Mohammad Adil and His Family Settle into Their New Home in Albemarle County

Mohammed Adil was working as a security supervisor in Afghanistan at the US Embassy when things became increasingly unsettled in his home country. As Mohammed began to fear for the safety of his family, his supervisor recommended that he apply for a visa in order to make a new life outside of Afghanistan. That is when Mohammed decided to move to the United States with his wife, Perniean, and their sons, ages 7 and 9, and daughter, age 11. Mohammed’s brother-in-law had bought a home in Charlottesville, so the choice to move to the area seemed obvious. Mohammed was hired as a security officer at Martha Jefferson House and started working to build up his credit in order to eventually purchase a home of his own.

When the Adil family first moved to the states, they were renting a smaller home and needed something bigger. This need was even more critical after Mohammed’s parents joined them. After looking at the possibility of renting a larger home to accommodate the family’s space needs, the Adil’s realized they could potentially purchase a home, pay close to the same monthly for a mortgage, and create equity for the future. That realization cemented their determination to purchase a home.

Mohammed learned about Piedmont Housing Alliance and decided to work with them to move toward his dream of homeownership. Virginia, a housing counselor at Piedmont Housing Alliance, helped Mohammed with the skills needed to save money, reduce his debts, and increase his credit score in order to become mortgage ready.

Although the first offer they made on a home did not go through, Mohammed and Perniean continued looking until they found another house they liked with plenty of room for their whole family. The home needed a few repairs, and the sellers, in compliance with the turnkey requirement for buyers using down-payment assistance, made those repairs prior to closing.

On December 16, 2016, Mohammed and Perniean received the keys to their Albemarle County home and were able to spend the holidays together with their family in their new home. Mohammed emphasizes that aspiring homebuyers should not give up! “It’s quite a process,” he says, “but if you keep pursuing your dream, it will happen.”