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Success Stories

Homeowner at Crossroads, Utilizes Home Repair Funding

Amy Mund
Home Repair
Jeanna Dolezal outside her home

Homeownership helps families and individuals build savings over time; however, keeping your home in good repair can still be a financial hardship for homeowners.  USDA Rural Development’s Home Repair Loan and Grant Program can assist rural homeowners with these needed repairs.  

Jeanna Dolezal, a homeowner in Berthoud, Colo., was at a crossroads for making necessary repairs to her home.  Dolezal spent most of her final years of employment before retirement cutting financial corners and saving funds to pay her home mortgage off.  All the while, she knew she needed to be building a home maintenance savings account for large expenses, but it was just financially impossible to do both.  

The roof tiles on her home were well past their 20-year warranty.  The furnace was chugging along each winter, now at nearly 30 years of service.  The 1945 front concreate steps were literally cracking chunks off.  

She knew she needed help.

Thankfully, after a Google search on home improvement loan assistance led her to Terry Shek at USDA Rural Development, who told her she could get a home improvement loan.  

“I qualified for a low interest loan for the funds I needed to get these projects done,” said Dolezal, who added that the responses to her questions were thorough, efficient, and helpful. “To my surprise, I also qualified for a $10,000 grant which greatly reduced the amount I would be paying back.”

Now, Dolezal is having a new furnace unit is being installed, a new roof and gutters will follow soon after, finishing up with replaced front steps after that.  

“I will be paying $56 a month on my home improvement loan,” she said.  “I hope to save up large amounts to be able to repay it much sooner than the term, and there is no penalty for that option. What a relief to have this opportunity in getting essential, large home improvement projects completed.” 
 

Obligation Amount:
Obligation amounts are confidential for homeowners
Year(s) of Obligation:
Congressional District:
Neguse, 2nd