Started on Seneca Way
Since we have shared so many stories about our family and the homes we own, we thought it’d be fun to share a little more about our FIRST home together, and everything that went into that experience! Being a homeowner for the first time is one of those steps in life that changes a lot of things. Sort of like graduating from high school, it marks a new beginning - so without further ado, here’s the story on OUR FIRST HOME.
We were a young couple and had no idea how much each of the small decisions we made with this house would influence our lives.
We Wanted to Stay Local
Our first home together was a condo! Like most first-time homeowners, you have to start small before you can start upgrading to bigger homes. When we first started shopping, we specifically wanted to live in Chino where we grew up. At the time, our parents and the rest of our families were there, and so were many of our memories. We were so fortunate to get a small downpayment as a wedding present from Matt’s parents. Then, we got an FHA loan and were officially first-time homeowners!
Our condo marked more than just the first property we owned together – it was also the first time we lived together! Because of that, it made our wedding even more exciting and memorable. Our wedding represented our future, living together and starting our lives together.
The condo had two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, and we didn’t waste any time making it our own. We added plenty of little touches throughout – and sometimes our blood and sweat (literally). After all, we were just 22 and 23, so all of our money went to our mortgage payments and bills.
One of the first things we did when we moved into our condo was to have a party. We invited our parents and our friends over and had a “painting party.” For anyone homeowners, we highly recommend doing this! It brought everyone together and we had a blast getting a little dirty and spending time together as a family! After the white paint had dried, Matt and I went to work, adding accent walls throughout. Our living room had a gorgeous navy-blue wall, while our bedroom got purple. The second bedroom got a textured yellow wall. Let me tell you friends, accent colors on the wall add so much to a room! Whether you are just wanting to paint some basic patterns on the walls or the entire wall, this small step makes all the difference in how your home will feel! Although trends have changed so much…thank goodness, you can never go wrong with a fresh splash of paint.
The kitchen originally had linoleum, and a dining area within the kitchen had carpet. We decided to pull them both up and replace them with tile (we just aren’t carpet people, which you’ll notice if you stay at any of our vacation rentals.) Of course, Matt decided to do it himself, which led to quite the experience - are we surprised? Love ya, Matt! The linoleum left behind a mess of glue and mush. Matt used an orbital sander, but that only spit the glue and nastiness out and around our brand-new home! So after a mess was made and a lesson learned, Matt was ready to install the cheapest tiles money could buy. He mixed up the mortar but didn’t think about gloves. By the end of the day, his hands were literally worn raw. To make matters worse, he was a bartender at the time, so prepping things like lemons was not fun while his hands healed.
We’ve always enjoyed the outdoors together, so when we started looking at homes, Matt insisted that whatever we found should accommodate his 18-foot jet boat. This condo did, but only by putting a stackable washer and dryer in our garage and with a strategic cutout.
The condo was perfect for us at that stage in our lives, even down to the location. We were right in the center of the town, so we could easily walk to most places. We’d walk to our local gym and our favorite Chinese restaurant. Matt and I have fond memories of that Chinese restaurant as we’d spend about $4 and get enough food to feed us both for two meals. Ballin on a budget, my friends.
Our Decision to Move On
We absolutely loved our first condo and had pride in it. But when we decided to start a family, we wanted to move somewhere larger. We sold it ourselves and luck was on our side. The same day we put up a “For Sale by Owner” sign, someone came by and made an offer, which we accepted immediately!
At the time, we thought moving to a larger place was the right move. But looking back, we almost wish we had stayed there a little longer. The memories that we made in our first home are ones that we will never forget, as well as the lessons we learned there. But this is an “almost” wish. When we moved, we moved to the high desert, and that led us onto our current journey. We sometimes wonder if life would’ve ended up differently if we had stayed in the condo longer. But in the end, we are where we were meant to be all along, with a happy family, a beautiful home, and lots of love in our hearts!