Tonight I'm first time Buyers
Club. It's been a lifelong dream to
own a house, but once I got into it, it brought me down And I
would love to have a house by my birthday. Welcome to what could be your
dream home. Oh wow, this is amazing. Got a dishwasher that I wanted. There you go. Hey, washing dishes. Are you starting to picture
yourself here? This one feels more like home. It's fit for the whole family. Welcome to the Sunshine State. What more can you ask for? I'm Amina Stevens, a dedicated
realtor in Tampa Bay. Honestly, this is my favorite
part. I do have some information. I'm going to go over with you
today. As a former educator, I've made
it my mission to help first time home buyers navigate the
challenging path to home ownership. I went through a hardship. I'm not going to lie to you. It doesn't matter if you don't
have the biggest budget or the best credit score. Let's make it happen. There's a path for everyone to
become a homeowner. I can't wait. Can we just go in? Yes, Let's go. Let's go. Oh wow. I love it. From negotiating deals to
uncovering hidden gems in the market, I'm more than just a
realtor, wrinkly, a little magic. I'm your trusted partner
confidant and your guide. You can literally change your
entire community, which ultimately changes the world, to
the first time Buyers Club. So I'm on my way to meet my
client, Loretta, for the first time. She is not what you would
consider your average first time home buyer. She is 57 years old and she's
planning for retirement. But a part of that retirement
plan is that she is ready to get into her own home. Over the years she has moved
around a lot, She has housed family members and now it's
finally time for Loretta to leave the nest and get her own
place. Hey Loretta. Hi. How you doing? Good. Nice to see you. Same here. I'm excited. I'm ready to get started. Tell me you know why you want to
buy in the 1st place. It's been a lifelong dream to
own a house. I just never had the funds and
it's just the time wasn't right. But my time is now. I'm getting ready to retire and
I won't be traveling from city and city to state to state. I have somewhere to put my roots
down and have my own place and I don't have to move anymore. I've been working for the
Department of Corrections for 17 years. Every four to five years I moved
to a different city, to a different prison. So once I retire I can set my
roots down. Is there anything that you feel
like you can't do in your apartment that you would love to
do in a house or walk around and sit down somewhere where there's
no one else? So how many people are living in
your house right now? 50575011? It's very tight in there. My daughter and her four kids,
we've been living in my apartment for about a year now,
and then my son comes. Sometimes he'll bring his friend
with him and it's fluffy. It's rough. It's rough. That's all I can say. It's rough and it's tiresome and
it's time for me to move on. My birthday is only a few weeks
away and I would love to have a house by my birthday. The grand babies can come, but
they got to go back home. So it sounds like in your
situation, maybe you don't want a super big house, because the
bigger the house right, the more opportunities stop by the big
sign on the door. Sorry, no, I'm trying to stick
my landlord to let my daughter keep that apartment, OK? So I I don't have to bring her
here. Is the process at a glance. OK. So a lot of times first time
home buyers feel like they're like conspiracy theories to keep
all the secrets of home ownership away from them. So I like to educate them and
let them know exactly where they're in the process and what
steps we need to take to get them to their keys. Sometimes buyers are afraid to
really open up and share all their dreams of home ownership
because they think that it's not possible. Once they know that I care, we
now are the dream team to help them get into their first home. We're in the the kind of like
what is the hardest stage for most people which is the pre
approved stage. OK. I've been talking to some loan
officers and what did you request? I requested 335350 because I
went out and I looked at a lot of homes and stuff and I got
prices for everything. So he initially asked for 3:50
and and what did they say and he was like 170 to 240. Yeah. The good news is that I, I did
speak to one of the loan officers that I say and they
were able to say a lot of down payment assistance, a lot of
different specialty programs. So there are a lot of special
loan programs out there for first time home buyers. Some of them provide down
payment assistance. Some of them doesn't require No
Down Payment at all. There are so many different
options that can help make home ownership more affordable and
they're all tied to you as a buyer. So in Loretta's circumstance, I
