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If buying one house across the country feels scary, imagine buying three! Here’s why they did it — and why they have no regrets.

“You’ll never feel like you’re 100% ready.”

That’s the biggest takeaway from Chao Zhang-Tran, whose family is in the midst of a major transition. Together with her husband, Tommy, Chao purchased not one, but three homes in Houston, TX, so they could move their children, and both sets of grandparents to the area this summer.

“We couldn’t imagine moving somewhere so far away without bringing them along. We’re a package deal!” she says with a laugh. While everyone currently lives in the big city environment in New Jersey, their family is looking forward to a slower pace, a more active lifestyle, and — in the case of their 2 children — access to pools and waterslides.

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Both Chao and Tommy have built successful careers in New Jersey, Chao in the pharmaceutical industry, Tommy as a real estate broker. But like many families in the past few years, they’ve been reevaluating their priorities.

“When COVID happened, it changed our perspective,” Tommy explains. “When everything locked down, we knew we needed to be in a place with more room for our kids to get out and play.”

“Life is short,” he continues. “If we’re gonna make a move, we might as well make a move now.” It gave us a kickstart to get moving!”

“I’m hopeful that the shift will bring more of a sense of a community where we’re living. I think in the city, people keep more to themselves,” Chao says. “We’re excited to find [families and young professionals] and build a strong community.”

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left-quoteYou’ll never feel like you’re 100% ready.right-quote

– Chao Zhang-Tran

They’ve talked about a move for years. But with grandparents happily settled nearby, it never felt like the right time. “It took something as big as COVID for my dad to say, ‘Alright, I’ve gotta enjoy the years I’ve got left,’” Chao says. So when Chao’s father finally signaled he was ready for a change, they moved quickly to find housing for both sets of their parents as well. In just 6 months, Chao and Tommy were under contract for 3 homes.

While both admit the cross-country move is scary, they have zero regrets. “We’ve been together 19 years,” Tommy recalls. “But this has made us really close. Our relationship is stronger as a result of us trying to figure this out together.”

He’s also so proud of his wife for her determination and commitment to making this happen for their whole extended family. “My wife is Chinese, I’m Vietnamese. In China, women and girls are perceived as lesser than boys,” he explains. “Females ultimately marry out and won’t be able to care for the family as much. So it’s so inspiring that she was able to work hard and save and care for her parents in this way.”

Hear more from Chao

“Typically, you only see celebrities or superstars [buying homes for their parents] — and some of them don’t even do that,” he continues. “She has a good job, of course, but we’re not making 7 figures. And I’m so proud that my wife is that strong, and that committed to her family.”

Chao says Tommy’s support — and financial expertise — has been key every step of the way. “He taught me to invest,” she says. “Working and saving, you’re only going to get so far. He was able to show me, you have to make your money work harder for you. And that’s been the critical piece. You can’t possibly get to the point as quickly as we did with just saving. He’s given me a vehicle to make my money work harder and faster for me. And he gave me the courage I needed to take this step.” In fact, Chao enjoyed the process of investing in real estate so much, she’s considering switching careers and joining Tommy’s real estate ventures once they move to Houston.

Her advice for someone on the verge of a big change of their own? “If you’ve put the thought and research into it, and you’ve thought about your options and your plans, I say just bite your tongue, pull the trigger, and start the process,” she says. “The longer you mull it over, the longer you have to talk yourself out of it.”

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