Katie and Carlos first heard about the Empower Homebuyers SCC program in November 2018 when a family member told them about the very first town hall presentation, led by Supervisor Cindy Chavez, about the new Santa Clara County program for first-time homebuyers. Born and raised in the area, one a city engineer and the other a stay-at-home parent, they thought this might be their chance to finally own a home.
The presentation at the County Board Chambers was packed, but they stayed with it believing that buying their first home was a way to build wealth and provide their family with the kind of security that renters wish to have. Soon after that presentation, they attended the 8-hour HUD certified Homebuyer Education class and took their first steps towards their path to homeownership.
Although there were some life circumstances that caused Katie and Carlos to take a break from the process for part of 2019, they spent the last few months focused and determined to make owning their first home a reality. Their determination paid off and they recently closed escrow on the home they wanted.
“It seems like an impossible dream,” said Katie. “We are super excited and look forward to having security and the freedom to do whatever we want with our new home.”
“Housing Trust is doing a lot of good work in the community. It’s making a big difference and we want to say thank you,” said Carlos. “To future first-time homebuyers: be patient and stay with it, it is worth it. Now our oldest daughter, Olivia, can have the dog she always wanted!”
Empower Homebuyers SCC is the Measure A funded down payment assistance program created by the County of Santa Clara and administered by Housing Trust Silicon Valley. For details on how to apply please visit Housing Trust’s Empower Homebuyers page.