Some closings are just different. This one hit home.

Nicole, 27, was ready to buy after watching her rent go up year after year. Great credit, solid profile—but not quite enough income to qualify on her own.

Her parents were moving in with her, so we explored adding them as co-borrowers. Her dad had steady income and no debt—but no credit score. And in these cases, guidelines require that borrowers with credit scores make more than half of the qualifying income. He didn’t.

Her mom was listed as unemployed, so she was initially left off the application. But I asked a simple question—“Does she have any other source of income?” Turns out, she receives a small Social Security check. When we added that to Nicole’s income, it tipped the scales just enough to meet the requirement.

We gathered the necessary alternative credit documentation and got the loan approved.

On closing day, a family that never thought they’d own a home got the keys to their first one.

Seeing them walk through the front door of a home they never thought they’d own—that’s the kind of moment that reminds us why we do this.