Piedmont Housing Alliance Helps Dawn Davison Become a Homebuyer in Crozet
Dawn Davison has been living in the Charlottesville, Virginia area for about eight years, and now she has found a home of her own in Crozet. Dawn, a single mother, began looking to purchase a home after two different Charlottesville landlords chose to sell the rentals in which she had been living. The first time it happened, Dawn was living in a townhouse with her dog and cat, and while it was certainly an inconvenience, she realized she could handle finding a new place. However, the second time, Dawn had already decided to start a family. She became more concerned when two months into her new lease, her landlord advised that he wanted to sell the home she was renting. Dawn says, “I thought, if there is a way to not have to do this anymore, I really didn’t want to. I just want something that is stable and dependable for me and my daughter.”
This second instance encouraged Dawn to look into becoming a homeowner. Once she made the decision to pursue purchasing her own home, she found Piedmont Housing Alliance via the City of Charlottesville’s website and started taking advantage of their housing counseling services. Here she learned of a VHDA down-payment grant program for first-time homebuyers. Dawn was pressed for time in finding a new home, but was able do so with perseverance and help from many different people. Dawn says of her housing counselor, “Virginia was so helpful in walking me through the steps to make sure I had everything I needed to have, when I needed to have it.”
Dawn says the process was daunting, which is why she really values the help offered through the Piedmont Housing Alliance counseling services. If she ever chooses to go through the process of home buying again, Dawn says she will definitely return to this helpful resource. Having a strong advocate is a crucial part of the home buying process for anyone, particularly for first-time homebuyers. Now, Dawn and her 21-month old daughter, Hazel, are settling in nicely to their home in Crozet. They look forward to their new life together without worrying about a change in rent or having to move again soon.
For more information on the VHDA grant for first-time homebuyers, visit https://www.vhda.com/Homebuyers/Pages/DownPayment.aspx#.WC4M2dUrKpp.