Second Chances

Are you stuck in a rut? Feel like you will never be able to own your own home? We can help!

One of our latest success stories comes from a man that shows hard work and dedication pays off. Clyde is a true testament to what striving for a second chance takes. He was trying to find a home so that he could start a new chapter in his life. By saving money diligently, Clyde was able to take a giant step toward finding a home. He found a home through us and began calling regularly. When he went to look at the house he loved it and wanted to know what the next steps were. We helped him through the simple process of buying his home and beginning his second chance on life. He was very thankful for all the help and guidance that we provided him along the way.

Contact us today to find out how we can help you in your journey to a better you!

Ain't Got No Money?

No more excuses. Get started now. Save now for your down payment, it could mean a savings of over $288,000 in a lifetime!  That’s just what you will pay to rent a house for $600 a month  for 40 years!  (Let’s just hope the landlord doesn't  go up on the rent in 40 years!-Not likely)

Now who wants to spend that kind of money just to rent a house?

Check out our rent to own home today @ www.findmyhomesweethome.com

(Need help saving? Check out my last blog post for tips on how to save.)

Saving is a Stepping Stone to Home Ownership

A lot of the people I talk to that dream of owning their own home are dealing with set-backs. Maybe they've lost their job, their marriage or a loved one. Maybe they've made bad decisions and are learning to make better ones. Sometimes they just don't make that much money and think that means they'll have to rent forever. I'm here to tell you that regardless of your situation YOU CAN OWN A HOME YOU LOVE! That doesn't mean I can just magically make that happen for you. But it does mean that you can take steps right now that will get you ready for the home you've been longing to have. In this blogpost I'm going to focus on ways to save money for a downpayment.

1. Put your tax return in a savings account and leave it alone. Do this with any big chunk of money you get. Put it in your savings account and do your best to forget it exists.
2. Ask your family for help with the downpayment. You might be surprised! Grandpa might be just waiting for a good opportunity to show his love and support to you.  If you have a little money set by already, show that to your family. They may be more willing to help when they see that you're making the extra effort yourself.
3. Look for "lost" money. I'm always being surprised at the places people stash their money and forget about. Look for old savings bonds, coin collections, gold jewelry, or lapsed savings accounts. You might also be able to take a loan against an insurance policy.
4. Take a second job. It's not glamorous, but you know that every cent you earn can go toward your downpayment. 
5. Clean out your closets and sell your extra stuff. Have a yard sale, advertise in the paper or better yet on Craigslist. If you've got collectibles, try selling on Ebay--then put the money in your house fund.
6. Ask your boss for a raise and put the additional money in your downpayment fund.
7. Set up automatic transfers to your savings account. Do you have automatic deposit on your paycheck? You can do the same thing with your savings account. Talk to your bank about automatically moving a set amount of money from your checking account to your savings the day after you get paid.
8. Pay off your credit cards! They are financial bloodsuckers! The longer they sit, the more you pay in interest, so pay them off so you can get on with saving.
9. Create a specific downpayment savings account. If your home downpayment fund is in the same place as the rest of your savings, you'll be likely to raid it when things are tight. Create an account specifically for your house fund and try and forget it exists.
10. Cut back now for gains later. Maybe you're renting a bigger house than you need or spend a lot of money eating out. Look at where you put your money now and see where you can cut back and put that savings into your downpayment fund.

Now go ahead!  Choose at least one of these things and take action on it.  You'll be happy when you see the results!

Conatan Did It!

Conatan did it!  (You can too!) He now owns his own home!

When Conatan first called me with an an interest in one of our homes we had for sale, he couldn't qualify for a bank loan but he could still qualify to buy one of our homes. (we have lots of ways for people to buy a home that don't depend on great credit or 20% down).  He moved into the home he wanted and after making his monthly payment faithfully and steadily for 2 years and also by making good choices with his money, he improved his credit and was able to apply for and get his own mortgage with a bank.  I'm so proud of him--and he's proud too! Congratulations Conatan!  You are an encouragement to many other people who have a dream of "home sweet home"!

Getting to home ownership is easier than hiking the Appalachian Trail!  Small steps can make a big difference. For Conatan, just paying his bills on time improved his credit  quickly and got him on the path to owning his own home.

What small step can you make to improve your credit?
1.  Get on a payment plan with medical bills?
2.  Settle out a bad account?
3.  Pay down a credit card bill?

