I knew Kate was a good fit from the moment we spoke on the phone. I was still in Los Angeles when Kate asked me questions about my finances. I told her that I was worried about not qualifying for a mortgage since I’d be working a contract-based teaching job while in grad school. The only way I’d be able to cover my monthly payments was if I got a house where I could have roommates — which meant I’d have a few months, at least, of living beyond my means and racking up credit card debt while I got what was sure to be a fixer-upper in working order. But as it turned out, Kate had done the exact same thing, taking on housing debt while she was also taking out student loans, and slowly paying off both at once. She got her start in real estate at 22, by buying a house in the town where she attended college — which spurred her career as a full-fledged real estate broker and REALTOR®. And if Kate could do it, maybe I, with my big dreams and modest budget, could, too.