Hawa was tired of moving from apartment to apartment. She wanted something more stable for herself and her family so she decided to explore homeownership. But she was worried her credit wasn’t good enough for her to be successful.

“I just knew that my credit was shot, and I didn’t know where to start,” she says. “I knew I needed guidance.”

She called her credit union, Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, and asked if they had any programs that could help support her with her credit as well as her home search. “The kind lady on the phone referred me to HomeFree-USA,” she says.

Once Hawa connected with HomeFree-USA, her Homeownership Advisor Gary Plummer focused on her credit. Gary gave her suggestions on ways to improve it. He even identified a mistake on her credit report that was negatively impacting her score and helped her reach out to the credit bureaus to get it corrected. Then, Gary helped her better organize her finances.

Once her credit score improved, they switched their focus to the homebuying process.

HomeFree-USA connected Hawa with CNC Mortgage, which became her lender. “I was satisfied with my experience with CNC Mortgage and when I had any questions I could always go back to ask Mr. Plummer,” she says.

Hawa also benefited from downpayment assistance and closing cost help from the seller. That enabled her to keep more of her money in her pocket rather than having to spend it on the house.

The experience taught Hawa that nothing could stop her from becoming a homeowner once she truly set her sights on her goal. She also learned the value of having a partner through the process. She urges other homebuyers to reach out for help from HomeFree-USA.

“Once they provide you with a plan, make sure that you stick to it,” she says.