Buying a house in the current market here in Central Kentucky requires a lot of patience and perseverance. Houses are often sold within a day or two of being listed, and gone are the days of negotiating the price down and having the seller pay closing costs.

Megan Lopez was looking to purchase a home and raise her family in the town she grew up in. Megan had lived in a USDA Rural Development Multi-Family property in Brownfield for the last three years, but it was time to find a permanent single family home. 

Joni Evans of Forks, WA lost her home to a fire in June 2014.  She narrowly escaped with her life thanks to her dog, Gunnar Grip.  Gunnar woke Joni up by barking and knocking her out of her chair, with only moments to spare before the house was fully engulfed.  She managed to grab a few personal belongings but otherwise lost all her possessions to the fire.

Elisa Chavez and her husband Martin Hernandez were living in a small basement apartment with their seven children. While living there, Martin sustained an injury from an accidental fall, requiring him to use a wheelchair. This injury made their family more aware of the need for an accessible home.

June Walker, a single parent, was living in unsafe rental housing with her two special needs children. She wanted to improve her family’s living conditions. She took the first step towards homeownership by contacting the Cross Lanes Field Office of USDA Rural Development to inquire about a home loan.June decided to buy her first home so that her family could enjoy the satisfaction and security which comes from owning their own home.

Throughout their careers, Sandra and Daniel cared for others. They worked at the same long-term care facility in San Francisco, Sandra as a registered nurse and Daniel as a dietician. When they retired, they decided to move to Las Vegas.

As a single mother raising two little boys in Kalispell Mont., Amanda D. wanted to purchase a home for her family. But, with a modest income and skyrocketing housing costs, this dream seemed to be out of reach.

"Trying to buy a home with any traditional mortgage, it would just never happen," Amanda shared.