Millennials get blamed for a lot. We don’t like bar soap, we’re killing chain restaurants, and we ethically oppose the diamond industry. We’re also not buying homes. Well, I defied the stereotype and can now say that this true blue millennial is now a homeowner. Was it an enjoyable process? Not at all. Buying in one of the hottest housing markets in the U.S. takes willpower. If you can survive the brutality of the housing market, you deserve a pour over coffee and a piece of avocado toast.

My boyfriend and I threw around the idea of buying a year ago. As serial renters in a city where rent prices keep rising, the thought of renewing our lease for an apartment that didn’t have functional heat seemed soul crushing.

We made the biggest mistake any renter toying with the idea of buying could make –  we went to open houses, just to “see what was out there”. Once we saw homes in our budget that had multiple bathrooms, a driveway, AND historical charm (by far the most important feature to me), we figured that maybe, just maybe, we could try this home buying thing.

There are hundreds of articles written about The Home Buying Process, What To Expect When Buying, Tips and Tricks On How To Stand Out As A Buyer, but honestly, nothing fully prepared me for this undertaking. Hours were spent crafting offer letters, checking new listings, and driving through every type of precipitation to make it to house tours.

Throughout this, we learned a few things:

1. Don’t fall in love with a place you don’t own. Seriously, don’t. Our first accepted offer fell through. Another offer we put in came in “second place.” Luckily, our third offer was accepted!
2. Flippers are in full force. I wanted to pull out my hair every time I saw a house on the market with a renovated kitchen that consisted of particle board cabinets and Home Depot clearance beige tiles. Cheap finishes don’t make a $60,000 home worth $120,000.
3. The house hunting process was stressful, but the mortgage process was worse. The excitement of finally having an accepted offer quickly went from 10 to zero as closing dates were pushed out due to inspections, appraisals, and every other thing under the sun. We almost lost the house because of the detached garage. THE FREAKING GARAGE.

Somehow, we made it through. It actually happened. Welcome to homeownership.