Eureka—a small town illustrating a classic, rural Montana lifestyle, surrounded by the Kootenai National Forest and located on the backside of Glacier National Park—is truly a place of peacefulness, nature, and beauty. And even though it is still a “small town with big heart,” Eureka residents are all too familiar with population influx and housing unaffordability.
Stephen McClendon spent most of his life in Eureka. In his late 40s, he was visiting friends in Alabama, where he lived a few years during childhood, when he experienced a fall that broke his neck and caused temporary paralysis. After a full year of physical therapy, he learned to walk again and was able to return to his home in Eureka.
Although Stephen owned a trailer on his parent’s property, the home became quite run down and was no longer livable. So, he decided to rent. He found a place he could afford for himself and his teenage son, Michael—a 100+ year old house that had a lot of charm but needed quite a bit of TLC.
After seven years of renting, Stephen’s landlord decided to sell. Feeling overwhelmed and scared that he and his son would have nowhere to go with the unaffordability of the rental market in Eureka, Stephen contacted a local lender to assess his options. With no credit between him and his son, they needed time to become homeownership ready before they could consider purchasing. Thankfully his landlord was understanding and willing to grant Stephen and Michael the time needed to build their credit scores and save money for a down payment.
During this time, they enrolled in homebuyer education to learn more about the home buying process. “The course was much more extensive than I first thought. It taught us a lot about lending and the ins and outs of being a homeowner—things I hadn’t put much thought into or fully understood before,” Stephen explained. When they reached the point of hiring a home inspector, their to-do list grew extensively. To pass the inspection, Stephen and Michael spent weeks painting, adding smoke detectors, and many other necessary improvements. Each day that passed, Stephen was forced to look at the big “for sale” sign in his front yard, as people stopped to look at the historic home frequently.
But all the hard work paid off. After renting the house for over seven years, this father-son duo purchased their very first home. Carla, their lender with CrossCountry Mortgage, praised Stephen and Michael’s tenacity, “I was delighted to work with them on their home purchase. There were challenges we faced together and instead of giving up, they dug in and followed the advice given to make what they thought was an impossible dream at times, a reality. The home buying process isn’t always easy but it’s definitely worth it. And thanks to NeighborWorks Montana, Stephen and Michael have a home to call their own and I’m honored to have been a part of it.”
Stephen added, “I feel relieved that I finally own a home. I lived in this town for 25 years and my son graduated from high school here. I feel so relieved that I don’t have to move and can buy the house I’ve loved since I’ve been living in it. This was such a great opportunity for me and my son, and we both learned so much together.”
Guidance, Support, and Tools for Every Step
Are you thinking about becoming a homeowner? Connect with a housing counselor in your area to get started with Homebuyer Education!
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