Group of single moms purchase Maryland home together to save money
TAKOMA PARK, Md. - In a day and age when housing costs are higher than ever, what would you do to save money?
A group of single moms in Takoma Park, Maryland decided to buy a house together and in the process, are saving thousands!
Think of them as the modern-day Golden Girls, but this version of Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia also includes three dogs and five young kids – built-in best friends.
For Holly Harper it’s another day in the life, sharing her house with other single moms and their children after her divorce.
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"I was going to be living in a duplex or a condo in this area anyway within my budget," Harper said.
Amid the pandemic, Holly and her friend Herrin Hopper got together and came up with an idea to reduce their monthly bills.
"We were dealing with high, expensive rent in D.C. and we thought let’s pool our resources and see if we can find a place together," Hooper recalled.
They went all-in on a house together and found another single mom who agreed to move in.
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They remodeled the home to make sure they had their own space.
"We each have our own separate units that are fully functional on their own, and we can all lock the doors," said Leandra Nichola, the third single mom living in the house.
They each own a share of the home and say they were able to save thousands of dollars.
"My rent versus my mortgage is down like 800-1000 dollars a month and I feel so much more stable now that I’m a homeowner again," Harper said.
"Overall, I think I’ve estimated [saving] about 30,000 dollars."
Meanwhile, the unconventional living experience certainly gets people talking.
"Most of Takoma is not super shocked and mostly people are really supportive, especially since this is a women-headed operation," Nichola said.
The kids spend their afternoons together. "They always want to know when the other kids are coming home, so they can knock on the door and say, "Hey can we play?" Nichola added.
And the single moms now have a support system when times get tough.
"Good things happen, we celebrate. Challenging things happen we talk through it. Tragic things happen we cry together," Hopper said. "I’m a big believer in you choose your family. You might be related to them by blood, but you really choose your family and that’s what this is."
The group of moms recently bought another house with some of the money they have saved and are hoping to help other women do much of the same concept they are doing.