Rick and Sunni Savone were renting a Hillman apartment for six years, with their four children, ages 4 to 15. Their new home is located at 15600 Caring St., Hillman.

“The process was pretty easy,” Sunni Savone said. “We started back in 2020.”

She said they did not have great credit, but that they got in touch with Jenny Nestell, Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan homeownership program coordinator, who connected them with a Habitat counselor to walk them through the process.

“They’ve all just been great,” Sunni Savone said of the Habitat workers. “Today, it feels unreal, almost, that we’re finally here after almost five years.”

Courtesy Photo The Savone family’s new home is seen at 15600 Caring St. in Hillman, in this photo provided by Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan.

The Savones’ children are Richard Savone Jr., 15, Shaley Savone, 11, Layton Savone, 8, and Theo Savone, 4.

“We’re excited for all the kids to finally have a yard,” Rick Savone Sr. said. “We’re coming from a small, one-bedroom apartment right now.”

Owning a Habitat for Humanity home requires effort and collaboration between the potential homeowner and the Habitat for Humanity staff on many levels. The potential homeowner works with Habitat staff to assess their current financial situation and develop a plan to work toward homeownership, which includes a monthly mortgage payment. The homeowners also put in volunteer hours, or “sweat equity” on the project, alongside Habitat volunteers and contractors working on the home.

Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan Executive Director Ted Fines said the process can take as little as six months, or several years, depending on the potential homeowner’s current situation.

In the Savones’ case, they started the process in 2020, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so that played a role in delaying the project. There are also income guidelines that need to be met to ensure that the family can afford their new home, so job loss or changes also factor in.

Courtesy Photo A crane lowers the Habitat for Humanity home onto the foundation at 15600 Caring St. in Hillman in this photo provided by Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan.

“Community Financial Credit Union really helped out,” Fines said. “They’re great. Their branch is in Hillman.”

Fines was impressed with the Savones’ determination to continue working toward homeownership.

“I give them a tremendous amount of credit,” Fines said. “Five years, a lot of people give up. And they were persistent. I think we pushed them a lot. We were very transparent in how hard it was going to be, but the end result is what you see today.”

Nestell said the Savones were also very supportive and invested in the process.

“It’s very exciting, to see it all come from the beginning to this part,” Nestell said. “I’m just excited to see them get into their own home, in their own space, and have enough space for their kiddos, and themselves. It takes a little bit of stress off.”

Finally becoming homeowners is a great accomplishment for the Savones.

“It is your home,” Nestell told them on Tuesday, after all the closing papers were signed. “That’s the key, right there.”

Sunni Savone said owning a home will change their family’s life for the better.

“Everything is just going to start looking up,” she said. “The cost is there, but it doesn’t matter, because it’s worth it. It’s an amazing feeling. Especially for me. I’m only 26 years old, and I’m buying a house. That’s crazy, to me.”

She added that there is a pride of ownership now, rather than just paying rent.

“We’re not just throwing away our money anymore,” Sunni Savone said. “It’s going somewhere.”

She noted that having a home for their children has always been their goal.

“I want someplace for the kids to grow up and come home to, when they’re older,” she said. “They have a place to come home to, now. That’s what it’s all about.”

Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan has many more projects planned for this year, including three houses on Bedford Street in Alpena, another home on Caring Street in Hillman, and a housing development project in Rogers City.

Tom Wolff, Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan board member and volunteer, worked on the Hillman home.

“I did this for 15 years in Asheville (N.C.),” Wolff said. “I continued that up here. It’s just a rewarding experience, and I enjoy working with my hands and building.”

Nestell added that there are a host of volunteering opportunities with Habitat, and that you do not need to have construction experience to volunteer.

For more information about homeownership or volunteering, visit habitatnemi.org, call 989-354-5555, or email info@habitatnemi.org. The Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan offices and Restore are located at 2630 U.S.-23 South, Alpena.