Thi and Xuan immigrated to the United States three years ago with their adult son. They made the move from Vietnam to be closer to family members who were already living in the Seattle area. They stayed with Thi’s brother for three years, but the home was crowded and did not afford them their own space or privacy.
Despite working full time as a Medicare Solutions Agent, the cost of living was too high for Thi and Xuan to securely take the next step to move out of her brother’s home. Their son learned about Habitat for Humanity when researching affordable housing options in King County. The couple reached out to the Habitat SKC team over the summer, learned more, applied, and closed on their home in the fall of 2020. In expressing her gratitude for Habitat staff, Thi said, “They worked very well with us, they answered our questions.”
The couple now lives in their three-bedroom home in South Park. Xuan enjoys gardening and is looking forward to sprucing up their new yard. Thi says that owning their home means they can “live comfortably because a good home will help us maintain our health.”
Since getting approved and moving into their home, Thi decided to put herself through loan origination training and is now working as a Loan Originator for a financial institution. She hopes to help future Habitat homeowners navigate the loan process and share her first-hand experience with them!