Life handed Lisa Walker a series of challenges back in 2018. A divorce, unexpected job layoff and financial peril forced her to expeditiously sell what she considered to be her forever dream home. Add to the mix the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, rising home prices and low inventory – all of which made Lisa question if she could ever become a homeowner again.
It took her more than a year to find full-time employment after her layoff, but her new income was substantially less. “Realistically, the probability of me saving for a down payment and purchasing a new home was little to none based on my income as a single parent,” explains Lisa.
But when Lisa’s real estate agent told her about Invest Atlanta and how it could help, she decided to attend one of its Homeownership Q&A Session webinars. It was then that Lisa realized her dream of once again owning a home was still within reach.
Lisa, in fact, now had a team of advocates, including Invest Atlanta, her agent and lender, who helped her navigate the entire process. And, with help from Invest Atlanta’s Down Payment Assistance Program, Lisa was able to purchase her dream home – a three-story, brick townhouse located in the heart of Atlanta in a neighborhood filled with beautiful, mature trees.
“From the initial Q&A webinar to closing day, working and partnering with Invest Atlanta was a joy,” she says. “Everyone was so pleasant and nice to work with.”
Lisa Facetimed with her daughter, who was away at college, when she signed the last of the closing documents and received the keys to her new home. “This meant so much to me,” Lisa shares. “It was a moment that exemplified no matter how hard life gets and no matter how many times you’re knocked down, we get back up and keep trying until we meet our goals.”
Lisa says Invest Atlanta’s down payment assistance changed her life and brought hope during a time of despair. “It gifted me the American Dream of homeownership that I doubted I could achieve again,” she says. “Most importantly, it gave me and my daughter a home to call our own – home sweet home!”