(WWJ) A local veteran was overcome with emotion after the keys to a mortgage-free home were handed over to her.

"This is so beautiful!" Army Sgt. Joann Springer said through tears as she took the keys to her first home on Vassar in Dearborn. The home was renovated and furnished through the Veteran's Association of Real Estate Professionals and Bank of America.

Springer told WWJ's Vickie Thomas she struggled for decades to get to this point of a stable life with her own home.

"This is so beautiful ... because now they can see there is people out there who can really help you," Springer said.

Her favorite room? The kitchen, what else. She also likes that the dining room overlooks the patio.

Dustin Luce, founder of the Veteran's Association of Real Estate Professionals, said Springer had tried to own a home in the past, but there were some barriers in her way. His group cleared them.

The Veteran's Association of Real Estate Professionals is focused on helping veterans realize the American dream "that they defended," he said.