When Javier Ibanez and Jacqueline Adams’ one-bedroom apartment in San Jose also became their only place to work and study after the pandemic hit, the couple knew it was time to find more space.
“We started thinking about buying a home last year,” said Jacqueline, who teaches at Milpitas Unified School District. “Our apartment was too tight with both of us teaching from home and we were tired of renting. We wanted our money to go toward our future, not to rent.”
The couple, who plans to marry next year, wanted to move deeper into South San Jose, where Jacqueline grew up (Javier grew up in downtown San Jose). They were curious about fourplexes there, and visited a friend who lived in one to see if it was what they were looking for.
They liked the style of home, but there were some obstacles. Already high prices were on the rise due to demand from the pandemic. And bidding wars could mean lots of unaccepted offers.
When Jacqueline heard about Landed’s mission to help essential professionals (such as those working in education) buy homes, she thought we might be able to help. She attended an info session and started researching all of their options.
They had considered a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan, and looked into San Jose County programs for homebuyers, but found income limits and long waitlists.
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Javier and Jacqueline near their new home in San Jose, CA.
Partnering with Landed to reach a 20% down payment was the best deal, the couple realized, and they soon had faith Landed was a reliable partner.
“It sounded too good to be true at first,” Javier, a special education teacher at Campbell Union High School District, said. “And there were terms and other aspects of homebuying that as first-time homebuyers we didn’t know about. But our Landed team answered all our questions and made us feel like we weren’t going into the process alone.”
They also appreciated the ongoing support and help from their Landed team, especially since in addition to virtually teaching their students all day, they both are also earning advanced degrees/certifications in education.
“We tried to focus on homebuying stuff in the evenings and weekends so our days weren’t too interrupted,” Jacqueline said, adding their real estate agent, who is also part of the Landed agent network, was a great help. “She was a great advocate for us. She took a lot of the pressure of homebuying off our shoulders.”
The couple is now happy to be in their two-bedroom home, which sits across the street from a park. And their two cats, Mango and Kitty Baby, love playing on the carpeted steps, which are a step up from their old cat tree.
Plus, they are seeing their investment already pay off. Two months after buying their home, an identical one across the street sold for 11% more than the couple paid for theirs.
“Landed came into our lives at the perfect time,” Jacqueline said. ”We’re getting married next year and we wanted to stay in the area. South San Jose is our home, but we never thought it’d be possible to own there, until Landed.”
