My wife and I bought our first home together in 2008.

It was built in 2007, so we were the first owners.

We had recently moved from Iowa City to the Kansas City area. We had both acquired good jobs, so we felt optimisic about the future.

What we did not foresee was an economic recession, my job loss, and the housing crisis that plagued the nation.

Shortly after we closed on our home, housing prices dropped drastically, and new home construction almost stopped completely. I built custom cabinets at a local business, and work slowed down to the point where the company had to lay off. Being a new employee, I was the first to be let go. And we were suddenly upside-down on our mortgage - meaning we owed more than the house was worth. We struggled to stay afloat for the five years we lived there. We sacrificed nearly every luxury in order to keep our bills paid and maintain our good credit.

By the end of 2012, we were both ready to move back to Iowa.

I contacted a former employer in Iowa City who was very willing to hire me back. And my wife was such a valued employee that her employer let her keep her job and work from home in Iowa! Everything seemed perfect.

Except for the house, which tied us down.

Years after the initial housing crisis, home prices were still very low. A market analysis done by a local realtor revealed that the value of our home had not increased enough to sell it. We felt trapped. But a couple we knew happened to be needing a new place to live. And they loved our house.

And that's when the trouble began.

There is a reason why some people rent their whole lives and never own a thing. Some do it by choice, some have had bad things happen to them and can't afford to buy, and others are simply irresponsible with money. We didn't quite know the financial track record of the couple who wanted to move into our house. Sure, we had drank beer and played cards with them many weekends, but we never asked them for their credit report or a list of references.

We were so eager to get out of Missouri and move home to Iowa that we ignored caution and allowed this couple to sign a two-year lease-to-purchase agreement. We moved out, and they moved in.

We had a difficult time collecting monthly rent for the next two years. It was never sent on time. We had to contact them and ask when rent was coming, which then led to sobbing stories of their perceived hardships. But their Facebook pages told a different story. There were nights out in Kansas City for dinner, weekend getaways, cosmetic surgeries, and so on.

It got worse.

When the two-year lease period expired, and they were supposed to buy the home, they claimed they were getting a divorce and couldn't afford the house. They moved out, and left us a disaster.

Neighbors said they kept five dogs and two cats in the house. I'm an animal lover, but five dogs was excessive. The carpet was stained from urine and smelled awful. The stains soaked all the way into the plywood subfloor, as seen below. Every dark spot was pet urine. I had to rip out all the carpet in every room of the house.

I worked over fifty hours in three days on our house, removing flooring, repairing drywall, painting, installing new flooring, and extensively cleaning. The end result was beautiful, however. I put oak laminate flooring in the living room and master bedroom, and carpet almost everywhere else. With the upgrades, our home looked and smelled new again.

That was 2015. We still own the home, but the situation is much better.

We are still awaiting the right time to sell, but meanwhile, we have an excellent renter. She is very responsible, possesses good moral character, and always pays on time. We really appreciate her, and she really loves the home and the neighborhood. If all goes well and God is willing, we will be selling it to her this summer, finally freeing ourselves of it.

Lessons Learned

Just because someone seems to be a friend doesn't mean they have your best interest in mind. Give to those who need, love one another, but don't be careless and put your family in harm's way. Reckless decisions made without proper consideration cost thousands of dollars, and add tremendous stress to life. No one wants stress, so learn from people like us who have made foolish choices and paid the price. Thank you for reading!