Chad and Ann Bybee Family
When Chad and Annie Bybee moved back to Rushford nine years ago, they came with three small children and basically their clothes on their back, they moved into a small rental house in rushford. Ann told her husband that she did not want to move again, unti they could afford their own home, a dream that she never though would materialize. Members of the Family Selection Committee that went to visit the Bybee family reported:
"The house that the Bybee family is living in needs far more fixing than it is worth, with both health and safety concerns. When rain water poured through the roof last year, a repair man said that the roof needed to be replaced. Unfortanately it was only patched. More than 1/4 of the windows are broken, there is a huge mold problem in the kitchen and bathroom and no heat in the upstairs. Space heaters are the only source of heat in the upstairs bedroom."
Ann works as a server at Judy's Country Kitchen and Chad works at Primavera Food Corporation.
The Bybees were paying $575/ month for rent and another $250-300/month for utilities. Needless to say they were more than just a little excited when they were told that they had been selected to partner with Habitat.
After completing their 300 hours of sweat-equity, the Bybee purchased their home with a 30-year, interest free mortgage. In addition to the vast improvments in the quality of their living conditions, the Bybee family should also be realizing some significant savings, both in terms if thier actual mortgage and in energy costs. Their housing cost will go from approx. $875 in a rental unit to approx. $440 (mortgage, taxes, and insurances escrow $365, plus $85 utility bill.) Which puts at least another $400 month in their pocket immediately. In addition to those savings, they are beginning to build equity in their home. They no longer have to worry about health and safety concerns in their living environment. The "Green Construction" of this home will keep it affordable for the long-term and be a great place for Chad and Annie to raise their family.
The other amazing part of the success of this project was the community building that took place. Every facet of the community from the local people to Rushford to greater Winona and Fillmore County came together to support the Bybee family. That is one of the greatest by-products of what we do. When people embrace the process we know they will be there to support this fmaily and come back to assist another family in realizing the dream of homeownership.