For Lynn homeowner One Mortgage and MassDREAMS hit the right note

David Jiles is skilled at taking on different roles. He’s a professional singer, actor, and dancer in musical theater who has performed across the U.S. and abroad. He’s managed performers on cruise ships and sung in wedding bands and at a presidential inauguration. His love for the art of teaching brought him to Berklee College of Music where he is an assistant professor of voice and acting. He’s also an avid yogi. But there’s one role he wasn’t sure he could take on—homeowner.

“I didn’t know if I was ready,” he said. “I was constantly confronted with ‘am I worthy of this?’ I’m at these open houses with young couples who are a lot younger than I am and they look like they have more money than I do, and I’ve got to compete with them. I thought, ‘Oh goodness.’”

In every country he’s toured as a performer, Jiles observed that owning a home symbolized financial security and generational wealth building. He wanted that too, but he didn’t know if he could attain it. “As a Black man in this country, there’s the system of oppression, which made [homeownership] unavailable to people like me.” 

What got him to pursue his dream despite his hesitation was his “incredible team,” the instructor at his first-time homebuying class, his bank loan officer, and the advisor who taught him money saving techniques.

“These individuals strategized and supported me with unwavering dedication,” he said. “They didn’t just help me buy a home. They saw my humanity. They stood by me when my father passed away during the process, giving me space and grace to grieve while staying committed to my dream. Their belief in me and my ability to succeed was deeply impactful, and their service exemplifies the power of everyday people working together.”

In 2024 Jiles moved from his rental apartment in the Fields Corner neighborhood of Boston and purchased a 1,268 square foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in a historic building in downtown Lynn through MassDREAMS and the ONE Mortgage Program.

“It was a godsend. Without ONE I wouldn’t have been able to afford this condo and then if I could have afforded to purchase the condo, insurance and taxes would have quickly added up to make me house rich, cash poor and that would have created its own burden and anxiety.”

Jiles said he enjoys the artsy charm, cultural vibrancy and diversity of his new neighborhood as well as its conveniences. He considers the interior and exterior of his building breathtaking.

“It’s beautiful. I have these gorgeous 12- to 15-foot windows that give so much sunlight. “It’s right across the street from commuter rail, which is brilliant. The shoreline is blocks away.”

As a performer, Jiles often thinks about life through music. If his homebuying journey had a theme song, he said it would be “Everyday People,” by Sly and the Family Stone. He sang these lyrics at the One+ Mortgage launch held in Lynn, an event that included remarks by Governor Maura Healey, affordable housing advocates, and philanthropists.

"We got to live together...

I am no better and neither are you.

We’re all the same, whatever we do."

Jiles says programs like ONE Mortgage and ONE+ provide steps toward creating extraordinary opportunities for everyday people, including him.