Nelson Mandela Bay’s Brown family will never forget their first Christmas in their own home.
After years of renting and struggling to secure a home loan due to banking red tape, they were finally able to move into their dream house in Broadwood on December 1.
So taken were Devon and Shawnee Brown with the delightful three-bedroom property on Justin Road that they signed an offer to purchase within hours of meeting award-winning Remax estate agent Alan Moore.
“We saw the garden, kitchen and entertainment area and said to each another, ‘We are buying this house’,” Devon said.
“This was the first and only house we looked at. Everyone asked how we could do that without looking at other properties first, but we knew what we wanted.”
The couple and their two young children were no strangers to Broadwood and its surrounding suburbs.
They had rented properties in Mount Pleasant, Pinelands and Broadwood all their adult lives. They also had spent some time in Kabega but it was in Gqeberha’s eastern suburbs where their hearts truly lay.
The journey to owning their own home was not an easy one.
Devon worked as an online teacher for a Chinese company and South African banks would not accept payslips from that country, scuppering his efforts to get a loan for several years.
It was only when he was employed as a manager for an online teaching company associated with the British government that the path cleared. From that point on, things moved quickly.
In September last year, Shawnee noticed a brand-new listing for the Justin Road house.
Within five minutes of clicking on the “contact agent” portal, she received a call from Moore.
Both were in the area and 15 minutes later they were at the property and meeting for the first time.
The offer came that afternoon.
“We were looking for something quite big and our new home has a nice-size garden where the boys can play rugby and cricket,” Devon, who also had three bedrooms and two bathrooms on his wish list, explained.
“It’s a place where our boys can grow up. We couldn’t be happier.”
The Browns praised Moore for his character and how he managed the sale.
He did not hesitate in pointing out issues that would need to be addressed before they moved in.
“As first-time homeowners, you have no idea what is going on. But he walked us through the process like two little children, holding our hands.
“I’m sure he was so sick of our messages,” Devon quipped.
The agent went above and beyond in all aspects, even repairing their stove when they texted him a photo of the make and model.
To help them secure the house, Moore assisted the Browns in drawing up an offer to purchase that was slightly below asking price but fair to both parties.
“He has a lot of passion for real estate, but he is also such a character. His posts on Facebook make us laugh.
“I don’t think there is a negative hair on that man’s body,” Devon laughed.
“I would say 99 per cent of us getting this house is because of him. It’s been an absolute pleasure to share our journey with Alan.”