When the ex upended my life in 2020, I took a few days (weeks) to cry and feel helpless and sad and unsure of what to do and all that. And then I picked myself up, told myself it was okay to be in the process but that I had to keep moving, and I kept moving. One of the things I had to think about was shelter for M and me because the owner of the house we rented for 3 years wanted to sell. And I SO did not want to keep having to move from place to place, but I also figured home ownership was out of the question because my credit is great, but I work for a non-profit and am underpaid. Like, reeeeeally underpaid. Getting a down payment together was pretty much an utter impossibility.
So I was telling the Lord all about my woes one night, and he said, “Your job is never going to be about the money. But I have a house for you.” And that was it. I had no idea what he meant. And then I just suddenly, “accidentally” came across this program called Self-Help Housing. It’s through the USDA’s Rural Development program and entails you and a group essentially building each other’s houses under the direction of a construction foreman.
I was skeptical. I figured with the program’s income restrictions, they’d be janky, tiny, cheaply-constructed little shacks. I didn’t want to be looked at as someone who needed charity. And I didn’t want a bunch of ready-made neighbors I’d have to make small talk with.
But I was wrong. The income restrictions are actually really high. You can make a heck of a lot more than I do and still qualify for this program. The houses, while not fancy, are 5-star certified, bigger than I thought they’d be, and come with a full acre of land and a well. It’s not charity, as I am fully responsible for the note, insurance, and maintenance costs because I own the home. And as for the neighbors, well, an acre of land does keep a pretty good distance between us!
The program works like this: 1. I qualify for the mortgage. 2. I choose my floorplan and lot. 3. Licensed and qualified professionals do the excavation, foundation, plumbing, electrical, heating, gas, landscaping, and truss work. 4. I, along with the 5 or 6 other families in the program, do things like put up walls, lay flooring, add siding, paint, install cabinetry. We are required to put in a minimum of 30 hours per week per family. 5. Once all the houses are complete, they are inspected for livability. 6. We all move into our new houses, and payments start the following month.
Because we do a lot of the work, the cost of building is much lower than it would be if contractors did all of it. I should end up having somewhere around 50k in instant equity when the build is finished, maybe more if housing prices keep going up. I’m locked into an incredible interest rate and didn’t have to come up with a down payment. My wants-to-be-an-architect kiddo will get a lot of practical, hands-on experience while he’s still in high school, and what a cool mom-and-son project! And best of all, I’m finally, finally establishing something that is all mine in this beautiful state I’ve chosen to call home. No relying on anyone else to give it to me, no way for it to be taken out from under me against my will.
M and I have been going out to our land every few days to document the work, saturate the land in prayer, and just enjoy the very tangible peace of knowing it’s our own little patch of Alaska. We’ve received word that group construction will start this coming weekend and are very excited. We can’t wait to have a place to host visitors – so plan on coming to see us next summer! And also, if you live in a rural area, need a home, and can handle the time commitment, look into this program. It has certainly been an answer to prayer for me. 🙂
pellucere 