A dear friend passed away quietly this week. When you receive the news such as this, it is like a punch in the stomach.
I met GG through her sister here in Atlanta. She previously lived in Seattle, and was an avid fan of the Seattle Seahawks. GG moved to Atlanta to live with her sister. This lady kept busy! We didn’t see each other often, but when we did, it was a delight, and we laughed a lot.
GG was my realtor. She found me a lovely condo here in Peachtree Corners, GA (which is about 30 minutes out of Atlanta). I was living with my oldest son and helping him with his daughter. He had plans to get married. It was time for me to find a new nest.
Renting here in Atlanta is outrageous, plus it goes up each year. When talking to my friend, she suggested I talk to her sister. I thought it would be the impossible for me to purchase my own home. GG encouraged me to contact a lender that she dealt with. I said okay, but was prepared for disappointment with a big, fat NO!
As you know when you purchase a property, there is much that is needed to prove you are a good risk. I spent a weekend getting together, scanning and emailing documents to the mortgage company. By Tuesday, I had the answer of being “pre-approved”. It really was happening!!! And I must say the process was just lengthy, but not too bad. All in all I would rate the experience Excellent. I was even preapproved for more than I wanted to spend.
The next step was to find a condo. I had been looking online. GG found a few condos that she thought met my needs. The first place we looked at was the one I purchased. I am one of those people that when they see what they want there is no more looking! (Plus seeing many properties online helped immensely in the process.) We made an offer for the 2 bedroom/2 bath unit and it was accepted. The property was only on the market for 24 hours!
Soooo in the middle of the COVID pandemic I purchased my home. There were many purchases through Wayfair and Amazon. What I purchased to furnish my home worked! I’d like to add that I did this purchase all on my own. Someone told me I would never get it because of my age. They were wrong, as that would be age discrimination.
Two years later I am still feeling blessed. I love my home and its location. Small town girl goes as a grandma to the big city!
GG, I would never have done it without your encouragement. These past two years I thought of you often. I know you will be missed by your granddaughters, that you were so fond of. You spoke of them often to me. If God needs a realtor, tell him you are the lady. I will miss you my friend.