Our Newest Lease-Purchase Buyer!

Our most recent Lease/Purchase buyer is turning his home into something that is most unique!   Every time I see him, he's got plans and drawings he's working on, and he's started demolition!

Bob was such a pleasure to deal with, a buyer that really benefits from our lease purchase opportunity. He was extremely grateful for the opportunity and repeatedly told us, "I can not say thank you enough!"

The Home We Have All Lived In

Remember when this was your home?  Of course you don't!But this is where everyone started out.  This was our very first home.  Things were easy then. But  now our needs have changed.
 

Now we need a roof over our heads; we need a heat pump; we need windows;  we need a driveway and a garage.  We need a nice stove to cook our food and the list goes on.

That's why  in our Business, Better Home Solutions, I have a team that works very hard to find a home someone will love. 
Everyone longs for home. If you're looking for yours, visit the website at www.FindMyHomeSweetHome.com and see what we have available. Be sure to sign up for our VIP email blast so when we have a new home available we will email you first!

By the way, that's my first grandchild you're looking at!  I'll get to see her this month!  Due date is February 25. :)

Another Happy Home

Two sisters found their home sweet home at a beautiful Victorian home we had for sale on a lease purchase yesterday.  They'll be enjoying all that open space in their huge 2200+ home.  They are ready to make great memories there!  there will be roller skating and walks to the library and bike rides....oh happy days.

New Seller Financed Home with 2 acres in Georgia

My New Home

My business has a new home!  It's truly a new home, rebuilt by my contracting team.  Now I have a place to put my files, my calendars, my business computer.  I have a place for people to come and fill out applications, see our latest projects, sell their piece of property or buy a home of their own.

I love this office with its wood floors and windows.  It helps me think clearly just to be here.  It allows me to be inspired.  It gives me a place to have my "alone" room.  I can get so much done here in the peace and quiet.

A Home for Everything

Everything and everyone needs a home... Even my business!  We need a good business location that is a place  accessible to our clients, has enough space for all of our desks and files, and is a convenient distance from relevant locations. Better Homes Solutions LLC has had a home that fits many of these characteristics.

For the past year and a half, our business home has been located in a beautiful old building in downtown Johnson City.  This building used to be the train station.  For a while, the bottom floors were occupied by restaurants - The Sophisticated Otter and Picasso's - but after a while, each restaurant went out of business.  Now a local church has made the bottom two floors its home.  Our business has been in a room on the third floor.  Are you seeing an issue already with the location?  The view is very beautiful - no doubt about that.  However, the six flights of stairs that you have to hike up just to pay a visit gets old fast, especially if you're carrying a load of files and computers.  The beautiful old building is just that: beautiful and old.  The door and window frames don't seal like they used to, the rooms are drafty and always  cold in the winter.  The windows are not sturdy.  Birds have made nests in the outer layer of bricks. More than once, the wind has knocked the office window out of the frame and into the floor of the office, leaving shards of glass everywhere. And of course, if the window is out of the frame, wind and rain wreak havoc on the electronics and paperwork stored in the office.

So, we are scouting for a new home. We're looking for a change: enough of climbing stairs, birds building nests in the walls, windows falling into the office when we have a bad storm, and cold, drafty winters.  We are looking for a home that is on the ground floor.  We want a great downtown location. And we want a place with history. We are looking for a place that will be easy access for all of our visitors.

Stay tuned because we may have found the PERFECT place!!! To be continued...

We Find Solutions For Home Buyers

Some people think home ownership is an unobtainable dream. There seem to be so many things standing in the way to owning a home. But for every problem there is a solution and we work hard to find them for those wanting a home of their own. Holly overcame some of her obstacles and was able to move into one our "rent-to-own" homes, even with a bankruptcy on her financial record.

After years of apartments and spending up to a third of her income renting someone else's property, she decided she had enough of landlords and living in less than desirable homes. She wanted her own home. She'd been through bankruptcy, so her credit wasn't great. But she was working on it and her efforts were paying off with a credit score that was rising steadily.

Holly tried getting a mortgage from a bank, but even with a large down payment the interest rate would have been too high (another obstacle to home ownership). She found Better Home Solutions LLC on the Internet and read about how how our company helps people get into a home of their own with the Rent-to-Own option.

