RATHDRUM — Instead of being greeted by more home applications or interviews, Sarah Reeser and her two daughters were met with a celebration when they learned they had been selected as the owners of a house being built in Rathdrum.

Sarah Reeser said it was a bit of a whirlwind as she and her children were chosen for the reduced-rate home with First Story.

“I didn’t realize we were the chosen family until we showed up and it was a room filled with people and balloons and a bouquet of flowers for us, and we set off confetti at the home site,” Reeser said.

Watching her daughters’ expressions as they realized “that’s our house” was a joyous jolt of adrenaline for her as a parent.

Reeser said her daughters had already determined whose room was whose on the home schematics.

“At first, they were probably just as starstruck as I was,” she said.

The nonprofit First Story partners locally with Hayden Homes and operates out of Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon to remove barriers to homeownership and make the process affordable for middle-income families. 

The Reesers' home is the fourth house built as part of the program in North Idaho. Through First Story, the home is purchased as a 30-year no interest and no money down loan.

On Friday, Reeser chose the color of the cabinets and carpets like other new home buyers as the house is being built.

“It kinda makes it your own home,” she said, adding she hopes the neutral colors will fit with their furniture.

Reeser has tried to buy a home for her family for the last three years. In their current rental, their bedrooms don’t have direct heat sources so they’re cold in the winter and hot in the summer. 

“With the market in our area especially, it’s insane, especially doing it alone. I just kept getting shot down because I couldn’t afford it,” Reeser said.

She read about the opportunity in the paper in January.

“I’m kind of in the middle, so I don’t qualify for low income, but I don’t make enough for the regular prices, so it’s just put us in poor conditions. As a family, I think it’s just going to improve life due to what I can afford,” Reeser said.

Applicants complete financial coaching and homebuyer education as part of the process before applying for a home mortgage. 

First Story works with home-building companies to get deals on the land. There are currently homes in Rathdrum and Post Falls that were bought by homeowners through the nonprofit.

The biggest cost for the program is land, which is why the agency hasn’t added Coeur d’Alene to its roster.

According to First Story, housing prices have shot up 40-50% since the pandemic and related housing issues are even more accelerated in North Idaho.

The Reesers hope to close on the house and get the keys to their new home along with a new washer, dryer and fridge by October.

When asked how she thought owning a home will impact the family in the long run, Reeser said with a laugh, “overall, probably happiness.”

    Xena Reeser, Sarah Reeser and Freja Reeser hold balloons after finding out they've been selected for the First Story home in Rathdrum.