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JOURNEYS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP

“The best journey always takes us home” Thank you for being a part of these Methow Valley residents’ journeys to homeownership

Teaching personal finance to seniors at Liberty Bell, Liam is used to thinking and talking about long term goal planning. He and his partner Claire purchased their MHT home in Spring of 2023. Owning their MHT home has turned their personal goals of homeownership and remaining long term in the Valley into a reality. And for Liam, who grew up in the Methow Valley and returned to his hometown aer college, helping locals remain local is an important role of the Methow Housing Trust. “The greatest service that MHT provides is it keeps the community at large much more representave of who has lived here in the past and who will connue to live here in the future” shares Liam. “A lot of rural west communies are dealing with the same issue as the Methow. Those communies didn’t get on top of housing early enough. I appreciate that MHT is ensuring that folks can keep living here.” When Liam and Claire got the keys to their home, they were relieved that the long process of obtaining secure housing was finally complete. When they applied to MHT at the end of 2020 they knew they were sowing the seeds for a future house together. “I think it helped that when we applied, we didn’t have to immediately decide on buying a house, but rather had me to prepare ourselves for when a home became available while in the wait pool” shares Claire. “As first-me homebuyers the purchase process felt safe, secure and we felt supported by MHT.” When they were finally offered a home and ready to purchase it Claire and Liam were excited that their newly constructed home wouldn’t require any big projects, that they could move in at their own pace, and that the only decision to make was where they wanted the trees planted. “My favorite place in our house is the living room” says Claire. “It gets so much natural light, and sun in the morning. It’s the perfect place to do yoga, sit in the sun with our cats, view the osprey nest. And it’s big enough that we can have communal me when family is in town or when neighbors come by.” Claire and Liam are happy to be close to town, have enjoyed geng to know their neighbors and feel good about owning their MHT home. CLAIRE & LIAM

PAM Pam has called the Methow Valley home for close to 30 years, “I fell in love with the area. I love the people. It is really healing here, and a great place to raise kids.” Pam’s many different vocaons over the years and meaningful volunteer work have certainly allowed her to make deep and lasng connecons within her Methow Valley community. Throughout her years living and raising her family in the Methow, Pam always rented, then she bought her Methow Housing Trust home. “I was scared by this opportunity to buy a home with the Housing Trust,” Pam admits, “because owning a home you can’t just call the landlord and ask them to fix something. However, when you rent, you’re always wondering if your landlord is going to sell. When you have children that adds an extra element of stress. Homeownership honestly feels liberang. For the first me in my life, I feel totally stable. I pay less for my mortgage, insurance, and taxes than what I was paying for my rental, and my electric bill is nominal since the home is so energy efficient. That difference in savings can now go towards my rerement. I’ve made friends with my neighbors. Everyone has different skill sets they bring to the community.” Pam feels like purchasing her home through MHT was the best decision she’s ever made. It took Pam over a year to get up the courage to apply to the Methow Housing Trust. She shares, “From the moment I put my applicaon in it propelled me. It had me focusing on my end goal rather than on the reasons why I wasn’t ready.” Her advice to folks considering whether to apply to MHT is this, “If you want to own a home, just apply. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. There really is no feeling like knowing when you walk home every day that this is your space, and no one is going to take it away. Owning a MHT home enables you to make dreams for your future. It helps you to dream more.”

