Lisa is a Performing Arts teacher at Thrive Community School in Santa Fe. In 2021, she decided that she wanted to become a homeowner. She had heard about Homewise from Rachael, a Homewise Home Purchase Advisor and friend from her dancing group. When she started the coaching process, she felt like she couldn’t keep up with the housing market in Santa Fe. “People were just like buying with cash and over the asking price.” 

Lisa decided she needed to pause her home search and take some time to build up her purchasing power. “All the skills I learned with the financial planning, debt management, all that stuff, I kept that in the back of my head and kept working on that.” Lisa kept working towards her goal but worried that the market in Santa Fe was getting too expensive for her to stay in the community on her teaching salary. “It’s very hard for policemen, firemen, the teachers, anyone who’s like doing that community service work to live here.”  Lisa began to feel like she might have to leave Santa Fe. “I was so afraid,” she thought to herself “if I don’t do something now, I will be forced out of this community unwillingly.” 

When Lisa came back to us, we had a new way of helping her achieve her dream of homeownership. She qualified for our Jing Lyman Educator Fund, a down payment assistance fund designed to help educators afford to stay in Santa Fe. This assistance, combined with Lisa’s work to boost her purchasing power, made additional homes fit into her budget, and enabled her to start her home search again. 

She began working with Gloria, a Homewise Realtor who she felt an immediate connection with. “We both have kids with special needs. And so she understands the depth and need of security, especially regarding home for your child’s future.” Gloria showed Lisa a handful of houses before they found one that fit what she was looking for. 

“I am so grateful to have a home for my son,” Lisa said.  After years of living in small apartments that fit within her budget while she worked towards her credit, debt, and savings goals, she said it was rewarding to see how excited her son was for their new home – “it’s definitely not a mansion, but you know, for him, it’s a mansion.” 

Lisa recommends that anyone looking to buy a home sign up for free Homewise classes and financial coaching. She says the homeownership process was made much less intimidating thanks to the knowledge she gained while working with us. “There’s just so much to it that if you aren’t taught it, there’s no way that you’ll know it.” She hopes others see her story as inspiration to pursue their dreams of homeownership like her.

“If I can be a single mom and a teacher and make it happen, then you know, it can happen.”