Cleared to Close!!!

I got a phone call today from my lender! He whispered the sweetest words into my ears today. He said, "Congratulations, you are cleared to close!" OMG!!!! I am about to be a homeowner! It is finally happening in God's timing of course! I was filled with so many emotions all at the same time. Excitement, joy, relief, anxiety, and even more that I cannot even put into words. I have to put the raw, human emotions aside for a bit to shift to a spiritual realm and scream from the roof tops, "TO GOD BE THE GLORY!" Some people wonder why I choose to elevate God so much. I need everyone to know that it is because there is nothing in this life that I would have without God, Jesus AND the Holy Spirit. God has shown me grace, favor, mercy, provision and so much more. He has equipped and empowered me to be a tremendous blessing to my community. He has given me the greatest gift of being able to thrive in my purpose. He has used every one of my talents to be a blessing to the Kingdom of God. I wake up each day and wonder what did I do to be so blessed. Why did He choose me? Then I remember, we all have a unique destiny to fulfill. It's up to us to be obedient to the call on our lives and follow through. So, I'll stop preaching for a minutes and start teaching, which is one of my talents by the way.

I am a millennial. I graduated form college during the aftermath of the market crash of 2008. It was a scary time for many of us. People were getting laid off, losing full-time job opportunities and really at a loss for how they would provide for themselves after graduating. I was super grateful to have secured a full-time job paying $55,000 a year with exceptional benefits. However, I also had $110,000 of student loan debt. The numbers were not adding up. I didn't have a personal goal to become a homeowner when in college or when I first graduated but after meeting some amazing people in the DMV area, some of which were homeowners, I started to have the desire to achieve this "American Dream" for myself.

I was born into a family of homeowners. My grandmother has been an amazing example for my family. Coming over from Guyana with a high school education and securing a real estate investment. How?!?! My mind still can't even fathom how she did it. Not even in the physical. How did she overcome her mindset and environment that consistently told her no to still achieve in a way that is impacting my generation and my nieces and nephews. I am floored at God's grace, mercy and provision on my blood line. Then my father came in and continued the legacy. He ensured his wife and children would live in a house that we owned. Even though he left when I was three years old and has not played a major role in my life, I still have so much gratitude for the example he set for me and my sisters. No matter what you do, make sure you own where you live. He never told me any of this. My grandmother and father both taught me through their actions. 

Needless to say, I have had to come to a lot of conclusions on my own. I built a desire over the years to become a homeowner. I learned quickly that this was a very different environment than what my parents and grandparents had to navigate. I was committed. I knew that I wanted this for myself and I would stop at nothing until I got it done. Fast forward and now I am only a few steps away from being a homeowner. I am elated. I can't wait for the next chapter and I hope I can inspire more people to take this important step for their future.