Buying a home felt out of reach. It was something she thought only older people could afford to do.
Yet, for Amber Branch, her husband and their two young daughters, their new place in Valencia by FivePoint has become their home sweet home — and they’re not the only young family in the community.
“I didn’t go into this expecting people our age — with children our age — to be (living) here, but there’s such a community of young parents,” Branch said during a recent telephone interview. “We have neighbors that the girls play with and go outside and ride bikes and scooters together with. Our second day here, our neighbors came and brought us homemade cookies. There’s just a great sense of community in the area, where people are really looking out for each other and getting to know each other. It definitely gives it a ‘home’ feel.”
Branch grew up in Carson, and has lived and worked there, in the San Fernando Valley and in the state of Washington over the years. After college, she worked as a high school chemistry and physics teacher in Washington.
After getting married and becoming pregnant, her mom, who still lived in Carson, couldn’t bear to have her daughter living so far away.
“She was like, ‘Bring my grandchild home,’” Branch said.
Branch took a teaching job in Van Nuys and lived in an apartment in Encino. She and her husband would have two daughters, currently 9 and 6 years old.
When the girls were about 4 and 1 years old, Branch and her husband began to reconsider where they lived.
“We were having troubles with the electricity, with the plumbing, with bugs,” she said. “We started to look for other apartments. We actually found a house to rent in Canyon Country.”
Branch explained that she and her husband were initially trying to buy a place, but they kept getting outbid by other buyers. Renting seemed to be the best option for them.
The young family moved into the Canyon Country rental home in 2021.
Branch planned to commute to her school in Van Nuys, but a friend of hers in Castaic asked her why she didn’t apply to schools in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Branch considered it, applied, got a number of different offers, and eventually fell in love with Bowman High School in Canyon Country.
“I’ve been here going on my fifth year now,” she said.
Her district wasn’t the only thing Branch changed. Soon, she and her husband bought their house in Valencia by FivePoint. She described her journey to homeownership as an unexpected but serendipitous turn of events.
At the end of 2024, after costly car repairs, she and her husband decided to sell the vehicle, which unexpectedly left them with extra funds they intended to save.
Earlier this year, while focusing on getting their finances in order, she and her husband casually agreed to meet a realtor recommended by Branch’s mom.
In February, Branch and her husband were viewing homes when they came across a move-in ready property with all upgrades and strong buyer incentives. Although it wasn’t part of their original plan, the deal felt too good to pass up.
A little over a month later, on March 27, they closed on the home — much sooner than they ever expected.
Branch said she’s since fallen in love with the area and feels incredibly fortunate to have found a place she can truly call home. She also feels grateful just to be a homeowner.
“It’s the ability financially to purchase a home and not feel like you have to be a billionaire,” she said. “My husband and I did not have, unfortunately, a lot of the financial support that some people may have from their parents. Both of us, at 18, moved out. We were fortunate and blessed enough to go to college and get a college education. However, as grateful as I am for an education, in some ways that put us a step back.”
She added that she and her husband had children at a young age, which she called a blessing, but at the time she questioned their decision, explaining that, as a young married couple with student loan debt, starting a family felt a little irresponsible.
Now, looking back on the challenges, Branch says all the uncertainty was worth it.
Branch and her family are now proud owners of a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath tri-level home with a garage. Branch talked about what she called a “bottom floor flex space” in the house, which her girls use as a playroom. It’s also set up as a guest room.
She also raved about Confluence Park, a main park in the community.
“You’re able to rent spaces (at the park),” she said. “We’ve already rented the Garden Home to have a housewarming party.”
The Garden Home is a dual-purpose, open-air gathering space adjacent to the park’s community gardens. Branch said the space and their housewarming event were “super excellent.”
For the new homeowner, having access to shared spaces like Confluence Park has deepened her connection to the neighborhood. It’s not just about owning a home, she said, but about feeling rooted in a community where people come together, celebrate milestones and build lasting relationships.
Owning a home in such a community has given her a strong sense of fulfillment, Branch added, making her feel like she’s truly achieved the American Dream.
“There’s a sense of pride in having something that is your own,” she said. “It gives you financial leverage for the future when, let’s say, we need to borrow from the equity of the home to send the girls to college, or for whatever other financial endeavors we have. I never have to be concerned about a place for us or them to live. I don’t have to worry about rent increases. It’s just a sense of stability that you don’t have otherwise.”
“Community Inspired” is an advertorial series focusing on people who are strengthening our community and essential to the future of the Santa Clarita Valley. The monthly series — and accompanying podcast — is presented by Valencia by FivePoint.
