Customer Feature: Mike and Linda Lamm (Montgomery County, Va.)

Mike and Linda Lamm were ready to build their dream home, but anyone who has built a house in the last few years knows that can be easier said than done. With high costs of materials and construction, the Lamms were struggling to find the right fit within their budget. After doing some research and talking with a Farm Credit loan officer, they settled on a modular build and are now looking forward to their next chapter in their new home.

The Lamms have been married for 53 years; they have two children, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Mike is originally from Leesburg, Va. and Linda is originally from Luray, Va. They have lived several other places throughout their lives, most recently Knoxville, Tenn., but Virginia has always been “home.” When their daughter and son-in-law bought a beautiful property nestled in the mountains in Montgomery County, Va. and gifted Mike and Linda five acres, they knew they had the perfect spot close to family to build their forever home. In fact, it will actually end up being a “Family Subdivision,” as designated by Montgomery County, as there will be several plots broken off of the main tract for different family members. The property is secluded, has a view of the mountains, is surrounded by wildlife and is very peaceful.

Mike and Linda started talking with Farm Credit about a year and a half ago. Their loan officer has been Allie King in the Roanoke branch office and they couldn’t be more pleased with the recommendations and guidance she has provided throughout their journey. Because of high construction costs, the Lamms chose to go with a modular home. Mike has been in the carpentry business for nearly 50 years, so quality was a top priority for him. Allie provided a few options for modular home builders and the Lamms decided on Nationwide Homes in Martinsville, Va. They were able to see a model and confirm the quality of the home, in addition to choosing cabinet types, finishes, colors and other customizations. Their modular home is being built to their exact specifications for a fraction of the cost of a stick-built home. All features of the modular home were county-inspected and county-approved during production, though a final inspection will be required following placement. The Lamms’ house was in production from the end of September through the beginning of November. Their house was set on the property in early November, which has been followed by about a month of hooking up all of the necessities, including water, power and septic.

The Lamms have faced a few challenges during their homebuilding process, though most have been related to permitting procedures and backlogs at the county level. The process has taken a bit longer than they expected, but that’ll make the end result that much sweeter!

While Mike has spent his career in carpentry, Linda worked 28 years in the banking industry, which is why she was extraordinarily impressed with the service provided by Farm Credit and Allie King. Linda has seen many changes in the industry over the years and she was glad to be treated like a person, rather than a number, as a borrower of Farm Credit. “With Farm Credit, the attitude was, ‘What can we do for you?’ rather than, ‘What can you do for us?’ which is how we felt with some other lending institutions,” Linda shared. “Allie has been so personable; she sat down with us and walked us through every step,” Linda continued, “She made life easier for us when we were facing challenges.” This is why the Lamms would recommend Farm Credit to anyone, from the first-time homebuyer to those more experienced in the home-buying and homebuilding process, like themselves.

As the holiday season is quickly approaching, Mike and Linda are excited to get into their new home. Linda is especially looking forward to one special aspect of the house: Mike is going to build a screened-in porch onto the back of the house. “I can’t wait to sit on our porch and watch the wildlife and the beauty of God’s creation and just enjoy life.”