SUSIE & ARRON Susie, a lifelong Methow Valley resident, and her family have lived in their Methow Housing Trust home for almost a year. Susie is a massage praconer and her husband, Arron, works at a local grocery store. Susie shares about the first me her daughter stepped into their house. “I wasn’t sure how she would handle the move to a new place, but as soon as we stepped foot in the house, she walked directly to what would become her room. She knew this was home”. Geng the keys felt like the beginning of a new chapter for Susie, Arron, their two kids, their nephew, and their pets. For 11 years Susie and her family lived in their two bedroom trailer. The space was just too small. Aer talking with a family friend about the Methow Housing Trust, Susie applied for the homeownership program. A year later they were offered their home. Even though it was biersweet for the kids moving out of their old neighborhood, seling into their new space has been great. The kids have their own rooms, the backyard looks out into open space, her neighbors are nice and they finally have space for family anques like her grandparents’ painngs. Susie can’t imagine being anywhere else. To her, the Methow Valley is magical. “I feel lucky to be here. I have good memories of my childhood and friends here.” Susie is grateful to be around for her parents, finds comfort in small town life, the nature and the walking trails. She is trying to encourage more people to apply to the Methow Housing Trust. “The house is amazing. This is the way to do it if you are going to live in the Valley”, shares Susie.

CHRIS & KERI Chris and Keri knew they wanted to sele permanently in the Methow Valley, because it offers the sense of community and the outdoor recreaon they both love. Keri is the School Counselor at Methow Valley Elementary School and Chris owns his own tree service business. Though they desired owning a home, they found themselves priced out of the real estate market in the Valley “There was a nervous tension, wondering if it would be feasible to raise a family here and afford it,” Chris said. Reflecng on what it means to own a housing trust home, Chris shares, “We could afford the mortgage with our jobs and be comfortably within our budget. There was a big sigh of relief, and a feeling of seling into the Valley. The Housing Trust opens for us more me to be involved as community members, rather than just trying to stay afloat,” he said. “Now with a home we can afford, in a place we ador, we can completely open our hearts to love this place without fear of losing it.”

MAUREEN “I’ve been reconnecng with my belongings, which have been in storage for two years. This includes my books and my few precious pieces of home decor. Over the years of living here, there were a couple of places which elicited a small hope it could be a long-term rental yet there was inevitably the day I would need to find packing materials. Moving into my new home, I ancipated the sense of groundedness and ease I felt; yet, what I didn’t ancipate was how strange it would feel when I could actually get rid of my packing materials!”

ANDREA & TYLER

COLLEEN & DEAN “We have been full me Valley residents for 18 years. Early in 2020 we decided it was me to downsize our workload by moving to a smaller living situaon. Without the MHT home we might not have been able to afford to stay in the Valley. We are enjoying living in the town, having only one car and being able to walk to the stores, post office etc. Our dog, Mindy, has made a great adjustment to town living and loves chasing her frisbee in the park.”

DARA As a massage therapist for almost two decades, Dara is accustomed to working with her hands. She is good at finding things, refinishing them and her MHT home is reflecve of these characteriscs. From the hand built bench, shelves and coat hangers in the entry way, to the sweater she picked out for the day, Dara is someone who makes the most out of what she has to work with. “I had only ever lived in or rented a sck built house twice in my life before purchasing with the Methow Housing Trust” she shares. “I never thought that I would be able to buy or live in a house ever. Owning a home through MHT is a lovely experience that has enriched my life greatly. My house isn’t on wheels anymore. I don’t have to move again. Having a permanent roof, running water, space to bring people together, all these things bring me joy.” Dara says that living in the Methow she has the best friendships she’s ever had in her life. So even though her housing was unstable for her first few years here, the community and connecons made it worth it to stay. “You persevere,” says Dara “where else in the country can you ask your old boss to park your camper on their property for a month because you have nowhere else to go?” Dara had been encouraged to apply to MHT, but she was overwhelmed by what she ancipated would be daunng paperwork. She eventually got up the courage to email MHT and began her journey to buying a home. While she was in the wait pool she spent part of that me living in a camper she had purchased and renovated, and the other part of the me on a friend’s couch. When asked how it feels a year into owning her house she said “It feels crazy awesome to own a home. It was easy to step into the neighborhood, I have a house for myself and Cheese (her dog), and my home is like grand central staon for friends stopping by.” For anyone considering applying Dara says, “Absolutely do it”.

