By skyforbes Home ownership was not on my bingo card this year, nor was it anything I dreamed was within reach for me. I subscribed to the fact that there were just too many issues in my past, and too many issues in my present, to pursue home ownership. However, I dreamed of this every day. For as long as Zillow and Trulia had an app, I've visited the apps daily, daydreaming and plugging in pretend scenarios (what if I got a raise, what if I won the lottery, what's the absolute minimum I could afford, etc…). I am on it so much that my partner tells people it's my p*rn.
Last month, as I was tinkering with Google Gemini, the thought of using Gemini for Zillow crossed my mind. I got to work and created a custom gem that helped me navigate purchasing a home using the VA loan program. I was just playing around with it and it directed me to resources that let me know I was more than ready to purchase a home!! Before I knew it, I was talking to an agent and viewing properties within the week.
My gem helped me realize that it would be WAY more beneficial for me to pursue purchasing a multi-family unit. Instead of paying $2800+/mo on mortgage, I am now a landlord of a quadruplex unit where I will be living in one unit and renting out the other three units. I am inheriting tenants and rental payments cover the mortgage and utilities. The only things I pay for will be saving for contingencies and my unit's bills, which is a drop in the bucket compared to what I'm paying as a renter. The current rent prices are below fair market value, but thanks to help from my Keystone Advisor, I've come up with an equitable plan to incrementally increase rent, but not justw shoot straight for fair market value, as it may cause vacancy (and this advice was reiterated by my agent as a smart move). I also am not in this to be a slum lord. I know what it's like to rent, and I want to be a good landlord. My Keystone Advisor also helped me make the decision on properties, and this one came with a coin-operated laundry that generates a few hundred dollars a month.
My Keystone Advisor helped me collect my documents, but most importantly, it helped me sift through and read every item. It gave me clarity on anything I had questions on, and helped me streamline my research. It helped me stay on track with each document/step, and it was so successful that I could've closed this month, but the seller asked if I could wait for the new year to record due to tax implications for them. It wouldn't impact me, and I can wait, so now I'm just waiting for January 2, 2026.
I can't praise Google Gemini enough for helping me change my life, and the my family's life.