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However, after taking a couple’s financial course at church, and undergoing three months of rigorous premarital counseling, Levi and Maggie felt uneasy about starting their marriage saddled with debt. That would put a dark cloud over their honeymoon and marital bliss.
Therefore, no loans for them.
How could they buy the Jacobs’ family home in Atlanta, then?
Maggie’s parents asked them to name the price they could pay for the four-bedroom house. Levi and Maggie prayed about it, decided to set Maggie’s savings aside and only used up Levi’s inheritance money plus the sale of the townhouse.
Levi’s townhouse sold quickly within a week of its listing. It sold for a good sum, being in a desirable neighborhood with houses more expensive than his. An investor with cash in hand bought the house. Levi would rather have sold it to a family where they could raise their children, instead of to an investor who had told them their plans to rent out the place.
In any case, his townhouse was sold at a profit, enabling Levi and Maggie to name the price they could afford to buy the Jacobs’ family home, which was still two hundred thousand dollars short of the asking price, unfortunately.
Their real estate agent, Sally, made the offer, citing repairs that the 1950s house would require, including a future new roof replacement.
To their amazement, Maggie’s parents accepted their offer, which was way below market value. Perhaps they realized that Levi and Maggie had a lot of expenses, including the wedding, and they were starting out on a new journey together and could use a boost.
Nonetheless, God had provided.
They hadn’t needed to create an LLC or turn the house into an investment property because they decided to make it their own family home.
Levi knew that he and Maggie would have to work for some years to come so they could have savings again and the all-important emergency fund.
While Maggie continued to stay at her parents’ house, paying rent, Levi had to find a place to stay for two months until their wedding.
At first he wanted to rent a tiny house or go to an extended stay hotel or rent an apartment month by month, but Alden stepped in and offered his guest room for free.
God had provided again!
Alden wasn’t such a bad guy after all. He hadn’t had a chance to go out with Maggie, except as a part of work, and that didn’t count as a date. Levi wished him well and prayed that he would find his own happily-ever-after.
As for the renovation of the old house, Levi and Maggie prayed and reminded each other of Proverbs 24:27.
Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.
They decided that it would be better to replenish their savings, which had now been diversified into real estate. For now, they could live in that old house if they made only a few updates. Fresh paint, new carpet, and new air conditioner and heater units. Maggie was a hard worker, and if she and Levi couldn’t do it themselves, she knew how to find deals and workers who could do the work at a reasonable price.
Even though they splurged and replaced all the windows with energy efficient insulated windows to save electricity during the hot summer and cold winters, the total cost of the updates was less than the five Tiffany rings he had bought out of his inheritance money before the remainder of it went to the purchase of the house. However, the two couple’s rings, two wedding bands, and Maggie’s engagement ring were all worth it.
Levi was pleased that Maggie was practical and didn’t spend more money than necessary. Levi knew that with her, he wouldn’t go broke. She was becoming the Proverbs 31 womanthat the Bible spoke about. Levi recalled verses 10-11 from one of Pastor Kim’s sermons.
Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
At the church office, Maggie put all of herself into her job as the women’s event coordinator, and everyone who’d worked with her only sang praises about her dedication to God’s work and ministry.
Levi couldn’t be prouder of her work ethic.
The door opened, making Levi open his eyes and look in that direction. Cyrus came in, looking spiffy in his white shirt and bow tie.
“Getting some rest, huh?” Cyrus asked.