Becky’s family roots here in the Methow Valley extend back to the 1970s. Becky reflects, “I feel safe living in the Methow Valley, and like I belong to a strong community”. Becky’s es to family, and community, along with secure housing, has been a big factor in Becky’s sense of wellbeing over the years. “I married Lucky Jones in 2001 and he moved in with me. We eventually built my beauty shop there on the property. I was the only hairdresser in Winthrop for 17 years. I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends through my salon”. When Lucky got sick they relocated to the city where he could receive the medical care he needed. He passed away and eventually the cost of living in the city exceeded what Becky could afford and she moved back to the Methow to begin a new chapter of her life. “The Methow is the only place I knew I could start over at the age of 65. My family is here. When you get older, you want to be around your family. I just had to figure out how to find permanent housing, with an eye towards geng all my ducks in a row for rerement. That’s where the Methow Housing Trust came in.” Becky purchased her Methow Housing Trust home in 2022 and shared “I’m very happy and seled. For me it just isn’t possible to feel seled unl I have a permanent place to live. I like to be at home and to make it the way I like it. This is my peaceful place. It’s a nice house, affordable and quality. It’s cool to have a blank slate, I’ve been enjoying gardening, the light in the house, and hosng my weekly poker game with the girls. We’ve been playing going on thirty years now. Anybody that needs a permanent home, that could qualify through MHT, should at least go try. It has meant everything to me. This program has the potenal to brighten up a lot of people’s lives, as they no longer need to be insecure about their home”. BECKY

ROSS

ASPEN Aspen was born and raised in the Methow Valley, le for a period of me, only to come home once again. She moved back to the Valley a decade ago and for 8 years, she and her son lived at the income eligbile apartments in Twisp. Her journey from inquiring about the MHT program to purchasing a home, took over a year and a lot of work but Aspen says, “It is worth it.” Aspen worked hard to become purchase ready. She set and met goals including paying down debt, compleng a home buyers educaon course, and worked to build up her credit. “I got a lot of lile things done,” she shares, “it would have been a longer wait for me to be ready to buy a home if I didn’t get those things done while waing”. When asked what it feels like to own her own home she shares that “it feels great. IT is sll a lile surreal, owning my own home”.

DARLA Darla owns the local print shop in the Methow Valley. She is also the mother of two sons, Kenny and Dean. Darla, Dean and Kenny moved to the Methow Valley in 2013 and she started working at the Methow Valley News while renng a house. The rental they were living in was a rare find in the Methow, and when the landlord decided to remodel the home, they had to move out. With rising rents and a low inventory of long-term rentals, renng a home wasn’t going to provide the stability they needed. In 2019 Darla purchased her Methow Housing Trust home. While she runs an essenal business, with lots of local customers, it wouldn’t generate enough revenue to support someone buying a home here today “...If I had to pay market-rate rents or a mortgage, at today’s prices, we would have to leave the Valley” Darla shares.

SALYNA “Over the years I’ve lived and shared in the different seasons of life, from raising kids, to living in different areas of the Valley” shares Salyna. “I feel I’m a part of something here, that I belong. People know who you are, they ask about you and are genuinely interested.” One aspect that stands out to Salyna about owning her MHT home is how each home is a blank canvas on which each resident paints their own personality. “The three words I’d use to describe my home are global, cozy and welcoming.” You certainly sense the warmth of these words when you enter Salyna’s home: the colors chosen for the walls, her artwork, photos, and pieces from her world travels, the verdant plants growing happily in the windows, all reflect Salyna’s aenve and adventurous spirit. “My home is my nest, and I need it to feel peaceful, vibrant and alive. I love to sit in the covered porch area, or my outdoor seang area with plants. In the Spring you can hear the river. There are always birds going by. It’s prey quiet for being in town.” For Salyna, purchasing and owning her MHT home has brought a sense of security. Salyna returned to the Valley, aer a brief me away, in the midst of the pandemic. The whole housing landscape had shied. It was extremely difficult to find a secure rental and looked to be impossible to purchase a home as a self-employed full-me arst. She fell into the growing gap of folks who earn too much to qualify for income-eligible apartments, and too lile to afford a home on the open market. Salyna decided to apply to the Methow Housing Trust, whose model of homeownership is affordable to the buyer. “Living in Twisp is prey cool, and very convenient” says Salyna. “I can walk to work, to do my art. My home is incredibly comfortable, and it’s affordable. Financial strain can be overwhelmingly stressful, so it’s nice not to feel that. It’s a relief to own a home at this stage in life.”

