12/22/2024
MY PARENTS TOOK BACK THE HOUSE DOWN PAYMENT THEY GIFTED ME — BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA IT WAS ALL PART OF MY PLAN.
When I graduated, my parents gave me a generous down payment for a house. Six months later, I sat with them, holding a stack of "renovation plans." My heart raced as I handed the papers to my dad.
"What's this?" he asked, confused.
I confidently explained I wanted to buy a house that needed huge renovations to become a rentable duplex, and the estimates were astronomical. I almost believed my own story.
My mom's face fell. "Hannah, are you sure? This sounds risky. You'd be in so much debt."
I shrugged. "It's a major investment," I said. "But I might need more of the down payment if things go wrong."
My dad frowned. "We can't let you do this. We didn't give you that money to watch you drown in debt."
My mom nodded. "Maybe we should take back the down payment until you find something safer."
I sighed, pretending to be disappointed. "If that's best," I said, but inside, I was smiling. This was all PART OF MY PLAN.
Here's what really happened: A few days earlier, I'd overheard my mom on the phone with my grandmother. 👇👇