Denise Chavous, a mom of two, was antsy to get out of her apartment. But she tried to buy a home a couple of years ago and never found the right house for her family.
So she directed the money that would have gone to a mortgage into helping pay a year's private school tuition for her youngest daughter. Once that was over, Chavous, 29, started the house hunt again.
“Being able to pay for private school, I knew I could pay for a mortgage,” she said. “I had already been ready, but knowing I could really afford it, it was like, yeah, we have to do this now. It was just time.”
The priority
The location needed to be close to World Changers Church International in College Park, where Chavous attends and works as a quality control analyst and new hire trainer. She also desired a home with a least a one-car garage, a yard for the girls and three bedrooms. Also on the wish list were hardwood floors, a fireplace and a garden tub in the master bathroom.
The search
After looking at properties online, Chavous, daughters Jade, 9, and Kai, 7, and her agent, Bridgett Young Lewis with Harry Norman, Realtors, viewed multiple properties on Saturdays over a three-month period.
She sought her daughters’ opinions on the homes, but had to try to keep them from getting their hopes up about a certain property.
“They would go through and go, this can be my room and this can be your room,’” she said. “I had to remind them that nothing is set in stone yet, but we were out looking.”
For homes her price range -- under $80,000 -- she learned that they had to stay on top of listings as they became available. If she waited, the homes were snapped up, she said.
“I wasn’t surprised. If you see a good house, you have to know that somebody else thinks it’s a good house, too,” she said. “I didn’t give up.”
The home
She purchased a four-bedroom, three-bath home in southwest Atlanta, built in 2004, with new carpet and paint. Although it didn’t have hardwood floors, the home had a fireplace and garden tub.
When Chavous viewed the home, it was listed for $79,900. Her timing was just right.
“I just was so excited about all this house had to offer, with the extra bedroom and the extra bath,” she said. “I said, let me just look at this online again. I emailed Bridgett and I was like ... ‘I just Googled it and it says $69,000.’ They had just changed the price. At that point, I was like this is my house.”
The tip
Even though you may be approved for a mortgage of a certain amount, try to stay well below that amount to ensure you can make you mortgage payment, she said. Parents also need to have some money set aside for extracurricular activities and emergencies.
“I think if I had overshot myself, then I would be struggling,” she said. “You have to be honest with yourself about how much you can afford for a mortgage, plus the bills.”
She offered the new asking price and purchased the home in June 2011.
“I stayed in a house until I was about 10 and then I was in an apartment with my mom,” she said. “I just think it’s a really key part for a kid to be able to go outside and run around without having to worry about the apartment, cars and just to be a part of a neighborhood and to be able to know the neighbors. I love it for them.”
