Katie Lynn Armstrong knew she wanted something more than a starter home. She wanted a space she could grow into and most importantly, a place to call her own for a long time. 

And after two years of meticulous saving and careful planning, she found it with Riverside Homebuilders in Decatur’s Hillcrest Meadows community. Even better? She did it all at just 25 years old and put a Cadillac in the garage.

“It was worth it 10 times over,” Armstrong said. “If you want to do it, it’s a huge undertaking but you can buckle down and make it happen. I am proof!”

Deep Texas roots

Armstrong, who now works for the American Hat Company as their public relations manager and runs a wildly popular influencer account on Instagram, actually grew up in Ponder just a short ride away from her new home. Her family stayed close too with her mother and former stepfather still in Ponder and her father a little further away in East Texas. 

She started in rodeo early running barrels, goat tying and then participating in team roping after high school. Little did she know at the time, but she was building a career. 

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” Armstrong said. “I wanted to love what I do, to be creating and go to Western industry iconic events. Once I started following that path, it started coming together.”

That led her to Tarleton State University where she graduated with a Bachelors in Agricultural Services and Development with a concentration in communications and minor in business. She did it debt free and with honors. 

Armstrong picked up experience through college internships and a website administrator position for Teskey’s before moving back toward home and landing at the National Roper Supply as a content marketing specialist, where she flourished.

The home search

Originally, she had her heart set on a different Riverside Homebuilders home from Phase 1 of Hillcrest Meadows. The sale fell through, but she kept looking and a testimonial from her stepfather led her back to Riverside Homebuilders for another chance.

He knew Riverside through his irrigation work around Dallas-Fort Worth and had even worked on that particular community in the past. He vouched for the team and eventually toured her new home with her before the sale was final. 

In the end, a wild set of circumstances led to this sale.

The house, which checked every box on her wishlist, was originally planned for another buyer who was not able to relocate. She fell in love with the oversized kitchen island and big windows. She saw herself working in the home office. 

Then, interest rates dropped and another crunch of the numbers showed it was more attainable than she thought. So she jumped. 

“It’s been pretty seamless with no real hiccups or issues,” Armstrong said. “If I had a question, it was answered and if I had an issue, it was fixed. People said you’re going to be stressed and want to throw in the towel, but that hasn’t happened yet”

The first week home 

Moving day was April 2 and the good luck continued. She is still in love with the island and somehow the rooms seem even larger with furniture in them. A true dream. 

She hosted a muted house warming with close friends and a crawfish boil and is slowly settling in, still picking through her boxes and deciding what makes it into the new house. She is still waiting for the perfect thing to hang up first. 

You can recap her journey on her Instagram page where she has chronicled the sale and eventual move into her new home. 

And if you are on a search of your own, Riverside Homebuilders can help you too. Ask Rachel to schedule a one-on-one viewing or virtual tour of any quick move-in or model home. Our staff can direct you toward the best financing options and even help you plan to relocate to one of our 28 active communities.