It was 2023 and Chelsea Langevin was in the market for a new home. It wasn’t Chelsea’s first time buying a home, but it would be her first time doing it on her own. Chelsea knew she needed some help weighing her options and helping her through the homebuying process. That’s when she discovered the team at the HomeOwnership Center in Elkins.

“My friend and realtor suggested I check out the HomeOwnership Center,” said Chelsea. “They were very helpful. It was a difficult market at the time and as soon as something popped up it was gone, but they helped me watch the market and find the option that fit best for me.”

The HomeOwnership Center is a long time USDA Housing Partner. They helped guide Chelsea through the different options and determined that the USDA Section 502 Direct Home Loan would be the best fit for her. The HomeOwnership Center team got to work helping prepare the loan application package for Chelsea and submitting it to the Rural Development office in Elkins. From there, Chelsea worked with Area Technician, Nashua Hammer, and Area Specialist Shelly Hickman to find her next home.

Looking for a home can be a joyous and stressful time, but the partnership between RD and the HomeOwnership Center helped make the process much easier for Chelsea.

“Dealing with the staff at the HomeOwnership Center and USDA was great,” said Chelsea. “They treated me really well and I felt like they always did what was best for me and that they were looking out for me. If I ever had a question, they were always there to answer it.”

Chelsea closed on her new home in late 2023, just in time to spend the holiday season in her new home.

“It was quite a process, but walking through the door of my own home was fantastic,” said Langevin. “It wasn’t my first time being a homeowner, but it was my first time on my own and there is nothing like it.”