If I Can Buy a Home... So Can You!

     As an educator in Denver I thought that I would be a renter for the rest of my life.  The concept of saving for a down payment seemed like a pipe dream.  I watched as many of my friends achieved the American Dream of purchasing real estate in neighborhoods like South Broadway, Capital Hill, and the Highlands.  Meanwhile, rent prices were continuing to rise and I had to move further south where one bedroom apartments could still be found for under $1000 a month.

     But at that point in my life two things happened.  The first was that I started my real estate career, and realized not only the benefits but also the possibility of owning my own home.  The second was that I actually came to love the less expensive neighborhood of Englewood that I had moved to.  Thus began my search for my very own home.

     My career in real estate opened up a whole new realm of possibility for me.  It introduced me, firstly, to minimum down payment loans.  This means that on my $210,000 condo I only needed to come up with $6000 to purchase it.  Now I know what you're thinking, $6000 is still a lot of money.  That is where Down Payment Assistance comes in.  As a realtor I was able to apply what would have been my commission to the bulk of these up front costs, but a Down Payment Assistance program would serve the exact same purpose.  What's the catch?  There is no catch!  The government has created these programs because they WANT you to own a home.

     So I did it!  I purchased a condo in Englewood.  I have realized the very adult realty of home ownership.  More than that I own a washer/dryer for the first time in my life, a fireplace, and stairs!  I actually can say to people, "oh, I keep that upstairs."
     My rent on my 500 square foot one-bedroom apartment ten minutes down the road was just $100 less than my new mortgage on my 1100 square foot two-bedroom condo.  And, I have a spare bedroom that I can rent out to help pay that mortgage.
     The best part is that I am building equity for myself.  Instead of putting that money in some landlord's pocket, I'm putting it in my own.  That means that somewhere down the road, if I decide to sell, I get that money back in the sales price of my property.  But for now, I am perfectly content to enjoy my brand new condo.  

This is me on move in day at my new condo surround by boxes, tools, and seasons of The Office to get me through unpacking.