The Pursuit of Ownership: Aaliyah's Journey from Renting to Owning

Struggling to escape the rent cycle while everything around you keeps getting more expensive? In this episode of the Pursuit to Own Podcast, Christopher Pitt and Aaliyah Hackney get real about what it actually takes to buy a home through NACA’s program. From overwhelming paperwork to juggling multiple jobs, they don’t sugarcoat the grind—but they also show it’s possible. Aaliyah shares how she’s breaking generations of renting in her family by treating homeownership like a mission, not a maybe. If you’re tired of feeling stuck, this episode shows how structure, grit, and belief can change your future—one document at a time.

Quotes:

• "I want to call it a generational curse, but breaking out of the generational norms we have, like my mother's mother who didn't own anything, allows us to branch out into something different and have something that's mine." — Aaliyah Hackney
• "Right now, I'm living in something that's not even mine. I don't own anything, so maybe I should work on owning something." — Aaliyah Hackney
• "I don't like wasting time, so let me make sure I don't. If this is going to waste my time, I don’t want to do it." — Aaliyah Hackney
• "No one's gonna go out and give it to me, I gotta earn it." — Aaliyah Hackney
• "When I get a really big assignment, I look at it, then put it away for a second. I digest it, come back, and adjust the first part. We're not going to look at the bottom half yet; we're just going to fix this part and then move on, piece by piece. That's how I'm going to attack it." — Aaliyah Hackney

Key Takeaways:

• ·         Break generational financial patterns by setting clear property ownership goals and creating a strategic plan to achieve them.
• ·         Gather all required financial documents proactively before meetings to maximize program support and demonstrate preparedness.
• ·         Diversify income streams in your professional field to increase financial stability and create opportunities for personal growth.
• ·         Approach complex processes systematically by breaking large tasks into smaller, manageable steps and addressing them incrementally.
• ·         Use life transitions (like graduation) as momentum to immediately pursue professional and financial objectives with focused energy.

Episode Timeline:

[01:10] Why Aaliyah wants more than just an apartment life

[05:12] What surprised Aaliyah most about the first session

[08:07] How to avoid delays by coming fully prepared

[14:16] Landing three jobs before graduation day hits

[33:37] Treating the program like a big class assignment

Conclusion:

Overcoming generational financial limits takes clear planning and steady action. It starts with getting organized—tracking income, keeping proper records, and understanding how money flows. Building multiple income sources adds security and helps create long-term stability. When these habits are passed on, they lay the foundation for real financial progress across generations. It’s not about shortcuts, but about making smart, consistent choices that last.

Tune in to the Pursuit to Own podcast for more inspiring stories and strategies on how to turn your struggles into a pursuit of ownership and success.

Links:

Pursuit to Own: Opportunity Ownership – https://pursuittoown.com/

Connect with Christopher Pitt on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-pitt-mba/

Watch Your Pain Can Provide The Blueprint To Your Success | Christopher Pitt | TEDxWilmington – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULTBmmY1Uos&t=2s