What a Difference a Year Can Make

A year ago, maybe you were scrolling listings late at night, half-dreaming, half-convincing yourself it was too soon.

You knew you wanted a home — your home — but the idea felt big. Overwhelming, even. Interest rates. Paperwork. Down payments. Questions you weren’t sure who to ask, or if you were asking the right ones at all. It’s easy to wonder if everyone else got some secret guidebook you somehow missed.

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, that feeling is almost universal.

And yet, here you are. Or maybe you’re closer than you think.

Because what we’ve seen, time and time again, is just how much can change in a year.

A year can take you from “just looking” to holding keys in your hand. From uncertainty to confidence. From renting something temporary to stepping into a space that finally feels like it fits.

The home buying journey isn’t just about square footage or floor plans. It’s emotional. It’s personal. It’s learning to trust yourself — and the people guiding you — through one of the biggest decisions you’ll make. The first showing that makes your heart race a little. The offer you debate sending. The inspection that teaches you more about homes than you ever expected to know.

There are moments of excitement, moments of nerves, and moments where you pause and think, Is this really happening?

And then, one day, it is.

A year later, life looks different. Mornings feel calmer. Evenings feel more grounded. You start to notice the small things — how the light hits the kitchen counter, the way your neighborhood sounds at dusk, the sense of relief that comes from knowing this place is yours. You’ve grown into the responsibility, the pride, the stability that once felt so far away.

What a difference a year can make.

At Trusst, we get to witness these transformations up close. Not just the transactions, but the people behind them. The first-time buyers who started out unsure and ended the year standing on their own front porch, realizing they did something they once thought they weren’t ready for.

If you’re at the beginning of your journey, know this: you don’t need to have everything figured out today. You just need to start the conversation. Ask the questions. Take the first step. A year from now, you may look back and hardly recognize the version of yourself who thought this wasn’t possible.

Because sometimes, all it takes is twelve months — and the right support — for everything to change.

And that’s something worth believing in.