When Sarah and Michael were ready to buy a home in Albuquerque, they came to Homestart first.

A good friend recently purchased her home through Homestart and had a good experience, so they felt comfortable starting here. “We both work for non-profits, so the idea of going to Homestart to purchase our home was in alignment with our values,” explains Sarah.

Sarah and Michael had been keeping an eye on their credit and debt, and were in good shape in those areas. They just needed a little bit more savings, and worked with their Homestart Home Purchase Advisor on a plan to put away the difference between their current monthly rent and their anticipated future mortgage payment. This helped them increase their savings and be prepared for their new monthly budget once they became homeowners.

When they were financially ready, they began looking at homes with Ambrose, their Homewise Realtor, and quickly found exactly what they wanted. “This was actually the first house we looked at,” says Michael. “We looked at other homes, but decided the first one fit all our needs.”

One of the reasons the couple decided to buy was because they wanted to fulfill their dream of having a dog. And this pooch didn’t disappoint. Their well-behaved, yet frisky and energetic pup of eight months keeps himself entertained by running back and forth with a ball across the spacious back yard. “We hang out a lot on the back patio,” says Sarah. “Can you just see this place back in the 1950s? What great parties they must have had here?”

The immaculate brick home has its original hardwood floors and a large living area that opens to the dining room. Sliding glass doors lead to the covered back patio that overlooks the yard encircled by a fence. Sarah and Michael seem to play the part perfectly, with their laid-back attitudes and sweet demeanors. Not to mention the brand-new retro-style upholstery in the living room. They even use the clothesline, they admit. Their neighborhood of well-kept lawns, tidy facades and cars parked in garages paints a nice picture of a community that respects each other and the things they own.