Veterans Cindy and Kim Harrelson met while serving in the military and quickly discovered their shared passion for the outdoors and rural living. Raising their family in a Nashville subdivision, they were frustrated by all the rules and restrictions they faced. After their daughter moved away to college, they were ready for a fresh start as empty nesters and began looking for land. It wasn’t long before they stumbled across the perfect property in Watertown, Tennessee. They envisioned building a custom barndominium to give them the space and freedom they were looking for.
Despite Cindy and Kim being eligible for a VA loan, they struggled to find a lender that could help them finance bare land. After hours of research, they came across Rural 1st. Immediately, they connected with a thoughtful and knowledgeable lender that was willing to help them secure the land that would eventually become their forever home.
“The experience was personalized from the start,” recalled Cindy. “And not once did they ever try to dictate our dream. After so many had told us no, Rural 1st was there to help us get to yes. We have them to thank for making our dream come true.”
The couple partnered with senior loan officer Jonathan Harrison, who helped them purchase the property and plan the construction of their new home. Even as Veterans, Cindy and Kim knew from the start Rural 1st was the best option in making their barndominium dream a reality, compared to a VA construction loan.
“The VA does do construction loans, but then I reached out to Rural 1st and asked how they did their construction loans. They made the process so easy,” shared Kim. “The way Rural 1st does it, they actually create a very loyal customer because they make it easy.”
Kim and Cindy are looking forward to their newfound country freedom and soaking in the sights and sounds of their gorgeous, wooded homestead from the front porch of their barndominium. The couple are excited to happily disconnect from the rest of the world and truly relax.
“All I’ll have to do to get Closer to What Matters® is step out my front door,” Kim said. “Wake up in the morning, and I’m already here. My favorite thing is that we get to do it together. It’s a dream come true.”
Looking for a lending partner who can help you say yes to your rural dream? Connect with a Rural 1st loan officer today to explore your options.
