Homeowner Howard Brown decided to buy a duplex in Jacksonville, FLa city hed never even visited.
Jordan Lye; chictype | Design: Kailey Whitman
Howard Brown isnt one for uncertainty.
I dont second guess myself, he says.
Credit:Jordan Lye; chictype | Design: Kailey Whitman
I dont pray on it.
I dont go back and forth.
If I like something, I tell you I like it.
However, he wasnt new to Florida, or to homeownership.
Howard had lived in Ft. Lauderdale, five hours south of Jacksonville, for nearly thirty years.
He owned homes there, too, before relocating within commuting distance of New York City.
In November 2024, after more than a decade, he felt it was time for a change.
I decided I needed something stable, he says.
I want somewhere to lay my head.
Howards sister has properties in Jacksonville, and his retired father likes visiting there.
Surely hed enjoy it, too.
Once the idea dawned, it was only a matter of time.
First things first: Howard reached out to a friend for a Jacksonville-area mortgage broker recommendation.
I loved her immediately, he says.
At first, buyer and agent navigated options from afar.
He knew from previous ownership stints that home projects werent his thing.
And a built-in rental provided a financial safety net, especially as he neared retirement age.
I wanted to be able to rent it if I needed help with the mortgage, he says.
Howard decided on a visit and made his expectations clear.
Im not flying back and forth from New Jersey to Jacksonville to look at homes, he told Johnson.
You have one week.
It felt quiet and calm, and confirmed his instincts.
I thought it was a perfect fit, he says.
He was pleasantly surprised to recognize it as one hed admired the night before.
Homeowner Howard Brown
It was my houseexactly what I envisioned me having.
The first and only one I saw.
I walked in, and I said, Lets make an offer, Howard says.
Johnson insisted he take in the rest of the home first.
The clean, modern lines, subdued colors, abundant natural light, andopen floor planall checked out.
There was a big backyard, too, including a garden he could immediately picture his father puttering in.
It was my houseexactly what I envisioned me having, he says.
The first and only one I saw.
A Place to Call Home
Howard got his home at full price with 3.5% down.
Johnson, working with the mortgage broker whod initially referred her, made it a seamless process.
Howard was in his home only a month after starting his search from afar.
Im at the stage in life when my peace is the most important thing to me.
And I found it.
Trusting his gut clearly paid off.
I liked the fact that its big enough for a family, but small enough for me.
I dont feel like its overwhelming in terms of upkeep.
The ADU remains vacant.
Im at the stage in life when my peace is the most important thing to me, he says.
And I found it.
