A RIPPLE OF HOPE

BY SUSAN HARRISON, SENIOR VP

After 17 years living in public housing, Mrs. Eunice Bond dreamed of owning her own home, but living in a small town with an average income around $19,000 per year, she knew it would be an uphill battle. And in this hot real estate market, where would she find an agent to weather the process with her? Enter hometown girl, Stephanie Askew.

“I knew Mrs. Bond because I grew up in Ahoskie, where everyone just kind of knew each other. I was initially hesitant to help her because I live in Raleigh now, and figured I should focus on the real estate market there, but something just led me to say yes. I just knew it was for a reason,” Stephanie said. “I grew up in an environment where home ownership was not the norm. Many people either rented or used government subsidized programs.”

Eunice would save for two years for her down payment and closing costs, and was pre-approved for a mortgage, so she could act quickly when the right house came along for her and her 16-year-old son, but Stephanie said even still, “In Ahoskie, there isn’t a lot of inventory, especially at [her] price point, so I knew it was going to be a challenge finding her the right house. There was a particular home that I passed by many times. It was remodeled on the inside, and it was beautiful... When I showed it to her, she loved it!”

Not only was Eunice new to home ownership, but this was also Stephanie’s first transaction as a newly licensed agent. She learned so much through the process.

I felt like I had just climbed the highest mountain that had ever been put before me. It was never even about compensation for me. There were times she and I cried together over things in our personal lives, or times she was discouraged because she didn’t think things were going to work out, but her faith was strong. And I knew we were going to accomplish what we set out to do.

—STEPHANIE ASKEW, SALES REP.

Mikaela Rojas, Broker/Owner of EXIT Realty Preferred Triangle spoke proudly of Stephanie’s commitment to serving her client and going above and beyond despite the distance challenges she faced.

“Every time she had a showing or an inspection, Stephanie was on the road, sometimes making a four-hour roundtrip drive just to complete a task,” Mikaela shared. “Stephanie told me her goal in becoming a REALTOR ® was to help people but more specifically she wanted to give back to her hometown community. Stephanie was able to get [her client] into a house, under list price, under appraised value, and with a credit at closing that left her with some money in her pocket. That’s truly an amazing thing to do in this market.”

Word got around about Eunice’s accomplishment and congratulations and well-wishes poured into both her social media channels as well as Stephanie’s, creating a ripple of hope that Stephanie witnessed, saying, “A lot of people were looking at [her] saying, ‘Well if she can do it, then I can do it too.’ In fact, the management company at her apartment complex reached out to us and asked if they could do a piece on Eunice because they felt her story was one that would also inspire a lot of other residents in public housing to pursue home ownership,” Stephanie explained. “Mrs. Bond accomplished the American Dream, and I got to a play a role in that. I will never forget her!”