The Next Chapter, Volume 2: A Home of Her Own
Welcome back to The Next Chapter — a series where I share the stories behind the transactions that helped my clients enter a new chapter in life. Enjoy!
The People and Moments Behind the Move
When you meet Deanna, it doesn’t take long to understand that she’s lived a lot of life.
She served our country in the United States Army, raised a family, recently went through a big life event and is an empty nester. She is also a disabled veteran and continues serving others today through her work with the United States Department of Agriculture.
When we started looking for her next home, there was a lot to consider.
There was the practical side, of course, budget, location and financing. Deanna had earned the ability to use VA financing, so we needed to find a home that worked within those guidelines and structure an offer that made sense.
But the more we talked, the more I realized this search was really about a bigger question: What do I want my life to look like now?
Family was still a huge part of that picture.
Her kids and grandchildren are some of the people she loves having close, and she wanted a home where everyone could gather for movie nights, visits and all the little things that happen when family feels comfortable enough to stay awhile.
She also wanted a home that belonged to her, a place she could make her own, where after everyone headed home, she could close the door and have some space to herself.
Eventually, we found it.
Then came everything that happens between finding the right house and actually owning it. We worked through the offer and negotiations, financing, inspection, repairs and deadlines. VA financing brought some additional requirements, including a detailed inspection process, so there were plenty of details to work through along the way.
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We kept moving forward one decision at a time.
And then we got to closing.
I love closing days for that exact moment when all the emails, paperwork and negotiations turn into something tangible. Someone gets the keys and suddenly the thing you’ve been working toward is real.
Deanna’s closing hit a little closer to home for me.
My youngest is starting her senior year, which means my husband and I are getting close to an empty nest ourselves. I have plenty of mixed emotions about what that will look like. Watching Deanna step into this stage of life made me think about how strange and exciting it is to reach a point where you get to make choices based on who you are now.
For Deanna, home is a place where her two-year-old grandson can come visit and have his own pair of Spider-Man slippers waiting by the front door, where her kids and their families can gather for movie nights, create new traditions and make new memories.
And when everyone leaves, it’s a place that is completely hers.
She gets to write the script from here.
That’s one of the things I love about real estate. A house can mark a moment in someone’s life in a way few other purchases can, whether it’s the first home, the place where a family grows, an investment property, a downsizing home, a fresh start, an empty nest, or simply the house we finally get to choose for ourselves.
Those are the stories I want to tell with The Next Chapter.
Deanna’s Army service is part of her story, as are marriage, motherhood, family and all the changes life has brought her.
There are still chapters ahead.
And for Deanna, this one starts at home.
