Alex Crabtree was fixing a wrecked car and sorting through paperwork when his wife Amanda got the call. It wasn’t the kind of day either of them would have guessed would change their lives, but it did.
“It took us a couple days to really be like oh my gosh, we actually really did win,” Amanda said. “This is ours.”
Years in the Making
Alex Crabtree served for nine years in the military: three years on active duty in the Army and six years in the National Guard. When his service ended, he and his wife transitioned to civilian life the way many Veteran families do, moving from one apartment to the next, making the best of their circumstances.
Homeownership was always the goal, but just a little further out than they wanted.
That changed when the Crabtrees were selected for the $75,000 Veteran Homebuyer Giveaway from Veterans United Home Loans and Realtor.com®. With that, they were able to buy their first home in Mesquite, Texas, close to family and the community they had been working toward for years.
“We were coming off of something bad, and it turned it around and made it where it was a good time,” Alex said.
The Moment They Walked In
They came into the process as first-time homebuyers, but they didn’t have to figure it out alone.
“Everyone’s been amazing, helpful, knowledgeable, because we had no clue what we were doing,” Amanda said.
When Amanda walked into the house for the first time, she felt it before she could name it. The layout, the light and the potential already visible in every room. Then she stepped into the yard, and that was that.
“Yeah, this is definitely where I could see them growing up,” she said.
For a family whose kids like to be outside, who need room to run without worrying about what they might break in a space that isn’t theirs, that yard meant everything to the Crabtrees.
No Limitations Anymore
Owning the home handed the Crabtrees something they hadn’t had in a while: somewhere that was actually theirs. Since Alex’s service ended, home had always meant someone else’s space, whether borrowed, rented or temporary. A place to be careful in, not a place to live in.
“It means the world because we actually got something that we’re pushing towards ours. Somewhere our kids can grow up, play and invite their friends over and build memories. For us, it’s somewhere they can call home and know it’s safe to go.”
It’s Our Time Now
When Alex talked about what Veterans United meant to his family through this process, he did it through tears.
“Y’all have been so nice and helpful and all the above,” he said. “You made the whole thing more exciting because we didn’t have to go through a lot of stress. It’s just been a great experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
He wants other military families to know what’s possible.
“It basically did a 360 on what I was expecting, knowing there are people out there that are willing to help you if you try,” Alex said.
For Amanda, it came down to one thing.
“It’s been a journey for us,” she said. “But finally, our time. It’s our time now, so we’re super grateful,” she said.
