Former FSS Participant Realizes Homeownership Dream

Stephanie Boyles and her son Dakota now have their own place to call home in Dover. This former FSS participant was able to realize her aspirations of owning her own home after years of renting.

FSS Coordinator Marty Chumney recently caught up with Stephanie and her son Dakota at her home to discuss her accomplishments.

MC) Why did you want to purchase a home?

SB) I was tired of renting and wanted something of my own that Dakota and I could call home. When I was a child, our family moved around so much and I didn't like that. I wanted Dakota to have the stability that I never had as a child.

MC) How were you able to achieve your dream of homeownership?

SB) Patience was the critical thing. After a divorce, I was left with credit problems. I worked really hard over a period of years to get my credit repaired. That included working two jobs over the six years. My full-time job is as Special Needs Assistant at the Dover Head Start Center and I work on the weekends as an In-Store Marketer at Sears.

Patience also paid off in waiting for the right home ownership opportunity to come along. There were times that I would get real discouraged. I wanted a home in Dover in order to keep my son in the Dover School that he really enjoys. However, when I would look in the Real Estate section of the newspaper every Saturday, it would seem as if none of the homes in Dover would be affordable to me. At times I would get discouraged enough to stop looking but I would always start again.

Another key for me was my strong work ethic. Working provided me with the ability to repair my credit and position myself to get funded for a mortgage loan

MC) What do you plan to do with your FSS escrow funds that you earned?

SB) I am using the money to buy household items and to help decorate my home. Also, as a home owner now, I know that I will need money for repairs  so I am saving some of the money in a savings account for that reason. The FSS program is such an excellent program to save money, I really can't believe that more participants in Section 8 don't sign up for it.

MC) What advice would you give other FSS participants who would like to purchase their own home?

SB) Again patience and work ethic, if you can develop these things and work at the financial issues, the right house will come along for you.

MC) What were you afraid of during the home buying process?

SB) Honestly, I was afraid of the whole process. The moving, the downpayment, wondering if I could really afford it, and the responsibility that comes with being a home owner.

MC) What do you and Dakota like about the home?

SB) I like the quiet, just being able to sit out in my backyard and read the newspaper and drink coffee is so relaxing to me. The quiet of not having noisy neighbors like in the apartment complex. Also, the fact that this home is mine and the freedom that comes with making all of the decisions about the house.

Dakota) Our pets. In the apartment we could not have pets. We now have two dogs, Milo and Star and a cat named Phil that we are happy to have.