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.
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