How the GI Bill built me

One of the things I think about and write about most is the difficult part of homeownership: lack of affordability, scams and frauds of all types, and the challenges that face the industry, agents and consumers. On some level, this is probably because I'm confronted with stories every day that speak to these issues. On another level, it's probably because I understand how tough it can be to buy, and keep, a family home.

I'm not sure what kinds of conversations other people have with their kids, but when I was growing up, I was not shielded from the difficulties of life. My parents were older when they had me. My father served in World War II. My mother was born during the throes of the Great Depression. You can imagine what that meant in terms of mindset and communication in my house: lack, anxiety and loss were at the core of their experiences and identities.

However, there was one topic they talked about with reverence and wonder as an almost miraculous vehicle to financial and personal security: homeownership. In particular, they talked about how my father bought our home using the GI Bill and how that decision made it possible for us to stay in a familiar setting when tragedy knocked on our door.

A tiny house with a trellis of roses

The house they bought was my mother's dream home. It was tiny (2 bedrooms, 1 bath) and perched on a large corner lot, and she passed it every morning on her way to work. One day there was a For Sale sign there; the next day it was gone.

She was so sad that it was already off the market until my dad told her that he had put in an offer on it, and we'd be moving in the next month.

My father was a used car salesman with a drinking problem. Money was hard to come by at the best of times, and he was always apt to fall off the wagon and quit his job in a fit of anger over an unrepaired car or a dissatisfied customer. But because of the GI Bill, he was able to buy that little house and because of her job, my mother was able to pay the mortgage reliably every month.

My mother tended that tiny house for nearly three decades, working her fingers to the bone to landscape it, make repairs, refinish the hardwood floors and more. I was right there beside her, helping at every turn (not always willingly).

My father didn't get to enjoy the home for very long. He already had advancing multiple sclerosis when he bought the house, and he would be dead just six years later. What that home purchase left behind, however, was the security of homeownership ... security that we never would have had without the GI Bill.

Why homeownership matters so much

It's a tough time for buyers in today's market. Homes and homeowners insurance are both astronomically expensive. Interest rates are back on the rise as the military action in Iran drags on. The smaller, lower-cost starter homes that made homeownership possible for my parents are increasingly rare.

I don't know what the answer is, but I know that the only people who can help make a difference are real estate agents and brokers. Here's how:

• Get yourself up to speed on first-time homebuyer assistance programs in your area.

• Seek out lenders who are adept at identifying programs that can help buyers solve their financial obstacles.

• Work with buyers who need time to repair credit or save up for a down payment. Too often, these buyers are ignored or treated as too inconvenient to help.

• Break down the buy vs. rent conundrum based on your market's conditions, and create content that explains the difference in dollars and cents.

• Answer the phone, and communicate with hopeful buyers in your area, even if they're not buying a million-dollar house for all cash.

This year is a tough one for a lot of us, and our patriotism may not be as evident as usual amid so much division, conflict and fear for the future. But the dream of homeownership is foundational to who we are as Americans, and it must be preserved for future generations.

Many of our ancestors who emigrated to the United States came from places where regular individuals and families could not easily own land or property. They lived under strict governments, faced rigid class structures and had little chance to build wealth.

Owning a home meant having something that belonged to you and having control over your future. That's why homeownership is such a big part of what people think of as the “American Dream.”

Homeownership became one of the main ways families built generational wealth and stability. A home could increase in value over time and be passed down to children or grandchildren. For many families, buying a home was proof that their hard work was paying off.

You have the opportunity every day to connect with people who need you, your knowledge and your network. Whether it's teaching members of the military and their families about the GI Bill and VA loans or teaching "a single mom who works too hard" (like mine) about how homeownership can provide more security for her family in the years ahead, put your real estate license to work for those who need you most.

You never know whose life you'll change for the better.