Page 22 - EQ Mag-issue 5

COVER STORY

“Breaking the Rental

Cycle with BBVA”

By C. Renée Wilson
I NTRODUCTION OF CHARLES & KIMBERLY LEWIS After renting for 15 years, the owner offered Charles’

mother the opportunity to purchase the rental home and

Charles and Kimberly Lewis met at a lounge in Houston make it her own. Years’ later Charles mother purchased
another home and rented the first home to a family
and took the traditional route of dating. They fell in love member. One of her desires was to influence other
and Charles decided that Kimberly was the one. Shortly member of the family to get on their feet and hopefully
thereafter they became Mr. & Mrs. Charles and Kimberly one day become a homeowner as well.
Lewis and the family expanded from there.
KIMBERLY HOUSING EXPERIENCES
The Lewis family lived in apartments and rental homes for
over 10 years. During that journey, Charles met and grew Kimberly Lewis’ experience was quite different, she grew
to know two gentlemen that over time become two of his up as a military brat. Of course with her father being in
closest friends. Consequently, both were in the real estate the military, naturally meant the family traveled frequently
industry, more and moved from place to place. Therefore, Kimberly lived
specifically, a in many places, most of which were rental homes,
r e a l e s t a t e apartments, or on the military bases all over the world.
agent and a Kimberly was aware of home ownership and desired to
m o r t g a g e experience the same one day, but the opportunity had not
banker. They presented itself until she and Charles decided to purchase
both would their first home.
eventually help
T h e L e w i s ’ THE LEWIS HOMEOWNERSHIP JOURNEY
acquire their
first home. Kimberly and Charles have been married seven (7) years
and owning a home was a part of their long-term goals.
C H A R L E S But they couldn’t see how living life, paying bills, saving
H O U S I N G money, creating a budget that they would stick could
EXPERIENCES really be accomplished and was a big challenge for them.
So year after year they talked about their homeownership
Charles Lewis, dream, the type of home they wanted, where they wanted
grew up in a to live, but day-to-day living expenses kept pushing that
single parent [The Lewis’ apartment complex] dream back another year. Those monthly fixed expenses,
home with his mom and sister, initially renting apartments with 4 kids in the apartment, not to mention those
and eventually renting a home. One of Charles memories unexpected expenses that catch you at a time when
was how his mom always took care of family members by monies are low and it gets really hard to juggle it all. But
giving them a place to live during hard times. Having a they were determined to stick with their commitment.
place to call home and sharing it with love ones is a very Another little secret was discovered, “the truth of the
special way to build memories of a lifetime. Of course, on a matter is we both love to shop” admits both Kimberly and
day-to-day basis it may not have always felt good and fun Charles. “That was the hardest thing for both of us to get
to have people in your space for a period of time. But just under control.” But we knew we had no other choice so
the same many families do just that, provide a place for the
family to stay while building lifelong memories.

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