Finding Peace In Homeownership

Finding Peace In Homeownership

For the past few years, Marilyn has been interested in becoming a first-time homebuyer. However, the pandemic upended those plans. Inventory plummeted, prices skyrocketed, and programs that she was hoping would lead her down the path to homeownership dried up.

It was then that she saw a story on the news about Milwaukee Habitat, followed shortly after by a post on Facebook about our homeownership program.

“God’s trying to tell me something,” Marilyn said.

Marilyn has been renting a three bedroom duplex, but was looking for something more stable and permanent.

“I don’t want to feel like I have to move because the landlord sells the property,” she said.

Since moving in, her duplex was sold to a large property management company. What she’s experienced only escalated her motivation to become a homeowner.

“If I’m a homeowner and anything goes wrong, it’s not going to take a month to fix,” said Marilyn.

When she qualified to build a brand new home in Milwaukee’s Midtown neighborhood, Marilyn thought, “That’s my dream home.” In other homeownership opportunities she explored, she’d be buying a home that was at least 60 or 70 years old.

“It’s depressing when you buy a house and you have to fix it right away,” says Marilyn. “God blessed me with ‘new.’”

Marilyn’s home is one of the first of Milwaukee Habitat’s new “Allen” house models being constructed in Midtown. The “Allen” – named in honor of long-time volunteer Bill Allen – is a ranch style home. These single story models are one of the ways Milwaukee Habitat is adapting in order to double the number of families we serve by 2028. The design offers improved construction efficiencies as we work to scale production.

Marilyn can’t wait to decorate her new house, inside and out, with beautiful plants. She has plans to plant flower gardens around her yard, including a rose bush.

“It’s a blessing to own your own home,” says Marilyn. “To be at peace.”