When you talk with former teacher Lauren Goettge, you get the sense of someone who is used to juggling a lot of things at once. This is a skillset that served her well in her days in the classroom, but even for Lauren, buying a home was different.
Like many people interested in working with Landed, Lauren had already been a homeowner. After about four years of living in a small condo, however, her needs had changed. She wanted to be closer to the Cole neighborhood of Denver where she taught. She also dreamed of having more space for herself and her dog, Gus, with their own backyard as well as a spare bedroom to rent out.
Lauren knew she wanted a single-family home. But in thinking about this next step, she was confronted by the realities of the Denver real estate market.
Lauren in front of her new home in Skyland, Denver.
“Even though I had built up equity in my condo, I was competing against people who were able to afford a heftier down payment or put down an all-cash offer.”
She added, “I also wanted to hold on to some of my savings in the process. And as a single woman, I wanted to be able to afford my mortgage, even in the event I couldn’t rent out the spare room.”
Lastly, Lauren was looking for a team to support her search, knowing that the right group of professionals would take some of the pressure of homebuying off her shoulders.
So Lauren started Googling for down payment programs that could assist people like her. It wasn’t long before she discovered Landed and got in touch.
After confirming her eligibility, the team at Landed spent time getting to know Lauren, her financial situation, and what she was looking for in her home search.
When it came to the financial partnership, Lauren decided that she wanted to put down more than the standard 20% down payment. This would not only make her stand out in the competitive Denver market, but also lower her monthly mortgage payments.
The team also connected Lauren to a Landed partner agent, who took the time to understand her search parameters and organize tours of suitable properties.
As it turned out, Lauren and Gus fell for the very first one they saw: a three-bedroom, redbrick house with a big backyard.
She describes the experience as being almost like love at first sight:
“I loved the house. It was a flip, so everything was in great shape. The yard was massive, and it had a finished basement, which meant there was also plenty of storage space. Where I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, no one has a finished basement!”
Lauren juggling homeownership and pawrenthood with her dog, Gus.
Within just a few days of submitting an offer, it was accepted. But Lauren’s relationship with her Landed partner agent did not end at the close of the transaction.
Since she moved in, Lauren’s agent has been an invaluable resource, helping connect her to contractors and specialists on an ongoing basis. She even received a thoughtful gift from the agent recognizing the one-year anniversary of her move-in date.
And while Lauren began her journey with us as a customer, it continues today! We were thrilled to have Lauren join Team Landed as a Relationship Manager in January 2021. In this role, Lauren will guide new Landed customers through buying homes across all our metros. Having been one herself, she has a lot of advice for potential customers:
“It’s never too early to start gathering information. You’ll be surprised by how much you can afford, especially using the down payment program. But even if you don’t use it, Landed has so many other ways of guiding you through the homebuying process, and always has your best interests at heart.”
After all, experience is the best teacher.
