Homeowner Pays off Mortgage

Habitat Staff and Board would like to congratulate Virginia Fullerlove for paying off her 25 year, no interest mortgage recently! She built her home in 1999, and all her hard work building and making payments has literally paid off. Fullerlove came to our office and handed us the final payment with great joy and excitement,

though also mixed emotions. “I can’t believe it’s happening; it doesn’t feel real yet” she said. When she moved into her home on Partner Place, she moved in with her 2 teenagers, one 17 and one 14 years old. “Back then we truly needed this home, and we were so thankful for it.” She admitted that since the monthly payment was so low, she thought the home would be cheap, but it’s all still standing today and they haven’t had any issues. “I still have the same refrigerator I got when we moved it, it still works after 24 years,” she said.

During construction, Fullerlove channeled her worries and anxiety into the work on her home. “Sometimes, it was just me there, I would still go and just clean up, because I knew I just needed to be there to make it happen for us.” “I shed a lot of tears at first feeling like I was alone, and it was hard work.” But soon she felt the support of those who came to help on her home even though they did not know her. Taylorville Correctional Facility sponsored and built the walls to her home, and she was able to go to the facility and see her home stoop up temporarily. They then loaded it up and hauled it up to Bloomington. Her daughter was able to help out on this day, and Fullerlove remembers they went to stand up the first wall, it was accidentally nailed down by her daughter. Fullerlove joked that it was then she reminded the staff they were going to need a lot of help to build this home.

As she remembers the first years in the home, she recalled their first Christmas. Her kids were a little too old for all the Christmas hoopla, but it was also her first time being able to afford real presents since she no longer had a high rent payment. So, she went all out and got a tree, and everything. It was one of the first times they had a “real” Christmas together.

“This was the best thing that could have happened for us,” said Fullerlove, “I’m not sure where we would be now if we hadn’t had this nice of a place to live.” Her children are now grown and moved out, but they still refer to the Habitat home as “their home”, even still claiming their old rooms and twin beds when they come to visit.

“In my family of 11,” said Fullerlove “I was the first one to own a home, so it means a lot to me.” Should she find the home is no longer fitting her needs, it’s her wish that another family who truly needs it will inhabit her beloved home. She encourages the future homeowners of our area to step up and take advantage of all the services Bloomington Normal provides to better their situation, and not be too prideful or afraid.