Help Jude & Sierra Close the Gap!

From Sierra:

Jude & Sierra met one fateful night in August, at a Celtic Session at R&R Taproom in Woodstock. Three years later, they're looking to buy their first house - but what a winding road it's been.

If you spoke to us last September, we'd be just beginning our foray into housing insecurity; upon learning that the owner of the house we'd been renting intended to sell. Accordingly, we did some deep thinking, made some plans, and started work on a proposal to purchase our residence from its owner. Jude dove back into business in an industry just beginning to resuscitate after the events of 2020, and Sierra found a way to put her creative writing degree to work at last, securing a job as a magazine publisher.

So much we know now that we wish we knew then... our original proposal was rejected, and we left the town of Woodstock - where property values have overtaken that of New York City.

Next, we accepted a private sale offer from a friend of a friend, in neighboring Boiceville, NY. Through hell & high water, by hook & crook, wind nor rain nor dark of night could not keep us from our goal - but non-traditional income structure possibly could. Four banks, three mortgage brokers, and a credit union later, we managed to eke out an appropriate figure with a self-employment specialist (taking into account that between the two of us, Sierra & Jude wear six different small-business hats). We locked in our rate, and all would be well... or so we thought.

A week before closing, the "done deal" house we'd already moved into under a pre-occupancy clause dissolved before our eyes, leaving us right back where we started - with significantly higher mortgage rates. The synchronicity with which our forever home has since arrived on the scene is astounding; but the delay over the past six months has forced us to lose the mortgage rate that acknowledged our purposeful income increase, which was accomplished too recently to be considered in our DTI. Long story short (and believe us, it feels very long); we're fighting to close the $15K gap that's opened between us and August.

From Jude:

Dear Friends,

Jude and Sierra, now together for 3 years, have found their first house and absolutely fallen in love with it (and each other). Although buying a house is challenging for many people, Sierra and Jude face some unusual obstacles due to being self-employed.

Proving income for the last two plus years of economic upheaval - while doing the “self-employed hustle” - is one of the most difficult things to do. In addition, their first house purchase fell through and in the interim, mortgage rates have almost doubled.

It is for these reasons that they now must increase their downpayment on their new house purchase (even though the purchase price is lower) by approximately $15,000 in order to secure financing. This was unanticipated, but they are determined to make this work. They will sell whatever they can, work harder, and do what they have to to get the house of their dreams.

It’s never fun to ask for help, but time is of the essence and we must. Any contribution you can offer will go towards the downpayment or house-related up front costs.

Many thanks and blessings!