2008 - Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Homeowner Story: Molly
Months of searching for a home had worn Molly down. Each house she and her husband
visited told its own story; too costly, unsafe neighborhood, run-down, no park nearby.
“Then we found this absolute gem of a place in South Minneapolis,” exclaimed Molly.
The couple closed on the property in December of 2005.
Unfortunately within a few months of the purchase Molly and her husband divorced,
leaving her with full responsibility for the mortgage. It didn’t take long for the luster of
being a homeowner to wear off.
Searching for answers she sought out a friend who worked in banking. With his assistance
she was able to negotiate a new mortgage with fixed payments for the next three years.
Our program provided
the first steps toward
her living a healthier life
But nothing could have prepared Molly for what
the next few weeks would bring. Within just four
days she signed her final divorce papers and was
diagnosed with breast cancer. For the first time
in Molly’s life she was forced to lean on others for
support. Recovering from a double-mastectomy, she
moved back home with her parents and was out of
work for months.
Even as she coped with these unfortunate conditions, Molly reached out to her mortgage
company to be sure they were aware of her situation. Despite these attempts her calls
were seldom returned.
“No one would talk to me. I couldn’t get a consistent person, let alone consistent
answers,” said Molly. “I returned to work as soon as I could and made a double-payment
in December so that I wouldn’t be more than three months behind on my mortgage
and move into foreclosure. “
With her options limited, a delinquency letter from the mortgage company proved to
be pivotal. The letter described Twin Cities Habitat’s Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention
Program which offers free counseling to those in need. Molly made the call immediately
and a counselor was assigned to her. That’s when Molly started to notice a change.
“The counselors were able to talk with people at [the mortgage company] that I couldn’t
get through to, and they were able to get answers I never could,” said Molly. “Having
someone to advocate on my behalf with the mortgage company and to navigate me
through the process is what made all the difference. It’s what kept me in my home.”
With her counselor’s help Molly was able to modify her loan this past Spring, bringing
her primary mortgage to five percent. Program Manager Cheryl Petersen saw first
hand the struggle Molly had to endure and was impressed with her commitment to
being a part of the solution.
“Our success is directly linked to how hard homeowners are willing to work to save
their homes,” said Cheryl. “By helping Molly regain control of her mortgage, our
program provided the first steps toward her living a healthier life.
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Molly and dog, Frida, bring comfort to each other after a long day.
By keeping her
home, Molly was
able to continue
her landscaping
business.