Tiara Breaks Through Barriers to Homeownership

Some of Tiara’s favorite memories growing up in Rio Rancho were sitting with her siblings in front of the window waiting for her dad to come home. Her family had not had their own home since the 1990s, so owning a home was something she had been wanting for a very long time. For many years, she had tried to buy her first home using traditional lenders; while she received preapprovals, she became overwhelmed by the whole process and never made it through. In addition, her two attempts to purchase a home through real estate contracts ended up being bad experiences. Tiara realized that what she really needed was to find someone who could help guide her through the whole home-buying process from start to finish. 

Having a place where she and her family could always come together made her determined to buy a home, and that’s when she reached out to Homewise. Tiara worked with her Home Purchase Advisor, Anda, to gather the right documentation and then completed the education courses, even taking additional classes that were not required because she felt they would be beneficial. “Anda was with me from start to finish, I think everybody really pretty much was.” All the questions she had about the home-buying process were answered by her Homewise team members.

Tiara, a single woman, faced some struggles before working with Homewise, and felt at times like she was not taken seriously. “I looked at a few houses up in Santa Fe and new home-building sites, and some of the realtors told me I needed to talk to my husband,” she shared. When she worked with Homewise Realtors Gloria and Ambrose, she felt they had great communication and worked as partners to navigate a challenging real estate market. “Being that I was buying during a seller’s market and things were flying off the shelf felt daunting,” said Tiara. The homes she really liked would already have offers on them as soon as she’d go see them. But Tiara had a vision of her perfect home where she could spend time with her family, and she persisted. Eventually, Gloria and Ambrose were able to help her find that home.

“You know, there’s always these barriers, and sometimes there are self-imposed barriers,” reflected Tiara, “but I think that Homewise really brings those barriers down and makes it a reality and helps you have a plan.”

Tiara’s home is now the hub for her family get-togethers where they frequently come to sing while she produces music. Her advice to anyone looking to buy a home is to be sure that you’re ready “mentally, physically, and emotionally.” She wants everyone to know that there’s a lot that goes into purchasing a home, but you shouldn’t get discouraged. “Just don’t give up, keep trying. The dream can happen for you too.”