When Anika Williams walked into a Self-Help Credit Union branch in February of 2015, she was nervous. She had a clear goal in mind: She wanted become a homeowner. But the path to reaching her goal seemed daunting, full of steps she didn't fully understand. She knew she had a low credit score, but she wasn't sure how to improve it. Anika remembers, “I knew what I wanted, but I didn't know how to get there.”

Anika connected with Self-Help loan officer Jessica Phelan, who explained the importance of building a credit history and helped her understand how to handle credit cards to maximize the good impact on her credit. Anika opened a share secured credit card to help build her credit score, and opened a Term Certificate to hold some of her savings.

A year later Anika was back in the branch and ready to take the next step. With her newly improved credit score and savings for a down payment, she was quickly pre-approved for a mortgage. She ended up buying a modest condo that offered everything she wanted: a safe, quiet neighborhood; friendly and diverse neighbors of all ages; brand-new construction; a short commute to her job and her daughters' school; and an affordable monthly payment.

Today Anika is all moved in to her new home in Fletcher, North Carolina. She and her daughters Anijah and Journey love their new home. Anika says, "I love that it's brand new, that it's mine! Nobody but me has lived here before. I'm a single mom; I don't have time to do a lot of fixing up. I wanted a place that was nice and new and didn't need any repairs. It didn't really sink in at first … it took a while to sink in: This is my home. I'm a homeowner. It's a feeling of pride.”

Interested in buying a home of your own? Get in touch with one of our home-loan officers. No matter where you’re starting, our loan officers can help you figure out the next step.