For Tim and Jessica, the road to homeownership was a journey that taught them many life lessons along the way. 

That journey started about four years ago when Jessica and her daughter moved to the United States, and Jessica and Tim met at work. Before getting married, they each rented their own apartments before moving into one together. Their next step as a family was getting connected to Family Promise of West Michigan, which helped them move into a mobile home. 

After two years of renting their mobile home, Jessica and Tim decided it was time to apply for a house in hopes of putting down roots in a place they owned together. “This was actually the first home we looked at. The first one and the only one we made an offer on, which is just a blessing, really,” said Tim. From there, they worked through our Homeownership Program and became homeowners six months later. 

Tim and Jessica wanted to become homeowners so they could have more privacy, security, space to grow their family, and to put their money into something that they would own instead of rent. As Jessica said, “When you move into a house, it’s not an expense, it’s an investment. When you get your house, it’s a future for your family, for many generations to come.” With this in mind, they were glad to take the classes in Family Promise’s and our programs to learn more about what goes into maintaining a home and the discipline it takes to be a homeowner. 

They aren’t the only ones who were excited about their homeownership opportunity. Jessica explained how shocked her friends were when they heard the news, “my friends in the church couldn’t believe we got a new house, especially one close to downtown. They thought it was awesome.”  

Their friends and family love coming to visit their new home and have already come over many times since they moved in. “It’s exciting for everyone, our family and our friends,” said Tim. 

Now that they’ve settled in their new space, they’re starting to think about their plans for the future. These include personal goals like finishing their school programs and growing their family, and home project goals like installing a fence in the backyard and finishing their basement. 

Hear more from Tim and Jessica in the video below!