When my wife Sarah and I first drove through the gates of Willowbrook Estates, we thought we’d found the perfect place to start our married life. The subdivision was everything we’d dreamed of—manicured lawns that looked like green carpets, pristine sidewalks lined with young oak trees, and houses that seemed to have stepped out of a home design magazine. After years of apartment living, the prospect of owning our first home in such a beautiful community felt like we’d finally made it.