Holly had lots of questions and we explained how our Rent-to-Own option could help her become the owner  of  her own home even without a huge down payment and a high credit score. Because she had a great rental history, no criminal record, and had taken steps to improve her credit, she was able to move in with a minimal down payment and very affordable monthly payments.  Now Holly is building up her own bank account by building up her deposit account every month. In a few years, she will have saved enough to afford a nice down payment on her home.

Just a short while ago, Holly couldn't see how she would ever be able to afford her own home.  But now she is well on her way to fulfilling that dream. Good for Holly! We admire and applaud her.
Holly's hard work paid off.

It can happen for you, too!

Visit 123gethouse.com and learn how you can find your home sweet home.

New Thoughts This Christmas

When my mom died around Christmas quite a few years back, I had a really hard time listening to lots of the Christmas songs that continually played at Christmastime. I even quit going into the stores that played music. I noticed that this year, though, I could hear those songs in the store or on the radio and not feel like I had to get as far away from them as I could. That's such a welcome healing. I've even been texting my daughter the first lines to some of these songs and she texts back the next line to me like playing ping pong. So for those of you who have someone missing from one of the "rooms" in your life, I hope you experience comfort and relief this Christmas and on top of that, some humor in the memories of times past. Hey....go rock around the Christmas tree...and give yourself time... try listening to some new and upbeat Christmas songs, or Celtic Christmas stories and songs to get you through these healing times. God bless you. May you find in Him your "Home Sweet Home."

Thanksgiving and a Home Filled with People

The home was filled with people and everyone pitched in this year so it was great food and company. The day after Thanksgiving we went to Grove Park Inn to see the competition for the best Gingerbread House ever! Isn't it funny? We even have contests building houses out of gingerbread! We'
ll be starting a new remodel (not with gingerbread) but with ceramic tile and picket fences. Will be posting before and after pictures soon of this Victorian Style Home near the heart of downtown Johnson City, TN. Next Thanksgiving an new family will gather in this home and celebrate together, making memories with loved ones.

I Wanna Buy Some Apartments!

Ah...I wish I could find some apartments to buy. I'm posting on craig's list and telling all my friends and all I've come up with so far is a mobile home park in Erwin. Well, I know I'll find what I'm looking for if I just keep looking and don't give up. Is there something you are looking for in life. Have you gotten discouraged and given up? Well I invite you to get back in the saddle and continue your search for whatever that thing is you're looking for. Just take a step toward it today.

Welcome Home Rhonda!

Everyone seems to have a burning desire for home....so it's always such a pleasure to help people see the dream for home realized. We just sold a beautiful home to Rhonda who had been in Atlanta for years and longed to come home to Kingsport. She originally thought she was going to rent a place and then she came across our great home on Sequoyah Dr. She knew it would be a great way to save money and have an investment too. And she could move home! Congratulations, Rhonda! You took action and got your home. Welcome Back!!

A New Remodel

Well, we started a new remodel. Cal Twitty, Jr. is doing the work this time. Coming soon...a new home for someone waiting for a "home sweet home" at 407 Whitney St. in Johnson City, TN. Videos to come soon along with our newest charity that is going to benefit when the next person buys a home from us! Want to help us help others have a home of their own? Stay tuned.

Happy Sellers

We just finished the absolutely greatest closing so far! Joe and Teresa sold their 6 Kingsport houses to us all in ONE afternoon! We just plain make life easy for buyers and sellers! Are you on my VIP list yet? You snooze you loose!

I found "home sweet home" in the mountains of east Tennessee.

Hopper Road

It's all about the atmosphere in this great 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment! Beautiful neighborhood! This SWEET little apartment complex has one unit available. Enjoy some peace and quiet out on Hopper Road. Just a couple of minutes from town and you're in pasture land! Bring a lawn chair for the backyard and enjoy the awesome, year 'round, East Tennessee scenery.We'll have some pictures soon but you can still call us today if you think this could be your next home! You can also find some more information about this home and others on 123gethouse.com!

West Walnut

This is a perfect one level apartment with a spacious kitchen, oak cabinets, and a large living room! The bedroom has a ceiling fan and cathedral ceilings! There is also a large yard and great level parking! Just minutes away from Johnson City Medical Center and ETSU! Be sure to look at the pictures and call us today about your next home! You can also see more pictures and information on our website, 123gethouse.com!