After purchasing land in Douglas, Texas, Scott and Shawna Blackmon wanted to build a dream home to meet the needs of their growing family. With lumber prices high, they began entertaining the idea of a barndominium, which would give them the space and versatility they were looking for. During the building process, they moved their family of four into a small 700 square-foot house on the property.
“Shawna first brought up a barndo as a possibility because where we live, they are pretty common,” recalled Scott. “It took me a while to buy into the idea, but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“We went through several different styles and plans for a wood frame home, but knew we couldn’t move forward until lumber prices came down,” continued Scott. “Living in our 700 square-foot home provided a sense of urgency to look at nontraditional options to get something built quickly.”
Once they decided on a barndominium, the Blackmons sought out a lender that would understand their situation and work with them on a solution. Because of the nontraditional nature of barndominiums, many lenders don’t consider barndos a conventional loan type, so when they found Rural 1st, they were thrilled.
“Rural 1st understood our goal,” Shawna shared. “If you want to build a barndo, make sure you do your research and find a lender that shares your vision.”
And that vision has since come to life: The Blackmons now have a beautiful, unique home with high ceilings and natural light, large enough for their family.
“I just love our barndo so much,” gushed Shawna. “I would absolutely recommend a barndo to anyone.”
To learn more about barndominiums and the Blackmon’s story, check out this article from U.S. News and World Report.
Ready to start building? Reach out to our team today to get started.