Homeownership is often seen as a final destination, but it’s truly a journey filled with growth, learning, and empowerment.
This homeownership ‘journey’ we often talk about is complex. Budgeting, research, emotional ups and downs – for many families giving up is a viable option. For Daron and Nahona Moore, there were moments when their process felt too long, too hard, and despite being so close, they just couldn’t get to closing.
The Beginning of the Journey
The Moores started their homeownership journey as Acts Power Pack cohort attendees through Evolve Church. A series of short workshops that met once a month, and covered topics about the homebuying process and financial literacy. After graduating from the year-long program, they reached out to a lending institution for a pre-approval. Daron recalls encountering their first setback, questioning whether it was the right time to begin. Then, an Acts team member reached out to them, encouraging them to consider using a Homebuyer Coach.
“I was hesitant. There was a pace that I was trying to move at that was quicker than Acts Housing’s pace. I was like I want to start now, but I had to trust you guys”
The Acts Homebuyer coach explained finding the right lender takes time. But at Acts Housing we have the knowledge and experience to make the process work for each family. With the help of their Homebuyer Coach, the Moores found a great lending option through Equitable Bank. They were pre-approved on June 11th, 2024, and began searching for their home.
Facing Challenges
This part of the journey for Daron and Nahona was filled with frustration and disappointment. They were pre-approved, and they had a great support system made up of Acts homebuyer coaches and their trusted realtor, but finding their home proved to be more difficult than imagined.
Nahona shared, “Prior to finding our home, we looked at a good twenty houses. We saw so many houses and kept running into the same issues. One house would have everything we wanted but would be above budget. Then there were houses in amazing neighborhoods but the house needed a lot of work.”
The Moores attended countless showings but struggled to find the right fit. Even when they agreed on a house, their offer was competing against many others, and they were often outbid.
“We found a beautiful home that looked like Grandma’s house – older brick, flowers out front, and the yard was well taken care of. The neighborhood was quiet. We walked up to the front door and thought, ‘This is it.’” Unfortunately, their offer was met with twelve others, leaving them disappointed, yet again.
“We were so disappointed. We were getting so frustrated. The houses I fell in love with were being bought up, and I felt like, ‘I’m done. We don’t need to put in any more offers. This isn’t working.’”
Shifting Perspectives
For the families Acts serves, sometimes the homeownership journey can be painful. Daron and Nahona faced the heartache of being outbid, while others grappled with denied loans or strict budgets. Each challenge demands immense patience and resilience.
Nahona Moore had a moment where her perspective shifted and she began to look at this journey differently,
“I remembered that this is a process. Once we remembered to enjoy the process and see it as shopping around, it would come into alignment, and it was going to happen. The house is going to be revealed to us. So we started to enjoy the process”.
This shift in perspective allowed them to appreciate the journey, understanding that every challenge contributed to their growth and empowerment.
The House of Their Dreams
In March 2024, an Acts supporter generously donated her home to Acts Housing, with the commitment that it would be sold to an Acts family at a fair market value. The Acts team and community of partners worked quickly to get this home ready to list, and were able to make the home available for an Acts family.
Daron and Nahona got a call from their Homebuyer coach about the newly available property. After viewing the pictures, they were amazed. “We saw the pictures and were zooming in on every detail. We even drove up to take a look at the outside, before we could even go in. This house had everything we loved about all the other houses combined in one”.
On July 24, 2024, the Moores closed on their new home in the Garden Homes neighborhood. To them, homeownership symbolizes freedom and the breaking of generational curses.
Homeownership Beyond the Keys: Lifelong Learning and Growth
The journey of homeownership is a continuous path of growth, community involvement, and financial literacy that empowers families like the Moore’s. As they navigated the challenges of budgeting, searching for the right home, and facing setbacks, they learned to embrace the process rather than rush to the destination. With each step, they built resilience and a stronger connection to their community.
Daron and Nahona’s story is a testament to the transformative power of homeownership—not just in acquiring a house, but in breaking generational cycles and creating lasting legacies. As they reflect on their journey, they remind us that true empowerment comes from recognizing the value in every moment of the process and inspiring others to pursue their own paths to homeownership with hope and determination.
