that comes with the closing day on a new house. Until the keys are in hand, there is always a concern that something could go awry. While we had money in the bank, we had some trouble accessing it when it came time to pay for the down payment, which caused a few hours of heart palpitations. But finally, it was done. The years of pining for a house of our own were over and we had a permanent home that we could grow into. Apart from the prospects of moving (with a husband who had recently injured his back), I was pretty close to heaven.
By the end of July, we’ll have been home owners for a year.
It only took a couple of months in our new home for things to start breaking. It was then that friends in the know started telling us how hard that first year of home ownership is. When you’ve scrapped the bottom of the barrel to get that first mortgage, those impromptu major house maintenance issues that start popping up soon after can feel completely debilitating.
Just ask us about our cracked bedroom window that has been held together with duct tape since last fall.
I have come to learn that tight budgets and slim wallets don’t end when the keys to your first house are placed in your hands. I am starting to understand that moving into a house means that there is a lifetime to make it into the home I imagine it to be. I still haven’t painted or decorated or re-landscaped. We pay for what is necessary and we put off the rest, all the while packing lunches, taking public transit and shopping second hand for those kid-clothes that keep needing to be replaced.
My husband and I will likely continue to worry about finances, but slowly we are taking control. We take stock of our progress each month and vow to do better or congratulate ourselves on a good month.
Families and homes are both built slowly and steady, with lots of intention. And slowly, steadily, and intentionally we will work towards financial stability as a family within our home. It is okay for these things to take time. The best things always do.
At SunTrust Bank their purpose is lighting the way to financial well being. They help you get organized, make a plan, and stay on track so you can get and stay in control of your finances. When you are confident about your money, you can save for your goals and splurge knowingly on what matters most to you.
To get started visit suntrust.com/getorganized.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SunTrust Bank. The opinions and text are all mine.
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