After college, Sean rented apartments in and around Boston. For the past several years, he wanted to buy his own home and put down permanent roots.

"I was looking to buy the last few years and looking for the right location and the right time to buy," he said. "I had rented in Boston many times before and I always loved being in the city."

The right time to buy recently came up for Sean, who used MassHousing Mortgage financing and down payment assistance to purchase a newly built condominium in Dorchester that was developed through MassHousing's CommonWealth Builder program.

"This place came up and it was the right place at the right time and in a good location," said Sean, who worked with Max Deulofeu, an Associate VP of Mortgage Lending, at Guaranteed Rate to get his MassHousing financing.

"It was a very easy and streamlined process," said Sean. "It was a three-month process from viewing the place to closing and moving in. They were transparent with everything and helpful with answering any questions I had and now I have a nice, brand-new condo in a nice neighborhood in Dorchester."

MassHousing partners with lenders across the state to originate Agency loans, which are then purchased and serviced directly by MassHousing. Guaranteed Rate is one of MassHousing's top 10 lending partners.

"Our partnership with MassHousing is about creating more paths to homeownership for people who are ready to buy but may need additional support to make the numbers work. Programs like down payment assistance can be the difference between someone continuing to wait and being able to confidently take that next step," said Guaranteed Rate President Shant Banosian. "When we can pair those resources with the right education and guidance, we're able to help more buyers understand what's possible and build a plan that works for them. Sean's story is a great example of what can happen when strong programs, the right financing and an experienced team all come together. Ultimately, that's what this partnership is about: creating more opportunities for people to become homeowners and build a stronger financial future."

Sean, who is a senior associate for alternative investment firm, said MassHousing's downpayment assistance program was the difference maker in him being able to purchase his new home.

MassHousing's DPA program offers up to $30,000 in down payment assistance to all income-eligible first-time homebuyers, when purchasing a first home in any city or town in Massachusetts.

"I think DPA was one of the most beneficial things I had in the process of closing," he said. "DPA was very important because it gave me a level of comfortability to buy this home and let me get the place I wanted."

Sean had friends who had accessed down payment assistance, and they relayed to him how it helped them stay within their budget while achieving homeownership. "If you're out of college, you may have student loans or a car loan," he said. "I think it helped to have somebody help you to achieve your dream of buying your own home. The DPA gives you that boost of being able to afford to live at a comfortable place financially, without straining your budget."

When Sean walked into his new home, his homebuying journey was complete.

"It was definitely a sigh of relief but also a sense of excitement," he said. "It was surreal, a once in a lifetime experience. Walking around the place gave me a feeling that all my hard work paid off and everything I did in this process was worth it. I still think it feels amazing that I was able to take this big step in my personal life."

Sean did work hard to make his homebuying journey a success. He took a homebuyer education course that MassHousing requires of all first-time buyers and spent time looking at what other grant and downpayment assistance might be available to him, as well as looking at multiple properties before his opportunity in Dorchester came up.

"The homebuyer education course was very good because I did not have a lot of information about buying a property in the city and it gave me all the tools to go ahead," he said. "Everything through MassHousing was very easy to access. The course gives you all the information you need about the homebuying process from start to finish."

Sean found it a "pretty complicated process trying to find places" while looking at homes in Boston and just outside the city.

"I wanted to have a permanent place to live for many years to come," he said. "I did a city housing initiative to see what kind of properties were available. I worked with a real estate agent to see how we were going to approach things and took a step back to refine our search and then we recalibrated that."

He entered a number of lotteries to purchase homes in Boston for moderate-income first-time homebuyers, and through that process, found the building he lives in now. Sean said he was very fortunate to have found his condo in Dorchester. "I was able to get one of the one bedrooms," he said.

Since graduating from college, Sean has lived in several neighborhoods of Boston and in surrounding communities like Somerville and Watertown. He knew he wanted to settle in Boston, and in his Dorchester neighborhood he's found "a community that had a lot of what I was looking for." 

Asked what advice he has for other first-time buyers, Sean said, "You want to make sure you take advantage of all the resources you have and lean on the resources you have. Lean on people who do this for a living. Talk to people and see where you are in terms of certain things."

Sean credits his homebuying team with guiding him from his initial search to ultimately closing on his condo.

"Do your research as well," he added. "Make sure you are looking at everything to make sure it meets your standards. It's important to find a place you can enjoy. Don't give up. Keep on going. Adversity is all part of the journey and eventually the right place will come up."

Avoiding giving into the frustration will ultimately pay off, Sean added.

"It will be all worth it in the end," he said. "There will be ups and downs. Keep on going and never give up. Getting the keys and walking into your place and taking that deep breath - that's something you can look forward to."