Finding Cash

“You’re ideal clients. You clearly dislike debt and the house and land look good, but we have no mechanisms in place for this.”  

This being a home that isn’t tied to the grid. This being a home the owners build themselves.  

Dead end. Dead end.  

With grim humor Matt pointed out that we could drive out of a dealership in a new $120,000 Suburban, but we couldn’t borrow $130,000 (including our $40,000 credit line) to finish our home. The absurdity of it had us in stitches.  

Our hopes to have to be moved into our house by fall were pegged on our last bank meeting. But the news we heard in the bank manager’s office on Friday while better- wasn’t good. “How much would the interest come to?” I asked. His fingers flew over the calculator. The amount paid to interest at 9%, even within the five-year term we were requested, was galling. I repeated the amount in disbelief. 

Then a miracle was put into motion. I swear the air in the room changed. The bank manager sat silent and then began thinking aloud. “Let’s just try something.”  

That “something” shaped into a much more palatable plan. The bank manager said he would plead our unconventional case to his superiors and warned that it might very well be altered or come to nought. But I think we already knew. At least, any trace of anxiety or doubt left us.  

Sooner than we expected we were told the plan was approved and I have been filled with so much gratitude. If we had never listened to the prompting three years ago, to begin building with cash and not to worry about what we’d do when the money ran out, we would have gone to as many banks as it took to convince us no one would finance an owner-built or off-grid house. What appeared to be complete foolishness was wisdom received through revelation.  

Now onto fulfilling the next part of the miracle which is to have our home occupancy permit by the end of September.