In February of last year I knew I had to move to a new place and started looking for a place to rent. So I began to look for what is on the streets. Oh boy rent don cost !!! I was actually ready to pay a pretty penny for a nice place to rent, but in my head I kept saying hmmm why would I spend so much on rent ?I had always desired to buy a home and was further inspired when I read “Real Women Invest in Real Estate: The Wise Woman's Guide to Real Estate Investing and Achieving Financial Security” by Udo Okonjo. The book shares stories of women who took tangible steps towards property ownership and achieved their goals despite the odds.
Now I am essentially a jobbing “actor” which pretty much means that I don’t have a guaranteed source of income asides from the basic salary that I get from Wash & Go (as per good business practices). In addition, a large percentage of the money I had made over the years are completely tied up in stocks and other long term investments and I had no plans of releasing them.
All I knew was to become a homeowner I needed to BELIEVE I could become home owner. I just didn’t know when and how quick I could make it happen.
In the meantime as I pondered on my desire to become a homeowner, I needed to go rental house hunting for my very near move that was coming. I began looking for a place to rent and I recall finding a really cute place - I loved it so much that I saved it on my phone as my “MY NEW HOUSE.” But as I set my mind on it, I clearly heard the Holy Spirit say babes that’s not your house. I was like hmm okay. I decided to keep looking. Although I was still having it in mind that I was moving to a rented place, I really felt like I needed to exercise some faith and at least know what’s on the market in regards to buying a property. So while I was looking for a place to rent , I decided to simultaneously look at places that were up for sale ( remember o, I only have money to rent a place, but I said let me find out what the real estate market is saying). I was further encourage by a friend of mine who had just bought a home and he really encouraged me to at least begin looking (Thank you forever Friend! You believed in me deeply.)
My agent - Croston Homes, got to work and on a Friday, we headed out for viewings. After looking at places that day, I came back so defeated. I was shook at how poorly built and overpriced most of the properties were. I came back home and I just laid on the floor in my room asking God how am I ever gonna buy a house . Funny, God actually answered me- I clearly heard God say, "look in a very specific area and cut your coat according to your size". I was like OKAY! So I called my agent -Croston Homes and gave them new instructions and said let’s go out next week Monday.
Now let’s rewind a bit to 2020, I had been speaking to Auntie Jumoke Adenowo about wanting to buy a house and she said to me the first time we prayed that there would be something different about my house and I would know it was exactly mine!
We hadn’t spoken about it since then. Then on Saturday (the next day after the viewings) Auntie Jumoke randomly calls me and says Bolanle it’s time to buy your house and I am like Woah, and mentioned I went house hunting the day before! She says, "Exactly its TIME". I was so geeked. I wrote the note below because I needed to let my whole soul, mind and body know that my new status was homeownership. I didn’t have the cash for it but y’all I told myself I AM a HOME OWNER!!
On Monday my agent Croston Homes took me to two viewings. Both were equally nice and in the same budget, but the minute I walked into the second place, I felt it, to the core of my soul that I had found MY HOUSE! The agent of the house told me that is was hotcake and I should let him know if I was serious. I was serious but how was I going to pay for it?!!!
(To Be Continued)
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