Jessica Ramirez goes with the flow—swiftly, happily—toward first-time homeownership
A happy place for Jessica Ramirez has long been the Swift River, south of the Quabbin Reservoir, where she loves to kayak.
“It’s gorgeous, you hear the birds chirping, see the frogs hopping and turtles swimming. I’m a nature girl. I find kayaking to be very therapeutic; it brings peace. When dark days come, you just throw yourself in and it all floats away,” said Ramirez, a manager at a local car wash and 2026 graduate of Way Finders’ Family Self-Sufficiency Program.
She’d often go kayaking to get away from stress at her apartment, where she rented for nine years, due to tension with some neighbors.
But these days, Ramirez has found another happy place. In early February 2026, she purchased her first home: a three-bedroom single-family house in Chicopee, built in 1940. We spoke with her on a hot June day—a rare day off.
“There was just something about this house that was calling my name. It’s really pretty, it’s painted my favorite shade of blue. It has a garage, driveway, and perfectly sized yard. It’s small and easy to clean. I work a lot, but when I come home, I can breathe. I’m like, ‘Wow, this is my happy place,’” said Ramirez, who occasionally picks up delivery shifts at a pizza shop. “We’d usually kayak on my day off, but today my son wanted the pool. So, I’m getting it ready so I can throw myself in there a little bit.”
Flash back to the very cusp of 2026, when Ramirez decided to throw herself into the pursuit of homeownership, which she accomplished in just over a month.
“On New Year’s Eve, I had a date with Zillow and decided to let go of the fear and just house hunt. I knew I was ready to take that step, mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially,” said Ramirez, who first graduated from the FSS program (and shared her story) in 2021, and reenrolled in May 2025. “And then every time I went on my phone, Zillow was the first thing to pop up. Like a sign telling me, ‘Hey, this is your time. Buy a home!’ I was waiting for something at the right price.”
First-time homeowner Jessica Ramirez (at left) with FSS Program Specialist Sonia Colon
For the past several years, Ramirez had been “very strict” with her budget and finances, habits that she attributes to her first experience with the FSS Program, when she worked closely with FSS Program Specialist Sonia Colon. One effective tip that stuck with her is a simple refrain.
“Just put it in your head, ‘I’m broke, I’m broke, I’m broke!’ and you won’t spend. It’s hard to save, don’t get me wrong. Things are so tough, things are expensive. But you’ve just got to be smart with what you purchase. Little by little, I got there. To the point where I could look at my budget and see that I could do it on my own. That I could buy a home, feed my family, pay the bills, and still be comfortable,” said Ramirez, who paid off her car ahead of schedule.
The first day her house popped up on Zillow, she drove through a snowstorm to scope it out, then did a test run of her daily commute.
“It was beautiful! It was me! I’d been looking for years on and off, but I’d never had a reaction like this before,” said Ramirez, who was the first to see and make an offer on the house. “Mine wasn’t the highest, but I wrote a letter, too. And the seller said, ‘The house is yours!’”
Nothing was going to stop her from getting that key, not even being rear-ended the day before her closing. Her car has since been repaired, and she continues to do physical therapy.
“I did NOT reschedule. I was like, ‘I need this house.’ That same day I rented a U-Haul and moved everything, injured and all,” said Ramirez, who shares her home with her 15-year-old son. “When I want something, I get it. I’ve worked and suffered so much in life that I’m not the type to give up. I keep pushing.”
“Jessica’s journey is a true example of perseverance and determination,” said Colon. “Although her homeownership dream wasn’t achieved the first time she participated in the program, she never gave up. She returned and stayed focused on her goals. Jessica, enjoy every moment in your new home!”
Ramirez kept her plans a secret until everything was finalized (“I didn’t want anyone to bring me down or make me doubt myself”). After which she celebrated with a girls’ night—cleaning themed.
“I invited my mom, sisters, and friends over. We were just cleaning and having a ball. That was my way of celebrating. It brought me joy,” said Ramirez, who looks forward to hosting many future gatherings. “Now I have the space for it! The bathroom was one of the first things I remodeled, I’m a handy person. When you have visitors, that’s the first place they see.”
She hopes that by passing on her housing choice voucher, which she received in 2009 after spending time living in shelters, she can help someone who is just starting on their way to housing stability. And that her story helps others, too.
“A lot of people do look up to me,” said Ramirez who manages of team of nine at work and does fitness coaching from a home gym in her basement. “I’m an open book and I like to share my stories whether they’re bad or good, because stories can help motivate people to accomplish things, too. If I can do it from the ground up, then anybody else can as well.”
We loved hearing part two of your story, Jessica Ramirez! Congratulations.
Click on the images below to view larger. Featuring from left: Jessica Ramirez and her son, with FSS Program Specialist Sonia Colon and FSS Advisor Melanie Costales.
