When I came to the United States as a new immigrant in 2001 I wanted only one thing—freedom. Living paycheck to paycheck during a recession with a rent payment of $1,100, the idea of owning a house seemed so out of reach I didn’t dare think about it. It was a colleague who referred me to an agent he knew, despite my deep skepticism. I had no money but I was curious to learn more about home buying in the U.S. so I met with the agent.
This agent walked me through the process of home buying with the highest level of integrity and care. They patiently sought out homes that were “in my range” and presented many options for my consideration. Eventually he found a home that I wanted and I made an offer. When I was going through the loan application process the underwriter flagged that the money I had wasn’t enough to cover the down payment and closing costs. It confirmed my suspicions all along and I thought, “well, I knew this would happen!”
My agent offered to discount his commission to compensate for the shortage I had for closing costs and I was able to proceed with the purchase of my first house. My mortgage payment ended up being almost the same as my rent payment and was affordable to me. By now the value of my house has dramatically increased. The downstream effect of buying my first home has been nothing but positive, resulting in better credit, equity, stability and comfort.
The actions of one agent, having your best interests in mind can change your life—it did mine.
Written by Shehab Parnianchi
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