When Chaquinta Hill moved to Waco in 1999 for a new job, she expected to stay for only a year. Homeownership was not part of her plan, and neither was starting a family.
Then life changed.
After welcoming her son and becoming a single mother, Chaquinta began thinking about the kind of childhood she wanted to give him. Having grown up in a military family, she was accustomed to moving from one place to another. She knew what it felt like for life to be temporary, and she wanted something different for her child.
“I just wanted to know what it felt like to be still,” she shared. “I wanted my child to be able to go outside and play in his own backyard.”
Chaquinta had never been taught how to save, build credit, invest, or prepare for homeownership. When she learned about NeighborWorks Waco, she applied and discovered that buying a home would require more than simply finding a property and qualifying for a mortgage. It would also require education, preparation, and patience.
At first, the classes felt like another responsibility added to an already busy life. “It was almost like going to night school to learn how to become a homeowner,” she recalled. “At first, I was aggravated. I thought, ‘I have to go to school on the weekends or in the evenings?’ But I learned so much.”
Through NeighborWorks Waco, Chaquinta learned how to read and understand her credit report, communicate with creditors, reduce debt, and develop financial habits that she still practices today. The experience was eye-opening for the 26-year-old mother who was living paycheck to paycheck and raising a nearly one-year-old child.
She also completed a homebuyer education course that prepared her for the practical responsibilities of owning a home. The lessons covered financing options, property taxes, mortgage insurance, household expenses, and basic home maintenance, including details she had never needed to consider while living in an apartment.
NeighborWorks Waco helped Chaquinta identify the financing option that best fit her circumstances. She qualified for nearly $18,000 in assistance through the City of Waco homebuyer assistance program. Those funds significantly reduced the amount she needed to finance for her newly built home.
Over the next 20 years, that house became much more than the stable place she had imagined for her child. It became a gathering place for family, friends, and neighborhood children. After-school visits, holiday celebrations, summer parties, and post-game gatherings filled the home with activity.
“My house became the home for all the friends,” she said. “Their parents knew that, if nowhere else, they had a second home here.” The children began calling her “Mom,” not as a replacement for their own mothers, but because they recognized her as another trusted adult in their lives. Her home had become a safe place where they could gather, eat snacks, spend time together, and know they were welcome.
One of Chaquinta’s most meaningful memories connects her home to advice her maternal grandfather gave her as a child. He often told her, “When you get older, get you a piece of land and park it.” At the time, she did not understand what he meant. Today, when she sits in the backyard she has turned into an oasis for her family, she understands completely.
Over the years, the backyard has included a trampoline, a swing set, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows, and a pool. It has been a place for her family to gather, watch the sunset, and enjoy the life they built together. “He meant, ‘Find you a piece of land and make a home out of it,’” Chaquinta said. “I feel like that’s what I did.”
Chaquinta’s relationship with NeighborWorks Waco also continued long after she received the keys to her home. During difficult financial periods, staff members helped her get back on track with her mortgage payments. When she later needed the original plans for a home improvement project and information about her property line, NeighborWorks Waco still had the documents on file.
For Chaquinta, that continued support reflects the difference between completing a real estate transaction and building a lasting partnership. “From beginning to end, and even today, I can call NeighborWorks and ask questions about my house,” she said. “They are still partnered with me.”
That partnership is one of the reasons Chaquinta strongly encourages prospective homeowners to complete homebuyer education, even when they do not plan to purchase their home through NeighborWorks Waco.
She believes buyers need to understand more than whether they can afford a mortgage payment. They must also consider utilities, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and the long-term costs of caring for a home. “You may think you can afford the monthly payment, but can you really afford the house?” she said. “The education, coaching, and partnership are what stand out.” She also advises homebuyers to think beyond their present circumstances.
When Chaquinta built her three-bedroom, two-bath home with a one-car garage, she was a single mother with one child. She could not have known how much her life would change in the years ahead. “I did not anticipate getting married later in life and my family growing,” she said. “Plan for your future, not just today,” she advised. “Find a home you can grow into.”
Today, most of the children are grown, but the home remains the center of the family’s story. It is where Chaquinta raised her children, welcomed their friends, built traditions, and created the stability she had longed for as a child.
For Chaquinta, home means safety, freedom, and the ability to breathe. “When I put the key in the lock and turn it, I know it’s mine,” she said. “When I walk through that door, I can breathe. I worked for it. My children know what home means. They have stability, and they know this is their safe space.”
Twenty years after moving in, Chaquinta remains proud of the home she worked so hard to obtain and maintain. What began as a desire to give her son a backyard became a lasting foundation for an entire family and a safe haven for many others.
After a childhood spent moving from place to place, Chaquinta finally found a place to be still.
