Have mercy...

and He does.

I bought my first house a dozen years ago—a little late to the equity-building party compared to my peers, but right on time for me.

Until then I was content to move from rental to rental depending on my work, my budget, my itch for something new or my current landlord's whims. But in 2012, all of a sudden, I wasn't anymore. I wanted to settle into somet…