John grew up on Nantucket, and attended Nantucket’s public schools. He went off-island for college, and returned after graduating to help his stepfather start a land surveying business. The rental housing market was tight; he couldn’t find anything less than $1,000 a month, even for a room in a shared house. So John moved back with his family to save money.

Meanwhile, Marilyn had moved to the island to work for the State Department of Motor Vehicles. She lived with a friend, then moved into a basement apartment on her own.

John and Marilyn met through mutual island friends and became a couple. When they were ready to move in together, they looked in the newspaper and pursued opportunities they heard of through word-of-mouth.

“We looked at a few different places, some of them were just bizarre,” recalls Marilyn. “One of them was a complete disaster required $5,000 per month. There wasn’t much out there, but the hardest part was coming up with first and last month’s rent, along with the security deposit.”

“We moved five times in five years,” said John. “And that wasn’t uncommon among our friends. We did it all– winter rentals, a basement apartment, employee housing, and staying with friends. Every time we moved, we wondered how long it would be before we needed to pack up again. We didn’t know how much more of this we could take.”

At this point, John was working for the Town in the Planning and Land Use Services Department. He enlisted in Housing Nantucket’s First Time Homebuyer Class to educate himself about the process. Through the course, he learned more about the Covenant Program, and they got qualified as purchasers. John and Marilyn, over time, mentioned to everyone they knew that they were house-hunting. They watched for Housing Nantucket’s email blasts notifying of new opportunities. But after a while, buying a home off-island appeared to be their only hope. They were distraught over the prospect, wanting in their hearts to remain on island.

Then, two years after qualifying for the Covenant Program, the couple heard of a new Covenant land opportunity, and contacted the owner.

“The more people that know you’re looking, the greater your chances of finding something,” said John. “Doing our legwork ahead of time paid dividends. We were already approved for the Covenant Program, and we had already started the process with the bank.”

“When it came down to it,” said Marilyn, “if there are two buyers interested in a house, you’re going to come out on top if you’re all qualified and ready to go. You have to prepare.”

The process moved quickly. They applied for down payment assistance and finalized their financing.

“Every day there was something to do,” said John. “Lauren Ard at Cape Cod 5 Savings Bank was amazing. We used closing costs assistance from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and we didn’t have to pay the Land Bank Fee because it’s a Covenant Home. We decided to go with a modular home from Huntington Homes. There’s a lot to it, but it’s worth it.”

John and Marilyn moved into their new home earlier this year. A quarter-board sign hanging in their kitchen says “Hedden Home”, a play on John’s last name.

“Looking now at the flowers bloom makes it all worth it,” said Marilyn. “I remember planting these a few months ago, and I know I will enjoy them for years to come. We’re really proud to be homeowners, and feel invested in the neighborhood. It’s a dream come true.”

“It’s a relief to settle down after moving so often,” said John. “We feel more invested in the community. We’re holding our own among the market rate homes in the neighborhood, and we couldn’t have done it without Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program.”