was able to find a program, it didn't require a down payment. It had a lower interest rate. So if Loretta gets qualified for
this portfolio loan program that I found for her, she may be able
to increase her purchasing power and it will get her qualified
for a much better home. So Loretta, I'm usually the one
that comes with the paperwork. What is in there? My paperwork is all of the homes
that I went through, and I love that. At the beginning of going out
and looking for these houses, my dreams were really big. But once I got into it and I get
to see steps by steps and the things that I need to take, it
brought me down. I was kind of, yeah, but talking
to you, my dreams are coming back up. So it's kind of overwhelming,
but I'm learning a lot. Honestly, I'm super impressed
you got his homework. I actually got a little
emotional because I was like, this is somebody that really
wants a house. So the next step will be
searching for homes. Tell me a little bit about what
you want at home. I want a three bedroom. How many bathrooms? 2A place for my washer and
dryer, dishwasher and outside patio. What would you say is a need? Because if you know what happens
is that I love for everybody to tell me exactly what they want,
but there's once and there's needs. So I need a dishwasher. OK. You know, I just started using
the dishwasher this year. Really. I grew up being told that we
don't use a dishwasher. And I thought that you had to
wash. I just thought, you know,
honestly, I was just like, black people don't use dishwashers. I mean, don't use it. That's what I thought. But then my Mama said, no, it
was because our dishwasher was broke. We can probably use the
dishwasher. And is there anything else we
can think about at your home? I grew up in the project. OK, girl, I I don't want to buy
a house in a bad neighborhood. I want a nice neighborhood. OK. You know, as we explore the
process, we'll look and see what neighborhoods you prefer when
you get there. And you have that feeling like I
can live here or I can't live here. It's like buying a new pair of
shoes. Yeah. And I was jumping off Batman. Yes, exactly. And once we purchase this house,
it's going to be one of the best feelings of my life. Do you already kind of feel it? I feel it. I feel it. I feel it coming on. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I feel it coming on. Things changed within me
purchasing my home. I got sick, I went to the
hospital so therefore I can't move in the home alone. Now I'm going to have to bring
my daughter and my grandkids. This home is my forever home and
her until she get ready to get out home. So today I'm showing houses to
Loretta for the first time. They'll all fall around her
$265,000 budget range. Now that her daughter and
grandkids will be living with her, I'm confident that this
first house will give everyone the room that they need. We are in Brooksville, living
days a week. Come take a champagne. It's one of the areas that you
really wanted to be in. So this house just hit the
market. So I wanted to get you in here
quick so you can see what it has to offer. OK. All right. All right. Let's go inside. Let's go. I'm ready. I've been waiting. I'm excited. Me too. So what do you think? It's a bit small. So it's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath,
just under 1300 square feet and got a dishwasher that I wanted. There you go. Hey, washing dishes, Bathroom. So I know this one is a little
small, but a lot of the houses in your budget only had one
bathroom. 2 bathrooms are very important. When you got nine people living
in a house. All those smelly people in the
house, huh? Yes, two men. We got a bath. Yes, we got tubs and showers all
around. Here we go. Yeah. Sweet funk queen. Yeah. You got a backyard view? Yeah, it's on two sides, so
check this out. Oh wow. Nice patio. Sit down and have coffee in the
morning. Now it is fully fenced. The roof is actually only a few
years old, and the AC is for 2023. It's nice this house is an older
home, but it does have great bones. It has block construction, has a
newer roof, newer AC, newer water heater, right? This is hard to get in
Brooksville in your price point. Unfortunately, you do not
qualify for the Home Buyer Assistance Program for this
house. So that means you would have to
pay a down payment and your monthly payment would be higher. So I took the reader to
Brooksville to show her what kind of home she would be able
to afford in her desired location. However, we move a little bit
further away. Loretta's budget will go further
because of a county assistance program she would qualify for
and the houses are bigger and newer. I need to see where Loretta
stands. Location is still a top
priority, but if we find something better then that's
where I'll go. This home made me excited, but
it was a little too small. A little disappointed, but it's
only the 1st house. So I'm taking Loretta to Marion
