After trying to buy a home in Boston a few years ago, Jenny and Jorge Fortin paused to regroup.
Competing with higher bids and all-cash offers, and not eligible for other down payment programs because they earned too much, the couple concentrated on building their savings.
Then last fall, when Jenny’s mother became ill, they decided it was time to find a house for all three of them, plus Jenny’s younger brother.
“When mom was hospitalized, we decided to check out Landed’s down payment program,” said Jenny, who previously worked for the City of Boston. “It was also a good time because we were getting married.”
Previously, they had looked to buy right in Boston, but this time expanded their search to areas outside the city, where homes are larger and in some cases more affordable.
On the first day of touring homes, they fell in love with an oversized, updated Cape Cod-style home in Walpole, with four bedrooms, two baths, hardwood floors, a finished basement, and a fenced-in backyard with a patio.
Jorge and Jenny outside their Cape Cod-style home in Walpole.
“We thought it was beautiful,” Jenny said. “It was at our max budget, but we made an offer and they accepted it. We got so lucky because this is not how it went the first time at all.”
The couple credits Landed’s down payment program with making the difference.
“The down payment was the biggest obstacle in the past because everyone was outbidding us,” Jenny said. “Having the 20% down payment from partnering with Landed changed everything. It made us stand out in this crazy market.”
The couple also appreciated the additional support from Landed, whether it was connecting them to a great real estate agent or being there to answer any questions about the homebuying process.
“Working with Landed kept us on track,” said Jorge, a program coordinator at Harvard University. “The clarity in the process was really nice, the help with the paperwork, having go-to people at Landed who could answer our questions, and even having an agent that already partnered with Landed was really helpful.”
The couple is surrounded by plants in their lovely sunroom.
Now settled into their home, they love that everyone has their own space to relax, and great shared spaces to come together. Jenny is also loving the home’s sunroom, and all agree the backyard is a great bonus for the family, which includes two dogs: Niko, a nine-year-old male German shepherd/husky/hound mix and Momoe, a one-year-old female pitbull mix.
“For me, the best part of the house is the backyard for the dogs,” Jorge said. “Momoe loves being outside and wants to be outside all day.”
Plus, they are enjoying the perks of homeownership that they didn’t have as renters.
“We love the privacy and the freedom to know that we can paint this wall or change things in the home without having to ask a landlord,” Jenny said. “It’s wonderful.”
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