When my wife Keri and I stumbled upon the Methow in the fall of 2016, we were instantly smitten. The physical beauty of the valley stunned us, of course, but the warmth from the community convinced us to stay. After a few years of hopping between jobs, we knew we wanted to build a long-term life here. Like so many others, though, one question grew louder by the day: How?

We began looking into the Methow Housing Trust in the spring of 2019, but to be honest, it wasn't an immediate slam dunk. The Community Land Trust model was new to us, and the capped appreciation felt at odds with everything we had been taught about building wealth through market-rate real estate. Still, despite the uncertainty, we took a leap of faith and bought an MHT home in the McKinney Ridge neighborhood, knowing that affordable access to a well-built home would mean we could save and reinvest in our future.

This fall, we are celebrating seven years of homeownership. Looking back, buying our MHT home stands as the single most impactful decision we have ever made together.

Having an affordable, permanently stable foundation was the key that unlocked everything else. Because we weren't stretched to our absolute financial limits, we gained true agency over our futures and the breathing room to invest in ourselves. Keri took a job with the school district and returned to graduate school; I took out a business loan to launch a tree service. Those bets paid off, and as our roots grew deeper, it was the sense of stability and belonging that we most valued.

Over time, we gained the personal and financial bandwidth to engage meaningfully in the community we love. In addition to building a business that serves and employs this community, I invest time on the board of the Housing Trust and support local youth through skiing and mountain biking. Keri is putting her recent degree to work serving the youth as the Elementary School Counselor.

The months we spent agonizing over the "trade-offs" seem almost silly in hindsight. While we feel incredibly fortunate to call this valley home, it wasn’t luck that got us here, it was a community that chose to invest in the people who make it thrive. And for that, we will always be deeply grateful.

Chris (Incoming Board Chair) and Keri Moore, MHT Homeowners