One of the achievements that my wife and I did in 2021 is becoming a first-time homeowner in New Zealand - a country we arrived in 6 years ago. It was such a journey! I learned many lessons during the process, and many people helped us. Would like to share a few things I've learned from being a homeowner and hopefully, it might be helpful for people who are on a similar journey:

1. It's hard, but not impossible. Hardworking people will always be rewarded.
2. It takes time, but it will happen if you did the first thing(hard-working).
3. You will need some strategy, which means you will need to work hard and smart.
4. Trust the process, as you can't see the instant result.
5. Work as a team - with your family.
6. Finally and might be the most important thing: as a homeowner, I don't own it - yet. The bank owns it now and it trusts me to be able to pay for its investment. Our hard-working earned that trust, and I need to stay sharp (in a professional perspective) to keep it.
7. There are always opportunities on the markets, no matter if you are looking for a new job or a new house.