Kim and Renee were in the market for a home in 2020. They had significantly outgrown the small house they were renting- a tiny 2 bedroom for the couple, their at the time 5 year old and 14 year old, 2 cats, and a dog.
“We had three requirements,” Renee shares, “At least 3 bedrooms, the bathtub has to drain, and the electric plugs need three holes. That’s it. That’s what wasn’t working in our last place.”
Kim had been sent home two weeks prior to the world shutting down in response to the then new COVID 19 virus because of her autoimmune vulnerability. With the living room as the office and school, it was time to get a new place.
“We took the Homebuyer Education Workshop in August of 2020- which was really helpful. Then met with Kayla- that’s how it works.” Kayla Bernier-Wright is one of our Housing Counselors assisting first-time homebuyers through the whole process. “Poor Kayla,” Kim and Renee laugh, “We must have emailed her every other day for a solid four months… But honestly, she plays such a big role in sharing the information and walking us through but even more as a counselor- because it’s a heartbreaking process.”
Becoming a homeowner during the first years of the pandemic has been unbelievably challenging. Homes have sold within hours to cash offers. Kim and Renee had an added layer of complexity. Aside from student loans and credit building, Kim had to work through a bankruptcy claim due to medical bills almost a year prior. “We were already doing the work on our credit- the bankruptcy allowed me to pay back what I could but the banks either wouldn’t talk to us or initially approved us, we started house hunting, it’d come time to put in an offer, then we were denied.”
Things finally turned around for the couple after almost a year of working through everything. They found a mortgage broker who identified claims on their credit report that didn’t belong to them, got it corrected, and within hours had their pre-approval letter.
“The letter came Wednesday, the listing went up Thursday night.” Kim recollects, “There was an open house on Saturday, we were the last scheduled appointment, and we had already become attached to the house when we were driving up the road. We couldn’t believe it.”
Kim got a call Sunday letting them know the sellers wanted everyone’s best offers by the evening. “We thought we would have the weekend to think about it but we pulled it together and offered what we were comfortable with. And we went to bed that night thinking this might be another disappointment. The next morning, Renee was already at work, I got a call from the realtor- they’d accepted our offer! I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. From there, the process went smoothly and quickly.”
“I still to this day stand on the deck and think, ‘How did we do this?” Renee added, “And we’re getting married here in September!”
Kim and Renee, their kids, dog, and cats now live in a 4 bedroom home in Springfield overlooking the rolling hills of Vermont. Their dream home. They’ve built a strong connection with the neighbors who have helped with some minor home repair projects. They attribute a lot of their success to the Homebuyer Education Workshop and Kayla’s steadfast dedication to their homebuyer journey. June 30th is their 1 year anniversary for moving in. Happy anniversary and happy Homeownership Month!
