Gone are the days of being able to change homes as easily as you change clothes. Millennials know this struggle most of all. Whether you’re renting or looking to buy, the housing market is a veritable apocalyptic wasteland of misery.
If you are lucky enough to buy property, you have to go into it understanding that you’re not buying a place to fit your lifestyle, you’re going to have to make your lifestyle fit your place. Another sad reality of the property market these days is that – because of inflation and rising costs – you often have to be in a couple in order to afford a property or be a high-income earner.
However, two single moms seemed to have found a loophole in that they went in together to purchase a home for their families in Washington, D.C. The two moms know the struggles of working hard to support the family, while also trying to find a financial balance.
Given the current situation, Holly Harper and Herrin Hopper were finding it difficult to get themselves on the property ladder. That is when Holly reached out to her good friend and fellow single mom, Herrin, and the two of them went in on a property together.
Holly is the founder of Anagram Consulting, Blue Bike Communications, and Siren Foundry. The self-employed mom separated from her partner back in the early half of 2018 and had been living with her kids in an apartment for a few years, figuring out her next move.
She knew she wanted to invest in her future, but it wasn’t as easy as she would’ve liked. As she shared in an essay she wrote for Insider, “I knew it was going to be impossible to find a duplex or condo in Washington, D.C. on my self-employed, single-mom budget.”
That is when she got the idea to get in touch with her friend, Herrin, who was also a single mom. The two had always shared a dream of being homeowners, and the idea of going in on a property and having a communal living set up seemed feasible – so they went for it!
Holly said, “We wanted a multifamily property that would allow two units of similar size, with neither of us sleeping in a basement. We also wanted to be within walking distance of public transit and in a safe neighborhood for our kids to play.”
Sharing a home means that these two friends can also share more than just a living space – they can also share parenting responsibilities like babysitting, as well as other household duties like dog-walking and splitting expenses. Plus, they have each other to lean on when times can get trying. The two friends are enjoying their communal life, calling their knew home, the Siren House.
Speaking with Insider, Herrin said, “Siren is a form of feminist power. We’re building a community, we sort of have the siren song so we bring people together.”
Besides their Siren House, both Harper and Hopper have cofounded Main Street Pearl, which is a “youth-centered, queer-friendly micro-cafe located in the heart of historic Takoma Park, Maryland.”