Ruksana Hussain

In 2012, my husband and I decided to take the next big step together—investing in a starter home in Atlanta, Georgia. We had been married a little over five years, and my husband’s above-average credit score of 780 meant we would easily be approved for a mortgage. We sought a home in the $250,000 range with a mortgage of $1,200 per month that we could repay in 30 years. We decided to only look at foreclosed homes since they were the most affordable option.