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Success Stories

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…

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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 19 Stories
Brian and Catherine Bartunek family with Rural Development staff outside home

Bartuneks Become Homeowners After Long Journey

Buying a house can be a daunting process for anyone and it’s easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed, but for one South Dakota family, perseverance paid off for their long journey to home ownership. Brian and Catherine Bartunek wanted a place to call home for their three… [Read More]
South Dakota
Smiling man standing on porch of his new house.

Gum Springs Resident Takes “Pride” in Being a Homeowner

Matthew Romig never really saw themselves as a homeowner, or if they did, the visions they had were of a small one- or two-bedroom house with little to no land. “I still wake up sometimes wondering where I am, really it's weird. I mean, I've lived all kinds of places,” Matthew… [Read More]
Virginia
Graphic of a smiling family with the words Success Stories on it.

“There’s No Quitting on My Kids”: USDA Helps Mom Make it OK

A USDA Rural Development (RD) Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan often provides people in rough situations a way to recover and heal from life’s debilitating blows. For Candice Donovan in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, buying a home through this program — (also known as… [Read More]
Vermont and New Hampshire
Three smiling girls in winter coats in front of a snow covered field.

“No One is Homesick”: A City Family Finds Rural Peace

“We were living in Cincinnati for over a decade,” says Emmy Clark, who, with help from a USDA Rural Development (RD) Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan, moved to Orleans County, Vermont, with her husband and three school-aged children last year. “The idea was for our kids… [Read More]
Vermont and New Hampshire
Smiling woman standing next to a river. Trees in the background.

The Right Stuff: A Community Builder Finds Her Community

“People out there are having a tough time buying a home—it’s very stressful,” reflects Wendy Levy, who bought a home in Bellows Falls, Vermont with help from a USDA direct home loan. “For me, buying a house wasn’t always perfect, but dealing with Alex and the USDA was the least… [Read More]
Vermont and New Hampshire
Smiling elderly woman next to a younger man standing in front of a wooden structure that covers a well in a green lawn.

Senior Finds Speedy Assistance for Reliable Water Source

Peggy McCellan, a senior with limited income, living in Wayne County, West Virginia was faced with a serious situation in 2021. Ms. McCellan did not have a reliable source of water service to her home. In fact, for over a period of 8 months she found herself without any water… [Read More]
West Virginia
Smiling woman sitting on the brick front steps of a while house.

New York Family Finds a New Home in New Jersey

Khine Moe grew up in New City, New York, but always dreamed of having a big home and blossoming garden. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, it was the push she needed to make her dream a reality. She started searching for affordable loan programs and found USDA Rural Development… [Read More]
New Jersey
A smiling family, father, mother, two young daughters, standing on the porch of their own home.

Couple Turns Wishes of Homeownership into Reality with USDA and Four Directions

“When we walked in, I felt like an imposter - Like I just stole somebody’s house,” said Michael Carlos, a Houlton, Maine native and fiancé of Sakoya Blackwell, a member of the Maliseet Indian Tribe in Houlton. “I couldn’t believe it was really ours.” For years, their family… [Read More]
Maine
The Thompson Family, father, mother, four children, posing in front of a maple tree planted during a recent USDA Homeownership Month Event in their new backyard along the Raquette River.

USDA Assists The Thompson Family of The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe

Nestled along the beautiful Raquette River which flows along the St. Regis Mohawk Territory and Canada, you’ll find the home of the Thompson family. Inside and out of those newly constructed walls, you will see and hear the laughter and bustling activity of a young and growing… [Read More]
New York
Ms. Cynthia Veal holding flowers

Clear and Dry Forecast for Homeowner, No Matter the Weather

"Every time it would rain, I just felt dread," said Ms. Cynthia Veal, a homeowner in Hull, Georgia. Her family home was in desperate need of repairs. She sought help for a new roof. There wasn’t just one place the roof leaked during rainy weather, the entire flat roof was… [Read More]
Georgia