County, about 50 miles north of Brooksville, because she's
approved for a loan program that only works in Marion County. This will allow her to purchase
a brand new house and no money down, no mortgage insurance, and
a lower interest rate. That will give her a lower
monthly payment. And going out to Marion County
might be the stretch that she needs to take in order to get
into that dream home. Welcome in. Oh wow. This house is amazing. Yes. So this is a brand new home. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, a
large backyard and as you can see, many beautiful finishes. There it is. Yes, Yes. There you go. A brand new. It's not you, It's listening for
a queen sparkly. Oh, wow. My Kings eyes bed are fitting
here. Perfect. Wow. It's roomy. Now this is a walk in closet
piece of dancing here. I know. Hey, let's do it. Let's do it. Hey, that's that. That's that new home water
dance. I know. That's right. Wow. Oh, I love the shower. It's got a double sink. Double sink, Same counters as in
the kitchen. Wow. So far. So far, so far so good. You got a nice view of the
backyard. It's a very nice lot where you
don't have to worry about looking into someone's backyard. You can just look into your own. And the nature and peace and
quiet. Yes, wow, It's got a front view. I didn't think it was as much
traffic when we pulled up the first time, but as the day go
by, I see a lot. It's probably something to
consider. You know, think about your
grandkids. You know it is a little bit of a
potentially a safety hazard to be right on the main road. So situation since my grandkids
are coming with me, I want to provide the safest environment
for them. I love the house, neighborhood
is nice, but the traffic is dangerous. But I need a better lot. How does this play out with, you
know, what's going on in your life? You know, like your your, your
grandkids, your daughter. It's, you know, because she lost
the job because me going in the hospital and coming out. So continue to take care of him
until she can get up on her feet. I got a little choked up, choked
up. It's just that I want to see if
we can get you a brand new home right in this region, but maybe
not off of the main road. Location is important. Not just the area of the city,
of the town, but where it's at in the community. So do you trust me to just just
for a little bit to go see if I can find it? I trust you with all my heart. All my heart. You just proposed to me. I did. If you could buy me a house. Now that Loretta sees how big of
a house she can get in Marion County, she's on board with the
location, just not so close to her main road. It makes sense that Loretta's
thinking about her family and their safety. This next house is in the same
area, so it qualifies for the assistance programs and it's set
back further from the road. Welcome on. Alright, so this may look
familiar. Yes, yes, we are at the exact
same model, exact same price, exact same square footage, but
it's on a lot with a lot more land. So I want to know what you
think. OK, it's great. It's not so much traffic, safe
for the kids. You know the kids won't get no
traffic or anything. This is the perfect spot. Welcome to what could be your
dream home. Welcome in. Oh, wow. Yes, Wow. We are at the exact same model,
but it's on a lot with a lot more land. Welcome in. Oh, wow. Yes. You get the same butterflies
that you felt. Yes. Oh yes. So everything that you love
about the original floor plan is still here. You have the main bedroom on
this side. You have everybody else on that
side. This is the same exact House of
the model. Switched around. What's on the left is on the
right. Over here. It's it's it's just what I
wanted. You have this bedroom and it
faces the yard. Yes. Whoever gets this bedroom gets a
great view. No, that's right. What do you think it would be? My daughter, she's going to take
it. This room is much larger than
the room that she's in. Really. In the apartment? Oh, yeah, much larger. So that they're crammed in
there. Crammed in there. She got a little room to work
with. There we go. There we go. And then we have the whole
bathroom. OK, so they don't have to come
over there and they can stay over here. Exactly. And then last but not least, we
have the third of the babies. Room for the babies. Oh yeah. Now at the apartment, they don't
have their room. They were all sleeping in the
room with their mom. Five of them in one room or they
spread in the couch. Spread over here, spread in my
room. They're going to be excited to
know that this is their room. And I want to ask them, this is
your room. How do you want to decorate your
room? This is your room. Oh, that's amazing that you're
able to provide that. And the great thing about this,
we won't be all on top of each other. There you go. Yeah, that first house was just
too small for you and your family. And the second one was way too
