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I was a builder's daughter who ended up living in rental after rental. By the time I celebrated my thirty-second birthday, I truly believed I'd never own my own home. In the meantime large apartments in old houses were clean and reasonably priced in our village. I loved mowing the big back yard and planting flowers front and back in my latest rental.

I'd worked for the same company for eight years then took two years off after my son's birth. Just before his second birthday, my husband and I split up. Luckily I was able to go back to work at the same company where I paid enough to meet our needs. My only debts were bank loans now and then, which I carefully managed and paid off exactly as scheduled.

My boss was also co-owner of a local subdivision that provided affordable housing in a safe neighborhood. In 1978 he and his partners started adding more houses in the subdivision. That's when he came to me and pointed out that I was wasting years of money on rent with nothing to show for it. He insisted I could purchase one of the new houses - split-level, two-bedroom ranches - at a ridiculously low cost simply by applying for an FmHA (Farmers Home Administration) loan and promised to help me with the process.

So, I applied, having nothing to lose by doing so and everything to gain if the application was approved. It was an exciting time and a frightening time.

My loan application flew through the system. I met the income guidelines and was a good credit risk, so I was quickly approved for a thirty-year mortgage on a $32,000 house, requiring no down-payment and no interest.

If, in the future, my income increased, I might have to pay interest, at a maximum of two percent. With a $99.00 mortgage payment, taxes budgeted to be paid monthly, and electric, water and sewer bills, I ended up paying about the same as I'd paid for my apartment rental. It was definitely a bargain, and it was all mine.

The houses went up quickly. My son and I went over after I got off work each day to see what had been accomplished, until finally the day came when construction was complete, grass seed was planted and I was handed the keys.

With home ownership comes responsibility to maintain the appearance of house and yard. I bought my first mower - an old hand push version. We had one small tree and added flowers along the front of the house to complete the scene. We settled in.

Three years passed. The grass and the tree grew, as did my son. Then I met a man. We fell in love, married, and were faced

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