LISA & JOSH Lisa and Josh first began their search for a home in 2016, aer Lisa graduated from nursing school. They didn’t have luck finding something under 300K that wasn’t a fixer upper or that was big enough for a family of four. Some people asked “why don’t you leave the Valley?”. For the Marshalls’ they love it here. It is hard to put into words. Ulmately “The Methow feels like extended family” says Lisa, “Our family and friends are here, some who we grew up with, all with their kids. When going through nursing school I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my mom’s help. Being able to be near her now, is huge.” Geng the keys to their new home there was a sense of relief. Knowing that they are building equity. Homeownership had been a long process and achieving it provided stress relief for their family.

CASSIE When Cassie first arrived in the Methow in 2012, she felt like it was the place that she may be looking for. A lack of long term housing forced her to leave aer a summer and she lived mulple places looking for that feeling she had in the Methow Valley. “In the Methow people care about other people in a way that is rare. I’ve lived in a lot of places, but I didn’t get that same feeling”. She made the move back in 2017 and the search for stable housing began again. That Fall, she learned about the Methow Housing Trust, but homeownership had never been a personal goal of hers, and sll seemed unaainable. Over the course of the next couple of years Cassie worked mulple jobs to make enough to get by while pursuing her passion of jewlery making. In three years Cassie lived in half a dozen places, spending several months house sing, a common way many local people find temporary housing. At the same me, Cassie saw the Methow Housing Trust homes being built, saw people moving in, and thought to herself “This is really happening, and I’m sll here. I can do this”. Cassie applied and ended up purchasing her MHT home and finally, aer years of searching has found security in her living space.

BRIDGERLearned paence, long-term visioning, and the pracce of culvang community are all values Bridger embodies as a Methow Housing Trust homeowner. “I’ve wanted to have a space that I could make mine for so long, and the agency to priorize the things that maer most to me, both big and small,” shares Bridger. Bridger first visited the Methow Valley during college on a semester-long academic road-trip, learning about environmental issues across the west directly from people living and working in rural communies. “The Methow Valley stood out as somewhere people were thinking really hard about how to build a future where all can enjoy the place and not have it become like a laundry list of other sprawling western towns where those who work within the community can’t afford to live there,” shares Bridger. “Food is a big part of my life, and I returned to the Methow inially because of The final puzzle piece that allowed a permanent move was when the Methow Conservancy was hiring an Educaon Programs Coordinator. Bridger saw a unique opportunity to work in a posion that contributed to the community, matched his skill set, and where caring about the place was integral to the job. Even though he found a stable rental, Bridger desired owning a home of his own, and the Methow Housing Trust felt like the right path to that goal. Purchasing a home through the Methow Housing Trust aligns with Bridger’s values. “I don’t feel like the way we allocate land and value property works for most people anymore,” admits Bridger. “I want to live in a world that is equitable. A world where housing is viewed and provided as a basic need rather than a market commodity.” To Bridger, the community land trust model of homeownership is a key element of that vision “Having land held for the community while sll offering the stability that goes with purchasing a home is a beauful thing. It fulfills a basic need without exacerbang exisng inequality.” And for Bridger personally, “Owning a home is a simultaneous source of liberty and stability, freedom and comfort all packaged together under one roof.” the impressive small-scale agriculture scene. My job gave me summers off and I wanted to farm, so I migrated north to the Methow Valley and got to know the people, the place, and the soil. Before long, I was scheming about how to make this place my home.”

