Summary: Tiffany and Sonova are young professionals who looked forward to starting a life together. Buying a home seemed difficult, but with Divvy they were able to move into the home and save up to buy it in just 18 months. 

Tiffany and Sonova met in 2013 and fell in love. They were both 20 years old. Tiffany is a preschool teacher and Sonova works in IT for a local business. Shortly after that, they got an apartment together in the Atlanta metro area, where they’re from. 

Fast forward 5 years and they were ready to take the leap into homeownership. Having a home meant having their own space and establishing themselves as successful adults. It also meant investing in their financial future. 

However, the path to homeownership was filled with question marks and potential traps. Would they qualify for a mortgage? Would they get a good interest rate? Could they afford a home they really liked? 

As younger home buyers, they didn’t have a lot saved up for a down payment. While conducting their home search, it became clear that this would restrict the homes they could qualify for. 

What they really needed was a robust savings plan. Then, they found Divvy. 

Partnering with Divvy 

As they learned more about Divvy, they discovered that it had a lot of the things they were looking for. First, it would give them a way to live in the home immediately. Second, it would supercharge their savings plan. 

“We really didn’t want to rent anymore,” said Tiffany. “That felt like a waste of money. But we weren’t quite ready for a mortgage. Divvy was a new option that felt just right.” 

Tiffany and Sonova appreciated how every month with Divvy, a portion of their payment would be allocated to a savings account they could later use to buy the home. Admittedly, they struggled to save up on their own. But with Divvy making the savings happen automatically, it was much easier. 

“We are really bad at saving, and that was another reason we loved Divvy,” said Tiffany. “They gave us the push we needed. We are so good about paying every bill 100% on time, so by including our savings in that monthly payment it gave us the structure we needed.”

“It was exciting to know that it was an investment in our future and it was growing bigger every month we lived in the home,” said Sonova. 

Moving into the home

When they moved into their new home in Woodstock, GA, they were so happy. It was a recently renovated 3-bedroom ranch-style home with an open living area, granite countertops, and a deck overlooking the backyard. 

There were so many little things they enjoyed about the home. “We loved the reading nook. It was something we always wanted. I go in there on the weekend and just curl up with my latest novel,” said Tiffany. 

“We also love the garden,” said Sonova. “When we moved in, it was a little barren. But we brought it back to life. We turned it into a fairy garden because we both love fairy tales.” 

When they’re not outside, you might find them in the kitchen baking something for dinner or dessert. “I love to bake, so I really appreciate the kitchen. It’s fun to have our own space to do things like that,” said Tiffany. “These moments together are the ones we cherish.” 

Celebrating as owners 

After getting the home with Divvy and living in it for 1.5 years, the couple applied for a mortgage and bought the home back from Divvy. 

“After 18 months, we were ready to buy the home back,” said Tiffany. “The structure of the program helped us save up every month so we had enough for a down payment. It went really smoothly.”

“The best part is we didn’t have to move,” said Sonova. 

When the home sale was completed, they celebrated with dinner together at a nearby restaurant. They have so much to look forward to, and we at Divvy are thankful for the opportunity to be part of their story. 

As Tiffany told us, “I miss Divvy in a way, because we’re on our own now. But now it’s 100% our home.”

Interested in working with Divvy to start your journey to homeownership? Click here to get pre-qualified and start working with our team.