A few months ago, I met a woman named Madison. She’s a flight attendant who’s currently in flight school. Cool, right? And as soon as we connected, I knew she was a smart cookie, too.

It all started when a mutual friend of ours suggested that Madison give me a call. She was looking to buy a specific home — a duplex in town — and since I’m a local realtor, our friend knew I could help.

Madison planned to live in one unit and rent out the other. And honestly, I think this is one of the smartest decisions you can make as a first-time homebuyer. It allows you to use other people’s money (i.e., rental income) to help offset the cost of the mortgage and build wealth.

In other words, Madison was setting herself up for greatness.

So, we put an offer together… but the seller said no. For weeks. It was frustrating, but I’d seen this plenty of times before and knew better than to give up hope and throw in the towel too soon.

With a lot of creativity and weeks of negotiations, that no turned into an emphatic yes, and Madison secured her dream property!!! It was an amazing day for everyone involved.

I can’t stress enough what a smart financial decision this was for Madison. Transparently, I wish I’d done something similar when I was in my twenties! But alas — I feel like I’m living vicariously through her success.

Huge congratulations to Madison on such a significant purchase. And thank you for allowing me to be part of the process! It was an absolute joy to work with you.