When I was a child, my grandmother had bought her first house in East Columbus, Ohio. In this house, I spent the latter half of my adolescent years. I learned how to cook in that house, clean in that house, how to garden and how to steward over myself and my sister. Grandmother didn’t tolerate any slacking, we always had to earn our keep and for that I will always be grateful for my Grandmother. Many of my most cognizant memories took place in that house and for that reason, it holds a certain level of nostalgia for me.
My grandmother’s home spring-boarded my mother into looking for one of her own. The thought of building a new set of memories in my mother’s house filled me with so much joy and excitement. However, unlike my grandmother, she was unsuccessful which left me feeling disappointed, even into adulthood. If you understand the child’s psyche, you will know that they do not take well to changes in expectation. When an adult continuously fails to deliver upon a child’s expectation, that child will begin to develop feelings of resentment. For that reason, I vowed to myself that I would one day have a house. A place in which my family could come and visit during the holidays. A place where I could host family reunions, barbecues, and eventually pass on to my children.
I had my own room in my grandmother’s house and in it were two maps: one of the USA and one of the Globe. I was given a box of thumbtacks which unbeknownst to me, was my grandmother’s method of getting me to think of cities I wished to visit. Little did I know, my grandmother was foreshadowing what was to come in my life. After graduating high school, I tried college for one semester and then enlisted into the US Army at the tender age of 19.
During my time in the Army, I was able to see Italy, France, Germany, and more. I was able to experience different types of construction some old, some new but all varied greatly from what I was accustom to. Domestically I really enjoyed the homes in Charleston, SC, as well as the older homes on the “letter streets” of downtown Washington DC (Ex: J, K, L). The more I traveled, the more I found myself needing to live in areas with high populations of Black Americans. This narrowed my post-military options to Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
Some key questions I ask myself as I look for a house are:
- What city is the house in?
- What is the cost of living?
- Are there any 1st time homeowner programs?
- What is the required credit score? How much is required for the down payment?
- Can I get money back at closing?
- How old is the home? When does it become historic?
- How big is the lot? Or how many acres?
- Are there any structural issues?
- How close or far away is the house from a highway?
- How close is the nearest hospital?
- Where is the nearest grocery store?
- Which neighborhoods are the safest?
- Is there restrictive housing?
- What’s the nearest airport?
In addition, I want family around me, not only to keep me levelheaded but because steel sharpens steel and together we can help realize greater success. The location that I settled for was Baltimore, as it provides proximity to family, multiple modes of transportation, and it’s close to an International Airport. In selecting Baltimore, I begin to craft the present for my future kids that I yearned for in the past.
In conclusion, a house is more than a place to live. For me, it was a place that provided me comfort, security, and served as the canvas my teenage years were painted on. As you begin your journey into purchasing a home, do your due diligence. Be sure to choose an area and home that best fits you and your family for the foreseeable future. Lastly, make sure you stay within your means as your home should be your haven and not a prison.
Good Day and B1
