One Year. That Was the Deal I Made With Myself – My First-Time Homebuyer Journey
Buying your first home is exciting, but let’s be real—it’s also a grind. It takes discipline, long hours, and trust in the professionals guiding you through the process. I know this firsthand because, at 21 years old, I was right there. I made a deal with myself: *One year. I’m giving myself one year to buy a house so I can get out of here. I had just come back from basic training, moved in with my dad, and knew I wanted more. But wanting something and making it happen are two different things. So, I hustled. Every afternoon from 4-7, I was teaching Taekwondo. Then, from 8 PM to 4 AM, I was dealing blackjack at Harrah’s Casino. I’d go home, sleep until 2 PM, hit the gym, and do it all over again. Rinse and repeat. A year later? I signed the papers on my first home in Bossier City, Louisiana. It wasn’t fancy. It was an \$60,000 starter home, but it was mine. I say *mine*, but really, it became *ours*. During that year, I met Amy, and she had two little gi...