For Joel, his wife, Katelyn, and their one-year-old son, Levi, 2020 posed many challenges, but it also unlocked a new door. That door was the door of their first home in Ephrata that they purchased in August last year. Joel shares, “I wanted to provide my family a place to call home.” So he reached out to learn more about Tenfold’s Financial Empowerment Center. Joel began working with Diahann through the Matched Savings For Tomorrow program where he set his goal on the purchase of a home. In one of their first meetings, they began to plan to “save first and develop a budget.” To accomplish this, Diahann encouraged Joel to set up a budget, write all their expenses down, and see what is left. Joel said, “once you see what is left, it is so much clearer to you what is really needed versus all the things you just want. Keeping a budget does take time and energy, but it is very helpful as you work toward your goal, in my case our first home.”
Through their perseverance and their friend Diahann’s support at Tenfold, Joel and Katelyn accomplished their goal and purchased their home. Joel described his experience with Diahann as, “easy, straightforward, comfortable to talk with, like a friend holding your hand walking you through the entire the process.” In addition, Joel was very appreciative of Diahann stepping in to explain and reassure our lender about the Matched Savings For Tomorrow program. Joel shares that he is motivated not only by his faith, but by his wife and son to provide them with a healthy environment and home. Already the Montanez family has completed a home project. They’ve remodeled their mudroom, which has the added bonus of reducing their heating bills. Like a lot of ambitious new homeowners, they are planning many future projects, like replacing an entry door and renovating a bathroom. “I am actively budgeting, saving, and working on my goals. For the long term, I would love to invest in rehabbing a home and becoming a landlord. But for now, myself and my family are enjoying being homeowners.”