DENISE Denise first moved to the Methow Valley with her mom in 1980 and has lived here for most of her life since. Relying on rental housing over the years got more and more difficult with the increase of nightly rentals making long-term rentals increasingly rare. In 2020, aer several years of house sing, she was able to buy a Methow Housing Trust home in the Canyon Street neighborhood. “This house has afforded me peace of mind and stability… it feels good to have some permanence in my life… I planted daffodils for the first me!”

THERESA As she stood in the front yard of her new Methow Housing Trust home, Theresa Days said buying her house means much more than having an affordable place to live. The experience has helped her regain a sense of belonging to a caring community. “When my dad died, when I was 10, the community came together and helped,” said Days, who grew up in the Methow Valley. “That’s what this is feeling like again. People are helping each other. That’s what this valley has always been about.”

KATIE “When I first moved to the Methow Valley full me in July of 2016, it was evident that rentals, and affordable housing was scarce, as I lived out of my car for a month. Luckily, through my work as a teacher at Liberty Bell High School, and through other connecons in the community, people began to look out for me on the rental front. I found stable housing and was able to really sele in and connect more with this amazing community. Knowing that the Methow was where I wanted to stay, I began thinking about buying a house. Unfortunately, the lack of real estate in my price range became a huge barrier. But aer some encouragement from friends, I applied for a Methow Housing Trust home. I closed and moved into my lovely house in May of 2022.”

DANIEL Home can represent stability and home can be a source of pride. For Daniel and his son Jordan, it is both. They relocated to the Methow Valley from Seale and started off living with Daniel’s parents, who live in the Valley. Daniel says that he and Jordan hit the ground running in connecng with the local community. “There is a level of care here that we didn’t have living in Seale. People want to interact with us, watch Jordan grow. Jordan is a good spirited kid, very social and outgoing. He loves the Methow. I wanted to experience this kind of community, and raise my son in an environment where he is cared for. I also knew I wanted to buy a house, be stable and seled.”

SARAH & MAX “When we moved to the Methow Valley we knew we wanted to grow our roots here as a new family. Homeownership had never been something we thought we could afford” says Sarah. “I have a chronic illness and always needed to save to cover maximum out of pocket medical expenses every year. This has not le much wiggle room to save for other things, including a down payment for a home. Purchasing a home through the Methow Housing Trust helped me and my husband finally be able to plan long term for life in the Methow, with stable housing in a community we love.” Sarah and Max welcomed a baby boy to their family in 2023.

DUSTY

CRISTINA & ROSS gonna sell, and to be able to make the place our own is what was appealing about it.” From living in the smoke jumper barracks, or out of a tent while leading trips, to renng a place in town, buying a yurt and living on a friends property, they had a myriad of housing situaons. When they finally bought their MHT home Crisna felt excited to get the keys. They knew early on that they wanted to stay in the Valley and applied to the Methow Housing Trust. “It seemed like a good opon to have,” shares Crisna “The idea of the stability that comes with not being worried about if our landlord is There are many aspects about owning their home that Crisna enjoys. “I love the projects I get to do to make this place our own. We put in a pao and a garden and it’s nice to be able to paint and not worry about pung a hole in the drywall. Homeownership feels stable and comforng. I enjoy having neighbors, they oen have tools I need that I can borrow. I like the locaon of our home. The living room is my favorite because of the big window that looks out onto the trees.” Overall she feels like they are more seled owning their home and in a way that it has been a part of their ‘adulng’ together. Crisna and Ross met the year they both moved to the Methow Valley. Crisna was an instructor for Outward Bound and Ross was a smoke jumper. Being a Jack and Jane of all trades, they’ve plugged into many roles here in the Valley over the years, from volunteering with Aero Methow, working as a climbing guide, tree work, construcon, to working at EQPD. The development of close friendships and access to recreaon they enjoy is what Crisna loves about the Methow.

MARY & JOE