THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 22, 1995 TAG: 9507200302
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MELANIE BEROTH, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
``You're going to think I'm crazy,'' Tanya Keyser, then 19, told her father back in 1993, ``but I'm going to buy a house, and I'm going to do it before I'm 22 years old.''
Her declaration becomes a reality in September. After two years of working and saving, she will move into her new three-bedroom townhouse in Jamestown Villas in Virginia Beach.
Now 21, Keyser is enthusiastic about taking this big step. ``I want the American dream,'' she says. ``It's been rough saving, but it's worth it when you see your house being built.''
She has worked two jobs to attain her dream: as payroll manager at Hale Intermodal, a Norfolk trucking and barge company, on weekdays and as a cocktail waitress in Norfolk on weekends.
With the advice of her father, Master Chief Curt Keyser, and her three older brothers, Keyser concocted an intricate purchasing plan and maneuvered smoothly through complex buying legalities and the instability of interest rates.
However, after signing her purchase agreement in March, waiting for the completion of her house has been her biggest challenge. ``Once I had in mind what I was going to do,'' she says, ``I was ready to move in.''
Barbara G. Harris, site manager for Jamestown Villas, has worked with Keyser to make sure the interior and exterior amenities meet her expectations. Keyser picked out dark gray carpeting for both floors, and she is installing pull-down stairs in the attic so she can easily access the air-conditioner and water heater.
According to Harris, the brick villas with gray and cream vinyl accents are selling in the range of $79,900 to $83,000. Of the three models offered, Keyser chose the Newport design, which is 1,375 square feet with an attached garage.
``I'm going to put a treadmill, weights and a TV in my garage for my own personal gym,'' Keyser says. ``There is enough room for the equipment and my car.'' She will also have 2 1/2 bathrooms with her three bedrooms plus a dining room, living room and a small porch on the first floor.
Once the construction is completed, Keyser plans to decorate the interior to match her diverse tastes. ``I'm not trying to impress anyone,'' she says. ``I'm just decorating it however I like.''
Keyser's love for Mickey Mouse and his Disney compeers will be apparent in her home. A Disney comforter and Disney sheets will accent the Victorian cherry wood suite in her bedroom and white Disney towels, Mickey Mouse mugs and a Disney soap dispenser will complete the upstairs bathroom. ``Just enough to decorate without overdoing it,'' she says.
A country blue theme will prevail downstairs, with ruffles, candles and hearts and a furniture set she bought for $2,500 when she was 18.
Keyser learned the art of handling her finances when she was young. When she was 7, her mother and one of her four brothers died in a car accident. Her father was alone suddenly, caring for the four other children.
``Everything broke apart,'' she recalls. ``We had to stick together. I was the only girl with three boys, and we all worked together.''
When she was 14, her father, who retired in 1989 after 30 years in the Navy, opened up a checking account for her. ``I learned a lot from my dad,'' Keyser says. ``He taught me how to be responsible with my finances.''
When she is not working or planning for her home, Keyser enjoys roller blading, swimming, horseback riding, water skiing and fishing.
``I play a lot of sports,'' she says. ``I never sit home and watch TV. I'm always cleaning or washing my car or going to the pool.
``A lot of people my age are going out and partying and it's sometimes like, gee, I wish that were me. I realize that being in a bar is not going to get you anywhere though. You're not getting anything out of your life.''
Instead of bar hopping, she has set big goals for her life and is fast on the way to accomplishing them with the purchase of her new home.
``If I can do it, anyone else can,'' she says. ``I'm no different from anybody else. I'm not smarter. I'm not better. I'm just using my potential to the fullest.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover by Gary C. Knapp
Tanya Keyser...
Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Tanya Keyser will move into her new townhouse in September when
construction is done.
by CNB