Thinking about buying a home, but not sure how to afford it? Welcome to the Down Payment Diaries, where real people spill about how they saved and splurged on their path to homeownership. If you’d like to submit your own Down Payment Diary, please fill out the form here.
Today, a teacher shares how she moved to Alaska to save up to buy land—and build her dream A-frame—in northern Idaho.
The basics
Age: 35
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Teacher
What was your home experience when you were growing up?
My parents always owned the houses we lived in. My dad is a veterinarian, and my mom is a nurse. The homes we had were never new or fancy. In fact, my parents were often remodeling them. Then, when I was in high school, we built a home 20 minutes outside of town. I think that sparked something for me.
Why did you start thinking about buying?
I’ve lived all over the country and the world but always knew I wanted to come back to northern Idaho to buy a place to call my own. I’m a teacher and had been coming back every summer to spend time with my parents. But, I was making next to nothing and knew that if I wanted to buy a house, I would need to make some changes.
And those changes brought you to Alaska?
My aunt and uncle are also teachers, and they had worked in northern Canada. Some of these areas have such a shortage of teachers. Because of that, and the fact that it’s a harder lifestyle, these schools pay a lot more to entice workers. My aunt and uncle suggested I take on one of these positions, which is how I found a job in Alaska, just above the Arctic Circle. This job paid double what I was making as a teacher in Washington.
Did you have any non-negotiables?
I grew up on land—my family lived on 5 acres and then 40 acres—so having land always interested me. I also wanted to be in an area with cell phone service, and ideally on a county-maintained road.
What made you decide to build?
I love the character of old homes. If I were going to buy a home, I would want something with character. But, the more I looked, the more I realized that any older home would’ve needed to be entirely remodeled. That’s when I started researching and talking to a lot of builders. I found I could build for the same price.
Why an A-frame?
I fell in love with A-frames. I followed a few accounts on Instagram and just loved the look. I wanted my home to be unique, not cookie cutter.
How did you end up building a custom A-frame?
I did a deep dive on Pinterest and researched a lot of floor plans. I was open to buying existing plans but couldn’t find what I was looking for. I ended up hiring a draftsman to create plans that were exactly what I wanted. Most A-frames have the kitchen tucked under the loft, but I wanted it in the main space. The draftsman also had good ideas; one of them was that he suggested I add a second full bathroom, and that ended up being great for entertaining and having family visit.
How easy was it to find land?
The search was tricky. I was up in Alaska and could only look online. My mom helped by going in person for me. The biggest factor was price, as I was on a super limited budget.
How many plots of land did you look at in person?
Just four. One of them I loved. It had a view and a great spot to build. But it didn’t fit the budget, and the driveway was too long. I have to be at school every weekday, and the maintenance and plowing would’ve been an issue. I made an offer on another spot I liked, but someone else offered cash.
How did you know this was the one?
My mom saw it first and told me I wouldn’t like it. But I went to see it anyway and loved it. I think my mom had a different idea of what I wanted. I was OK not having a view so long as it was surrounded by trees. I thought the space was totally peaceful. I went in offering the full asking price because I didn’t want to lose it.
How were you able to afford the down payment for the land?
Moving to Alaska for a higher-paying teaching job allowed me to save. I paid $12,770 down on the land, which later counted as part of my percentage down on the construction loan.
How did the construction loan work?
I took out the construction loan a year after I bought the land. That gave me another year to save up another $10,000. I was still in Alaska for the planning. I organized the build by email and phone. Once I had the build plans all drawn out and settled, I shopped around for a construction loan, which not all banks offer. I wanted to find whichever bank would allow the lowest down payment.
How was the construction loan structured?
The loan ended up being $241,000, give or take. That loan amount covered the payoff of the land loan as well. About $208,000 went toward construction and $34,000 went to paying off the land loan.
How did you approach budgeting for the construction?
I was trying to buy the land and build for less than $200,000—which meant that the cheaper the land, the more I could spend on the build. For the build, I put the word out that I was open to deals. I sourced all my interior doors for free from a home that got rid of them during their remodel. My floor came from an auction in Seattle. I really tried to get creative in how I put it all together.
Did you have any missteps?
I wish I had thought to include landscaping in my budget. Once the home was built, I was left with a yard that was nothing but mud. Some banks allow you to include landscaping in your construction loan, but mine did not. I ended up doing something unconventional and which I don’t recommend: I bought landscaping using my credit card. I spent my first summer digging and installing all the landscaping myself.
What do you love most about your home?
I really love the tall, open ceilings in the living room and the kitchen. They make the space feel bigger than it is. If I ever move, I will need a home with vaulted ceilings. Here, the morning light from the back windows is incredible. Moments like that make me so happy to have my own oasis.
