In 2009, I was incredibly fortunate to be in a position to buy a home. By 2018, its increased value allowed me to purchase a second, larger home, move my family into it, and rent out our first one. Later, I refinanced both properties, reducing the interest rates by about 2% each.

All our children are on the autism spectrum. If we can keep these two homes, we plan to eventually sell them and place the proceeds in a special trust to support our children after we’re gone. Or, they might live in one or both of them—time will tell. Either way, knowing they have this safety net gives us peace of mind.

I hope others are as fortunate as we’ve been, with even more and better opportunities to secure a home and build a stable future for themselves.