I moved to Texas many years ago with my three young children and my mother — a new job, a new city, and a fresh start all at once. I bought my new-construction home sight unseen. My brother lived in the area, so he walked it with the realtor for me. We packed up and drove in on Christmas Day, closed on January 2nd, and I started my new career that very next Monday.
Then reality moved in with us. There were plumbing problems. Then the HVAC. I had no idea what a MUD was. The home sat on a lake, which brought its own HOA rules and surprises I hadn't planned for. I didn't know what warranties I had, or how to even use them. And no one had ever told me that I could — should — have hired my own independent inspector before closing.
I never even met my realtor. We spoke on the phone; they weren't at my closing. And when something broke, the answer was always the same runaround: I'd call my realtor, who told me to call the builder, who referred me to a manual they'd left in the house after closing. A binder on the counter was my support system.
So there I was — brand-new job, brand-new city, three small children, a house full of problems. It was overwhelming.
So I became the person I needed back then.
I got my license and built Cathy in Katy so that no buyer walks into new construction the way I did — alone, in the dark, learning the expensive lessons after closing instead of before. The builders, the lenders, the title companies do this every day. Most buyers don't. That's the gap I close.
It's also why I created Nia, my digital education assistant. Nia puts the right questions in your hands from your very first model-home visit — about warranties, inspections, MUDs, HOAs, and everything I wish someone had handed me. She's not a licensed agent, and she never replaces real guidance.
I want you prepared. Not persuaded.