Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren, who was infamously evicted last year after the former mayor bought the home Warren was renting, is starting the new year as a first-time homebuyer.

After looking at more than two dozen properties in the village, Warren recently closed on a one-story, three-bedroom fixer upper in late December. While he remains focused on mayoral duties, he’s also currently juggling repairs, packing, and moving.

“I got extremely, extremely lucky and I am very happy that this whole situation is over and that I can get a fresh start in the new year,” Warren told Dan’s Papers. “I am really looking forward to ending this chapter.”

Maintaining a residence in Southampton village was key to Warren keeping his mayorship, as non-residents cannot hold the office. But his predecessor, Mark Epley, purchased the David Whites Lane home for $1.5 million over the summer and then declined to renew his lease.

Warren was thankful that he was able to find a new place, but was saddened that his neighbors who rented another apartment on the property are moving to Manorville.