For Amber Branch, buying a home once felt out of reach — something reserved for older adults or people further along in life. But today, she and her husband are proud homeowners in Valencia by FivePoint, where their two young daughters are growing up surrounded by neighbors, friends, and the kind of community they’d always hoped to find.

“I didn’t expect there to be so many people our age — with children our age — living here,” Branch shared. “But there’s such a great community of young parents. Our girls have neighbors they ride bikes and scooters with, and everyone really looks out for one another. The day after we moved in, our neighbors brought us homemade cookies. It immediately felt like home.”

Branch, who grew up in Carson, has lived and worked across Southern California and even spent time in Washington state, where she worked as a high school chemistry and physics teacher. When she and her husband started their family, her mom encouraged them to return home to California — and eventually, they settled in the Santa Clarita Valley.

After renting for a few years, the couple began to explore homeownership again, though it initially seemed out of reach. “We tried buying before but kept getting outbid,” Branch said. “It was frustrating, so we decided to rent for a while.”

That all changed early this year when, after selling a car and saving the extra funds, they met with a realtor recommended by Branch’s mom. By February, they were touring homes — and one, a move-in ready property with upgrades and buyer incentives in Valencia, stood out immediately.

“It wasn’t something we planned to do right away, but the timing felt perfect,” Branch said. On March 27, they closed on their new home — much sooner than expected.

Now settled in, the family enjoys their two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath tri-level home complete with a flexible downstairs space that serves as both a playroom and guest room. But what they love most goes beyond the home itself.

Branch says that Confluence Park, a centerpiece of the community, has been one of their favorite places to spend time. “You can rent the Garden Home at the park, which we did for our housewarming party — it was wonderful,” she said. “Having these shared spaces really brings people together.”

For Branch, homeownership in Valencia has brought more than stability — it’s brought connection.

“It’s the ability to purchase a home without needing to be wealthy,” she said. “My husband and I didn’t have financial help from our families, and we started out on our own at 18. We made sacrifices, but now we have something that’s truly ours.” She added, “Owning a home gives us a sense of pride and security. We don’t have to worry about rent increases or where we’ll live. We’ve built something for our girls — and that feels like the American Dream.”