“I OWN a home!”
Mindie Moncur, a single mom of three, never thought homeownership would be possible. But with the help of Helena Area Habitat for Humanity, NeighborWorks Montana, and Opportunity Bank, she was able to help build and purchase her very own home.
“I fulfilled one of my biggest dreams and provided my family with the stability of having a permanent home,” Mindie proudly stated.
As an employee of Helena Area Habitat for Humanity, Mindie is very familiar with their program that gives families a hand up into sustainable, affordable homeownership by allowing participants to help build their own homes. Mindie qualified for her first mortgage through Opportunity Bank and was then able to layer both a State HOME loan and LIFT loan through NeighborWorks Montana to make her home purchase possible.
The first step to any successful home purchase is to take a homebuyer education class. Mindie attended an in-person class with Rocky Mountain Development Council in Helena, one of NeighborWorks Montana’s many partners who provide homebuyer education classes across the state. “As a single woman, the class was very helpful and gave me hints on what to do, look for, and questions to ask throughout the home purchase process,” Mindie said.
When asked what she wished other people knew about using Habitat for Humanity and NeighborWorks Montana programs, Mindie shared, “They do not provide FREE housing. These organizations provide a hand up, not a handout.”
She continued, “The staff and employees of ALL three organizations are caring, helpful, and knowledgeable at what they do. If not for them, I would not have achieved this accomplishment. I had no idea about all the programs that are out there to help people like me reach this milestone. I greatly appreciate all the guidance and assistance I was given, and I hope that someday I am able to pay it forward.”
More about Homebuyer Education and NWMT Lending:
Homebuyer Education: When you are ready to start looking into buying a home, we encourage you to start by becoming educated about the homebuying process by attending a homebuyer education class and meeting with a housing counselor. Your local housing counselor can help you find and evaluate financing options, as well as set a workable household budget. Click HERE to find a class and housing counselor in your area.
Working with a Lender: When you start meeting with lenders, ask them whether they are familiar with a variety of loans, including NeighborWorks Montana loan products. Your lender can work with our staff to understand the particulars of your situation so we can help find the financing that is right for you. Click HERE for a list of lenders who frequently work with NeighborWorks Montana loan products or ask your lender to give us a call.