09/17/2026
Every closing is special. And I know that probably sounds like something a Realtor is supposed to say, but honestly, every single one has been special in its own way. 🥹🏡
As much as I’d love to just slap a “JUST CLOSED!” photo on social media and call it a day, sometimes that just doesn’t do the whole experience justice.
Because there is so much that happens between the day you first sit down with someone and the day they’re handed the keys.
And technically, this story starts about 15 years ago, when I first met Brock… when he was in 8th grade. 😂🫶🏻
Brock’s mom, Brandi, is one of my closest friends and, at the time, was also my coworker. I remember meeting Brock, his brother and his dad after already hearing so much about all of them.
Fast forward more than a decade, and I’ve gotten to watch Brock grow up, go off to college, build a life with Tessie… and now, buy a home of their own. 🥹
Funny enough, that wasn’t actually the plan when this started.
Brandi initially asked me if I would sit down with Brock and Tessie and help them review some loan documents for a mobile home they were considering.
As I went through everything with them, a few things immediately caught my attention. The interest rate was several points higher than what we were seeing with traditional mortgages, and once the home payment and lot rent were combined, their monthly expense wasn’t far off from what owning a traditional home could potentially cost them.
Choosing a mobile home can absolutely make sense in the right circumstances, so my question wasn’t, “Why would you do this?”
It was simply:
“What made you decide this was your best option?”
And their answer?
They loved the home, but they also didn’t think they could qualify to buy a traditional house.
Wellllll… now we had something to talk about. 😂
Based on what they shared with me, I thought there was a pretty good chance they could. We talked about first-time buyer options, including down payment assistance that could help with some of those upfront costs, and I connected them with a lending partner to find out what was actually possible.
And they were preapproved. With down payment assistance. 🙌🏻
And there’s another piece of this story that makes this closing especially meaningful.
Tessie is a first-generation homeowner. 🥹🏡
And I don’t think that’s a small thing.
Especially when this whole journey started with Brock and Tessie believing traditional homeownership might not even be an option for them.
Turns out, it was. 🤍
Then came the fun part: house shopping!
Within our first week, they found one they really liked. We negotiated an accepted offer with seller-paid closing costs, and everything was moving right along…
Until inspection day. 😅
Beforehand, I had prepared them for the fact that inspection reports can look scary, especially when you’re buying your first home, and that we weren’t looking for a perfect house. We were paying particular attention to the big-ticket things: roof, foundation, electrical, mechanical systems, moisture/pest concerns, etc.
Annnndddd the report managed to touch on basically every. single. category. 😂
But I was SO proud of these two. They were thoughtful, reasonable and incredibly level-headed about the entire thing.
Ultimately, they decided this wasn’t the house for them. Because we had protected them with an inspection contingency, they were able to walk away and retain their deposit.
So… we started again.
We toured a few more homes, but nothing felt quite right.
And then this one hit the market.
I remember seeing the listing and immediately thinking, Ooooh. This could be it.
Location. Size. Price. The things that mattered most to them. ✅✅✅
AND, Realtor bonus, I knew the agents on the other side. You don’t get to choose who represents the other party in a transaction, but having engaged, respectful agents who communicate well and share the goal of getting everyone successfully to closing?
A DREAM. 😂🙌🏻
The offer negotiations were smooth. The inspection negotiations were smooth. And after what Brock and Tessie had already been through with the first house, I was so grateful that this one continued to feel different.
Now… MSHDA and title processing timelines at the finish line?
That is a story for another day. 😂
But today, WE CLOSED. 🥳🏡🔑
And I just want to brag on these two for a minute.
Brock and Tessie were absolute rockstars throughout this entire process. They stayed on top of paperwork, signatures, documentation and every random thing we asked of them. They asked good questions. They listened. They advocated for themselves. And when something didn’t make sense for them, they were willing to stop, ask questions and make sure they understood before moving forward.
I’m genuinely so impressed by the two people they are, what they’ve already accomplished, and the life they’re building together.
There is something pretty darn special about meeting someone when he was an 8th grader… and then, 15-ish years later, standing next to him and his fiancée on the day they become homeowners.
Watching Brock step into this next chapter of a life I’ve had the privilege of watching him grow into, and watching Tessie become the first homeowner in her family, made this closing one I’ll remember for a very long time. 🥹🫶🏻
Brock + Tessie, thank you for trusting me to walk through this with you. It was truly an honor to be a part of it.
You didn’t just close on a house today. You opened the door to something brand new. 🏡🔑🤍
Here’s to happy homeowners!! 🥂🫶🏻
