Huff-Redding Family Story

Michael and Vickie dreamed of owning a home for more than 20 years, but every time they thought they were ready to purchase a home, a new financial obstacle came up.

A job loss as a result of a store closure, payments for medical expenses that caused their credit to sink, and caretaking for various family members all came up unexpectedly. Something was constantly preventing the couple from achieving their dream.

Since 2000, the couple had been looking into all their options for buying a home. They looked at various housing organizations and down payment assistance programs, but never fit into the specific criteria each program required. They spent hours searching rural towns in Washington they had never heard of, hoping to find a more affordable area.

“I was signing up for everything I could sign up for,” Vickie said.

They took courses on home buying and financial preparation and attended several homeowner meetings at Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County.  Earlier this year, they were finally chosen as the next partner family. When Pat, a Habitat volunteer, called Michael and Vickie to give them the news they were “in a daze” for about a week.

 Michael and Vickie were so used to something else happening as they got close to home ownership that they were waiting for the other shoe to drop.  “And then”, Vickie said, “we got out there [on the build site] and we were going home like, ‘we got a house.’”

Michael and Vickie at the build site for their new home.

The couple has lived in their small 2-bedroom apartment for 25 years and, as time went on, neighbors came and went. Now the neighborhood has a drug and cleanliness problem. Because of this safety concern, Michael and Vickie’s grandchild has only been to their home for a few minutes at one time.

“I wanted him to have a yard and I wanted to be able to take him in the summer for a week. We just want to spend some more time with him and we have another grandchild on the way,” Vickie said. Once they move into their Habitat home and their grandson can stay with them, he and Michael will go fishing and do other outdoor activities together.

Michael and Vickie’s home in Gold Bar is scheduled for completion December 21, 2019. They hope to complete their 500 hours of sweat equity and purchase their home just before Christmas.

Read an update on Michael and Vickie’s story here.

Michael and Vickie sign the paperwork to begin their new home purchase.

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