Could Two Single Moms Buy a Duplex Together? These Moms did!
What if you and another single mom could buy a property together, while each having your own home? Your own kitchen, bedrooms and family routines, with someone you trust just next door. For women trying to save a down payment and cover housing costs on one income, it’s an idea worth exploring.
Friends Holly Harper and Herrin Hopper did something similar in Maryland. In 2020, they bought a four-unit property, moved into separate homes with their children and rented the other two units. The household grew into a supportive community where the women helped one another while keeping their own living spaces. Their story, featured in The Washington Post and ABC News, got me thinking about what this could look like here in Creston. Read Article Here
Sharing the costs while keeping your own home
Buying together means you can combine savings toward a down payment and share expenses such as property taxes, insurance and repairs. A lender would still need to assess both buyers’ finances, but sharing the purchase could make ownership possible sooner than buying alone. As the mortgage principal is paid down, each owner can build equity according to their ownership arrangement.
There’s a practical side to having another parent nearby, too. You might agree to trade school pickups, help each other when work runs late, or share a meal on a busy evening. Children have familiar company close by, and the adults have someone to talk to. The important part is agreeing on those expectations. Helping one another should work for both families, while leaving room for privacy and different parenting routines.
My listing at 220 6th Avenue North is a good example of a layout that could suit this arrangement. Offered at $685,000, this front-and-back duplex was built in 2024 and has two separate two-bedroom, one-bathroom homes. Each has its own kitchen, laundry area and private deck, with off-street parking for both units. Easy-care flooring and useful storage suit busy households, and the mall and parks are within walking distance.
Room for a little more support
The unfinished space beneath the rear home could become a third suite, subject to permits and approvals. Rent it out to help with the mortgage, welcome another single mom, or have grandma close enough for supper and bedtime stories. It could also be a home for a trusted caregiver, making help with the children a little easier to arrange.
With separate homes, everyone could have their own space while being part of something together. Before making plans, confirm completion costs and permitted uses with the Town, and agree on how expenses and any rental income would be shared.
Buying together needs a clear agreement from the beginning. A BC lawyer can help set out ownership shares, which home each person occupies, how expenses are divided and what happens if someone misses payments or wants to sell. Separate homes do not automatically mean separate titles or separate mortgage obligations. Joint borrowers are responsible for the debt, so an agreement to split payments does not limit each person’s responsibility to the lender to just her share.
For single moms who know they work well together, this could be a way to own a home, share some of the financial pressure and have support nearby.
Explore 220 6th Avenue North in Creston for photos and full property details.
Diana Klejne Personal Real Estate Corporation – Stonehaus Realty Corp.
604-789-8202 | DianaKlejne@gmail.com
Further reading: Creston suite development • Joint borrower responsibilities • BC tenancy requirements
