Historic Farmhouse Saved by a 17-Mile Journey to Its New Home
For as long as she can remember, Cassandra “Sandy” Haddad dreamed of getting back to the country. She grew up in rural Wisconsin and wanted her own family to experience that same kind of peace.
“Sometimes the city is just a little too hustle-bustle,” explained Sandy. “I just like the peace and quiet of being out in the country.”
As her children grew older, that dream began to feel more urgent. Sandy wanted them to discover the simple joys of a rural childhood while they were still young enough to fully live it.
That desire pushed Sandy and her husband, Theo, into looking for rural properties around Spring Valley, Minnesota. It didn’t take long before they found a place that felt like home.
From the moment they explored the property, Sandy and Theo felt a sense of belonging and their kids did too.
“They were just ecstatic,” recalled Sandy. “Talking about where they’re going to build their forts and where we’re going to hang tree swings.”
While wandering through the woods, the kids gave the land a name: Bumblebee Woods. It stuck instantly and they made an offer the same day.
Standing there among the trees, the Haddads could picture their future clearly, but one big piece was missing. They had found their dream property. Now, they needed their dream home.
A Home with History and Heart
With their land secured, the Haddads began exploring what it might look like to build a home, but the cost of new construction was high. Then one evening, while scrolling through Facebook Marketplace, Sandy stumbled across a listing for a two-story farmhouse that caught her eye. And not just because it was listed for one dollar.
Built in 1905, the home had stunning steep gables and gingerbread trimmed windows. She was struck by the beauty of its old-world charm lovingly preserved by the current owners.
“It looked like somewhere warm and homey to raise the kids,” Sandy said.
When she learned the Afseth family was hoping to find a buyer willing to move the house off the property, it felt meant to be.
Sandy remembered thinking it was almost too good to be true. “You’re just hoping, like, please let this be real.”
She and Theo were immediately drawn to the place after they toured it, and by the time they left, the question wasn’t if they wanted the historic home, it was how to make it happen.
Finding the Right Partner
Their first step was reaching out to their bank, but they quickly hit a setback. Moving the house was outside the bank’s area of expertise. Fortunately, the lender referred the Haddads to Compeer Home, where they connected with loan officer Chris Gartner.
“I could tell early on that Chris knew how to help us,” said Sandy. “It felt like we finally had someone who understood what we were trying to do.”
Compeer Home was also able to offer a construction loan that allowed the couple to serve as their own general contractor, something most traditional lenders don’t offer, but is not required of borrowers. The option gave the Haddads the flexibility and control they needed for such a specialized project.
“Being able to serve as our own general contractor was huge for us,” said Sandy. “I think finding someone willing to take on a project like this would’ve been really challenging. Compeer Home letting us do it ourselves saved us so much money.”
With financing in place and a lender who understood their vision, the Haddads could finally turn their attention to the next challenge, everything it would take to bring the 119-year-old farmhouse home.
A Dream on the Move
Obstacles lined the 17-mile path the Haddads needed to make their move, from narrow rural roads and low-hanging tree branches to coordinating equipment schedules and contacting power companies.
Every solution revealed a new task, and every step forward added another detail to track. Sandy kept it all organized in a notebook she carried everywhere, filled with phone numbers, bids and timelines.
“It felt like every person I talked to, I’d learn several more things we hadn’t thought of,” she said.
Even with the growing list, they finally felt like the project was moving in the right direction, until the biggest roadblock appeared.
The appraisal on their current home came back thousands of dollars short of what they expected, leaving Sandy and Theo wondering if the move they’d spent months planning might suddenly come to a stop and if the home they’d fallen in love with was slipping out of reach.
With support from Compeer Home, the Haddads were able to take a home equity loan out against their current house, pushing past the final bump in the road and keeping their dream moving forward.
“Every time I thought things weren’t going to work out, Chris came to me with three or four ideas to solve the problem,” said Sandy.
“Helping families like the Haddads reach moments like this is why I do this work,” said Chris.
Home At Last
After months of planning and persistence, the farmhouse began the slow journey home.
Word spread quickly through the local community with neighbors lining up to watch the historic home make its move. Many had known the house for decades and were grateful to see it saved rather than demolished.
Observing the home she loved balance on a trailer as it crept down the winding rural roads was as nerve-wracking as it was extraordinary.
“I had to remind myself to breathe,” laughed Sandy.
Three hours later, the moment the Haddad family had been waiting for finally came. When the farmhouse rounded the last corner, Sandy looked at her husband and said, “It's actually happening.”
With the home safely settled in Bumblebee Woods, the Haddad’s historic farmhouse stands strong on new ground, a piece of the past ready for its future made possible with support from Compeer Home.
“It feels like where we’re supposed to be,” said Sandy.
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