Elaine had been thinking about buying a house. Then, after hearing that there were programs available to help first-time homebuyers, she decided to make her move.

“Banks were offering good rates and different programs so I just stepped out and did it,” she says.

While she was excited about the journey ahead, there was one problem. Her credit was not where she wanted it to be. Like many homeowners she had made financial mis-steps in the past that she needed to clear up. But she didn’t know exactly where to start.

Luckily, she knew to turn to HomeFree-USA.

Elaine met with a homeownership advisor, Freda, who instructed her to get a copy of her credit report. Then, Freda looked over her budget and finances and helped Elaine figure out what steps she should take to improve her score.

“It was good to have someone help me and say ‘you need to do this’ or ‘pay this’ or ‘you shouldn’t buy this,’” she says.

Not only did Freda give her the information she needed to improve her credit score, but she was Elaine’s biggest cheerleader, urging her to keep striving toward her goal. It wasn’t always easy and it took a bit of time, “but Freda was right there pushing every step of the way,” she says.

That was the greatest benefit of working with HomeFree-USA, Elaine says. She knew she had someone in her corner who pushed her to succeed and helped her get all of her paperwork filled out on time. And to top it off, “my advisor’s knowledge was outstanding,” Elaine says.

The time and effort were well worth it, as Elaine is now in a house she can truly call her own.

“My home is quiet and I love it,” she says. “It gives me peace of mind.”