What A Time To Be Alive…Part 4

2014…I began having issues with the HVAC system. My finances were shitty. I lost my support through my grandparents and aunt because life shifted for them, too, so I could not afford to replace it. The system was old, the townhouse was built in the late 80s, and the systems the Home Warranty companies were offering were incompatible and 🚮🗑️!

Michai and I suffered through a year of limited air and emergency heat usage that made my Duke Energy bill ridiculously expensive. Used my tax money in 2015 to replace the HVAC AND had also fallen behind on the HOA because of the high Duke Energy bills and car repairs, and student loans, and…life. The HOA didn’t care so they began foreclosure proceedings. I quickly learned they had more power than banks. I lost my case and was forced to move. Michai’s dad was in real estate, so he educated me on what a ‘short sale’ was and got me in contact with someone who could help me. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER!!!

My Black next-door neighbor had passed away from Cancer and I asked her daughter if she would rent to me? She was skeptical because a previous tenant left the place in shambles. She appreciated my support of her family during her mother’s illness and accepted me as a tenant. I guess ‘Aggies Do’ be doing. I needed it because rent elsewhere was high, and I had a lot of stuff to move and not a lot of time to move it.

We moved in 2016 and I had NO IDEA she would be the landlord she was. 2018 the HVAC unit went out and she refused to repair it, so we were back to limited air and emergency heat and a high Duke Energy bill. I guess ‘Aggies Don’t,’ too. I was working more and experiencing a true benefit cliff. THAT heffa finally repaired the unit in 2019 and by early 2020 I was ready to go.

I reached out to Allonda Hawkins to see what my options were. She got me in touch with lenders and you would have thought I had the plague the way one talked to me. I told Allonda about it and also told her I needed to give my foreclosure some time so I would rent for the time being.

My hairstylist/friend told me about an apartment complex she saw while out eating. I applied and we moved the summer of 2020.

Good credit matters. RELATIONSHIPS matter MORE!

Back to Part 3…

Allonda sent me all the information I should have had when I purchased the townhome in 2006 AND it was so overwhelming that I told her I’d be back later. She immediately intervened and walked me through the steps of what I needed to do. When I learned that while I was approved for three times the amount I was approved for in 2006, that amount was only going to get me something similar to the townhome I purchased in 2006. I told her I’d be back again because this move was supposed to be my last one. She presented a scenario of me purchasing, staying until Michai graduates, then pulling the equity out so I could buy the forever home. I agreed and, in June, we began searching. Allonda was heavily involved in my mom’s housing situation, so when she learned my mom would be living with my sister and brother-in-law, she took me to another city to look at property. I liked it and we placed an offer. I went under contract on July 17th (my birthday), and I returned to work two days later to…

Part 3…

I closed on the house on August 25th!!! Allonda and her team prepared me for all I was to expect up to the closing date. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER!!! They provided a list of vendors to have everything set up because technology has greatly changed since my last purchase. Now…it has been HELL getting vendors to properly communicate, deliver on time, provide good customer service…relationships matter here, too, because I’ve been lighting those surveys right on up. I’m having to learn a new city; however, I purchased a home at a price ABOVE what I was originally approved. It’s quite a few Blacks in the neighborhood, too (relevant to the location and not the price💁🏾). Thank you to the family and friends who have helped us move over the years because, without the help, I would have had to pay A LOT for movers!!!

Part 3…one last time

I share this because it is absolutely a testimony, it’s a good season for me, AND I want to make sure I am clear on illustrating how I worked my ASS off to get here. I’ve eaten my way to finding mine and someone else’s ass, though. I took losses, I took some personal attacks from people (some of whom I thought were MY people) I genuinely cared about and still want the best for. I have had to be silent about some foul shit so, I earned this and I’m so happy to be supported in these efforts where it is only going to help me continue to push others to step out on faith while not being afraid to get what belongs to them. Pray, do the work, pray, have integrity, pray, focus on what’s for YOU, pray, watch as well as…pray, do better when you know better, pray, and understand how much RELATIONSHIPS MATTER!!!