close to traffic. So now you know to the focal
point of the home is the huge backyard. Is all of this. My backyard is all yours? All of this. Wow, look at this. This is amazing. All is yard for them to play
with. If you were over there, I
wouldn't be able to see you. I'd be like, thread, is that
you? OK, Marco Polo on this yard? OK. I mean, yeah, honestly, I mean,
I could see so much out here. Your kids barbecues that you
invite your favorite realtor to? Of course I can. I can see so much life out here. I know it. We'll go explore it. Wow. Hello. Wow. Still walking. Still walking. What more can you ask for
exactly? I see it's all for season. And it's time. Let's do it. Let's do it. She was right. I put my trust to her. And she was right. This is Zach. A mansion. There's so much possibility. I definitely can see holidays
here. Family dinners, Yes. This one feels more like home. Really. This one feels more like home. It's fit for the whole family. That yard is amazing. Yeah. Hours and hours them kids can
spend out there. And I'm ready to put that offer
in. Are you ready? I'm ready. Let's go. Let's make this out. Do it. Let's do it. This is happening way faster
than I expected and I now I found my forever home. The time has come to submit an
offer on Loretta's first home. I am super excited to submit an
offer on this home because it qualifies perfectly for the loan
program that I master with in Marion County. So we're going to come in strong
at the asking price of $259,000. The structure of this offer
means that Loretta's going to bring no money to the closing
table and her monthly payment is going to be a lot less than
expected. I submitted Loretta's offer two
days ago and just heard back from the listing agent, so I've
asked Loretta to meet me so I can give her the news in person. Hey, Loretta. Hi. How you doing? So I got a call from the listing
agent. Were there other people that
came by this weekend that were interested in it? I am very nervous. I don't want nobody to know how
I'm really feeling inside. I'm hoping that parents, she's
going to tell me that I have the house and everything is great. But then there's always a
possibility that it might hit a snag. Hi, Loretta. I got a call from the listing
agent. There are other people that came
by this weekend that were interested in it, and she let me
know that the accepted your offer as is. Oh great, this house is yours,
all right? And we're going to close on
November 3rd, so that is only a few days before your birthday
and just in time. What a great birthday gift. I am poked. I am poked. I am poked. I feel like superwoman, that I'm
able to get this home with enough room for the family where
everybody can live comfortable. I feel really good about it. It took a long time. I've waited many years for this
because you're going to be moving so far from, you know,
your current home. Does it feel a bit comforting
that you're going to bring your family with you? Yes. But I'm looking for that day
that she'll go on. You know what we're going to do? We're going to sell her house. We're going to sell her another
house in America. Yeah. Sell her house back in town. No, you know what? I'm not understood. Nobody. Now, our next step to be able to
do a walk through with the builder, make sure everything is
up to your standards. And then we're going to have a a
closer celebration. Oh, yes. Big party. Here we go. Big celebration. I'm ready to get you to those
keys. I'm ready to get those keys,
Loretta. It's closing day. Yes, I'm so proud. So in the beginning, when we
met, you know you impressed me with how much you studied and
how hard you worked to become a homeowner. So I thought it would only be
right if I awarded you with your official host by Amina Homeowner
certificate. And welcome to the first Time by
yourself. Thank you. And you're hereby officially a
homeowner. Congratulations. This is my house. This is my home. Hi. Welcome home. It's been a long time and a long
time. Searching and beating the
pavement trying to find one. But I finally did it. No. This is a room fit for a queen
that was really huge. And Prince. The queen and Prince. So that's all right. We have cake to celebrate. Do the honors. OK. This is the best birthday
present ever. I was missing. I had in a long time. Loretta's the kind of buyer that
gives me hope because she never gave up hope. Her journey started long before
she ever met me. Come on. Let's go check on this bike. Yeah, I work with first time
home buyers every day, but it's rare to find one as motivated as
Loretta was. You want to play too. She was so optimistic about home
ownership despite all the roadblocks she's experienced
with that fire. And with that spirit, I was able
to educate Loretta on every step of the process and finally lead
her to the keys to her dream home in Marion County.
