home is where my story starts contest winners

Aaliyah, Thornton

“In June of 2019 my three younger siblings and I lost our grandfather, who was battling cancer. He was the main caretaker of my siblings, and I. I was a new mom and trying to navigate the world as it was. With his passing I had a choice to make, to take them in and raise them just as he did with us. I was renting a very tiny two bedroom house that was not suitable for 6 individuals, furthermore four sprouting children. Doing constant research trying to figure out how my husband and I were going to be able to afford life, much less a bigger space, I stumbled across the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. I talked with our realtor and lender and they were both familiar with the program and we started our journey. Taking the first-time homebuyers' classes was the first step and everything fell into place after that so blissfully. With the help of CHFA we closed on our first home in December, what a Christmas miracle. Our new home brought us a new sense of security. My husband and I no longer had to worry how our space was going to be sustainable. Now, our teenagers are bursting with potential, their minds filled with dreams for the future, free from the gnawing worry of a roof over their heads. Even our third grader, a tiny knight in his own right, gets to unleash his imagination, slaying dragons in every corner of our home! Thanks to CHFA, our biggest dreams became a reality. This is just the beginning of our life story, and we're so grateful for the foundation CHFA helped us build.”

Bianca, Colorado Springs

“I grew up with a single mother and lived in apartments all my life. The apartments were not in the safest neighborhoods. Homeownership means so much to me because I dealt with housing insecurity growing up. My mom and I were homeless at one point. I always dreamed about owning a home but never thought my dream would become a reality. In 2019, I was a teacher, and my husband was a security guard. We did not believe we could afford a mortgage on our income. However, we found out we were pregnant with our son. I began looking for a two-bedroom apartment for our growing family. During my search, I saw an advertisement for the CHFA first-time homebuyer program. Initially I thought it was too good to be true. However, a realtor confirmed the program was real. We took the first-time homebuyer class and soon found our home in November of 2019. What I love most about homeownership is watching my son play in the backyard of our house. It encompasses the importance of homeownership to me. I never had a backyard growing up. When I watch him, I have a sense of pride knowing my son is safe. We are expecting a baby girl in September. I don’t have to worry about moving or rent increases during this pregnancy. We have all that we need in our beautiful home. My husband and I have a better future because we’ll own this house before we retire. We can age in place. My kids will have a better future and not have the trauma of housing insecurity like I did growing up. Even if I don’t win this contest, I feel like a winner. I have a permanent home in a safe neighborhood. To me, that is priceless.”

Courtney, Commerce City

“Every great story starts with a defining moment, where the character is faced with an opportunity to leave their mark on the world. For us, homeownership has been that singular defining moment. My husband and I purchased our first home in September of 2022. We had been living in a small apartment as we worked our way through our degrees in education. Owning a home was something we always dreamt about and knew that it would be the starting point of our lives. We had ourselves and our two dogs, but little did we know our small family would soon grow just a little bit bigger; I found out I was pregnant just after we moved in. The joy of being able to grow our family in the home of our dreams is something that we are forever grateful for. We brought our son, Pax into our home in July of 2023, and it has been a roller coaster of emotions ever since. They say that every house starts with a solid foundation; our home, with the help of CHFA, has given our family that solid foundation. Spending these last two years turning this house into a home, becoming parents, and discovering all of the joys of life as a homeowner is something that we are forever grateful for. Our home has provided us with the opportunity to raise our child in a place filled with love and warmth. From holidays, time with family, graduations, and surprise parties, our house has been a solid constant and something that we can always rely on. We are forever grateful to have had the opportunity to become homeowners. We look forward to all the exciting moments life has to offer as we build our life story, one chapter at a time.”

Luke, Grand Junction

“This isn't just my homeownership story but rather a, "ours." Recently it felt as if the dream of homeownership was fleeting between an active market with tons of competitive bids pouring in and cash offers. Until the perfect home went up on the market and we went to visit it with our real estate agent. With a great backyard, we knew this would be the spot to raise our first child. Yes, she was pregnant, and thus, why it is a story of our homeownership. With the help of CHFA we were able to lock in a rate that was fair and put in a competitive offer. With this great loan program, we were able to utilize CHFA's second mortgage. This helped us to keep some of our funds for the increasing expenses we were expecting to endure during the birth of our child. The offer was accepted, and we closed in December, allowing us to move in and have our very own Christmas together. Shortly after closing we had an ultrasound that revealed that we were actually going to be the parents of not one but two boys! Our boys were born in May at only 30 weeks. We were blessed that our home is only 10 minutes from Saint Mary's hospital where our boys are in the NICU. With health complications it was a blessing to have a home so close and to be with them as much as possible. With the boys growing and getting stronger by the day we cannot wait to have them in our home and watch them grow. Homeownership has been a blessing for our family to create stability, opportunity, and joy. We could not be more thankful for CHFA helping us to realize our dreams.”

Sam, Bayfield

“Home is where Sam and Cote’s story continues…Sam teaches middle school band in Durango and Cote is a salesman with Alpine Lumber. Last summer Sam was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which toppled our world. We were living in a tiny apartment saving to buy our dream home. Mounting medical bills and my reduced hours gave new meaning to ‘pinching pennies’. That fall we waited for Sam’s results on their treatment and our lease transitioned to month-to-month. Spring came and we got the good news that Sam’s treatments were successful and we could stay in La Plata county, minutes from the outdoor life we love. With illness managed and a bright future in sight, we started looking but quickly found we needed help. We learned all we needed to know about the process and what we should do to prepare for a successful, first-time experience in a CHFA homebuying course. Durango’s close-knit community brought us the perfect realtor by accident who had a connection with Sam at school and knew Cote through his work. When we saw the house for the first time, we fell in love instantly! CHFA’s down payment assistance program made it possible for us to get our dream home through stressful bidding and a painfully long closing (though we actually had one of the fastest closes for a CHFA loan). Going from a claustrophobic and dark apartment to our open, sunlit house was a joy for us and our dog, Pluto. He has loved to explore and expand as we have expanded our family with a new puppy, Star. Our home lets us play, move, cook, host, and love. We can’t thank CHFA enough for their support; this would not have been possible for us without it. Our new home is where our story continues to flourish.”

Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to  Aaliyah, Bianca, Courtney, Luke, and Sam!

Pictured: Home is Where My Story Starts^sm photo submissions, courtesy of CHFA homeowner customers