No doubt about it! Introducing new homeowner Wilma Tynes of Holyoke
Wilma Tynes has built a career dedicated to mentoring students and encouraging them to go after their dreams. In taking Way Finders’ First-time Homebuyer Workshop in fall 2024, she found herself in the student’s seat—which kicked off an unexpected journey of mentorship with Homeownership Specialist Mariola Jarzynska, and led her to the Holyoke property that, as of February 2025, she now calls home.
“I like Holyoke, I didn’t know much about it. I closed just over a month ago, and from what I see, I like. I met my neighbors, they’re really nice. And my commute time is the same,” said Tynes, who serves as Assistant Dean of Student Support at a local college in the Springfield area. “I never thought I’d buy a Colonial, but I love it. Sun filters through it on both ends, it’s so bright. I have just enough yard, not too long of a sidewalk to shovel. It has a huge kitchen, and I have a sunroom and a finished basement.”
Tynes grew up in Springfield’s Hill McNight area, then spent two decades in Virginia where she rented a townhouse. When her mother got sick, she came back to Springfield in 2012 to help take care of her, always intending to return to Virginia.
“And here I am still,” said Tynes, who lost her mother in 2017. “For the 12 going on 13 years that I’ve been back, I’ve been a renter. My brother and sister-in-law were really instrumental in convincing me to start thinking about homeownership, because the money I put into a rental could be going toward building equity. I try to be a practical person. I’m like, ‘OK, if I’m going to pay $2,000 or more for a two-bedroom apartment, why not put that into a home and get some type of return out of it?’”
The main reason Tynes hadn’t pursued homeownership previously—the doubt that she could do it—is what inspired her to share her story.
“I know I can’t be the only one who doubted whether I could own a home. I figure there has to be other people, other families, other single people, who share that doubt,” said Tynes. “The importance of telling your story is so that others can realize, ‘Hey, I’m in a similar situation, maybe I can own a home, too.’ I just wanted them to know that owning your own home can be real. It can be a real thing.”
When Tynes stepped into student mode at the virtual workshop, hosted over two Saturdays in November 2024, she was receptive to insight from the various presenters.
“Originally, I was dead set against a single-family home because I did not want to rake another leaf, cut another blade of grass, or shovel any snow. I was looking purely at condos,” said Tynes. “But really what changed my mind was the realization that you don’t have control over condo fees. Yes, condos are low maintenance. But if they decide the pool needs to be resurfaced, that means my condo fees increase. It’s an unknown. And I would rather have more control in terms of my finances. My agent was simply amazing in helping me to find the best property that suited me and met my needs.”
As Tynes expanded her search, it was with Jarzynska in her corner—to bounce ideas off and receive feedback from, always with the encouragement to keep an open mind. They began meeting monthly.
“Mariola was real with me, that’s what I appreciate. She helped me develop a realistic budget and encouraged me to see what other properties were out there in my budget, beyond right here in Springfield, beyond a one-level ranch,” said Tynes. “We discussed how I wasn’t willing to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the rest of my life just to pay a mortgage—there’s a difference between being able to pay for it, and being able to afford it—what quality of life will you have? I got outbid on a couple homes, and of course I was disappointed, but I knew what my bottom line was in terms of purchase price. I’m a pretty firm person.”
When Tynes put an offer on a circa 1885 Holyoke home, she recalled something she’d learned at the workshop from the home inspector who was a presenter: While not a requirement, it can be to your advantage to hire a home inspector who has been in the construction business.
“He was so right! They know what to look for. I actually hired him to be my home inspector, and he was so instrumental in some of the negotiating we did with the seller. Things he found that needed to be fixed that I wouldn’t have had a clue about,” said Tynes, who secured her loan through Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation and took advantage of MassHousing’s downpayment assistance program.
When asked to reflect on what homeownership means to her, Tynes slips briefly out of practical mode to do a bit of gushing.
“Oh, my goodness, it’s freedom. It’s joy. It’s an unimaginable accomplishment. It’s adulthood. It’s still sinking in. I wake up and I’m like, ‘Wow! I own a house!’” said Tynes. “And I want others to know it’s not an unrealistic dream. You don’t have to have thousands upon thousands of dollars, it can still happen. The first step that I recommend to everyone is to register for the first-time homebuyer workshop, it will give you the information and the encouragement.”
A recent housewarming present she received—a 65-inch TV—is a testament to the lives she has impacted through her career.
“Two of my former students in Virginia, Shawn Jenkins and Delonte Ashton, they are like sons to me. I’ve known them since they were in 8th grade when I served as director of an Upward Bound program. They now have careers and families, they are both homeowners,” said Tynes. “When I told them I was looking to purchase a house in the Springfield area, Delonte said, ‘You must mean Springfield, Virginia, Ms. Tynes!’ They got together and decided on this housewarming gift, and they’re both happy for me.”
We are happy for you, too, Wilma. Congratulations!