Kendra

“It was the best decision of my life.”

KENDRA, A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO came to the US from the Dominican Republic seven years ago to seek a better life. She has always established goals; to become a U.S. Citizen and start her own business, which she completed a few years after her arrival. The other was to buy a home. She dreamed about having her own home for a long time. A friend told her about the classes, so in September 2018, she decided to take a course at MVHP, and with personal advice from their Home Buyer Counselor and about 2 follow-ups managed to get a clear view of her situation and what she had to do.

“How to plan a year ahead was the most helpful for me. I learned what I had to do income-wise and how much I needed to save, as well as getting an affordable mortgage product.” The loan saved her couple of hundred dollars a month with no PMI. Her lender was Natalia Berbesi with Santander, who made the loan process very easy and was very accommodating.

Building the perfect team was essential in her success as a first-time home buyer, and the personal assistance provided by the Partnership helped her make her dream become reality. With the help of the down payment assistance program, Kendra managed to buy her home six months later and lives a happy life with her children and her parents who moved in a few months later.

“Before we got a Home, I didn’t have the freedom to do things the way I wanted or to decorate my home to my taste. Now I can have a dog, a pool and a grill, things I couldn’t own before. Only after a few weeks, when I was buying new decorations for my house did I realize, that this was my home and that here, my family and I can be free to live our own lives the way we want it.”

She remembers the legal presentation provided during the course and that was very helpful for her. The City of Lowell down payment assistance program made home ownership a reality. Kendra said “It would have taken at least a year or longer to save all the funds to purchase. My credit was great but this made it happen much quicker.” People perceive her more positively ever since because of what she has accomplished as a single parent.

Kendra is proud to own a four-bedroom house with a nice pool, which she claims is the best way to bring the family together. Her children love the new home. Her son says “I feel like we are middle class now” .

“Everybody should take the course. It was really, the best decision of my life.”

Congratulations Kendra on becoming a first time Home Owner.