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Eric has called the Chapel Hill area home for over 35 years. Like many long-time residents, he built a life and career here, working at UNC and staying connected to the community he loved. But when he first wanted to buy a home in 1996, the reality of Chapel Hill’s housing market hit hard.

“I was working full-time, had a steady job, and went to the bank to get pre-approved,” Eric remembers. “They told me I qualified for a $60,000 mortgage, but even back then, that wasn’t enough. The cheapest home I found was $90,000. It wasn’t very nice, and it sold quickly. I realized I just couldn’t afford anything here.”

Like many, Eric resigned himself to renting if he wanted to stay in Chapel Hill. He was fortunate to find some affordable rentals for a time, but the dream of owning never left. A friend who lived on Legion Road in Community Home Trust’s first development told him about the program. At first, Eric was hesitant, he’d been burned by past attempts and skeptical of whether homeownership was truly within reach. But after attending a few CHT events, he began to see a new path forward.

“I didn’t know much about mortgages or the home buying process,” Eric says. “The financial education classes were a game changer. I started to understand how it all worked.”

After passing on the first property he saw through CHT, Eric heard about a home at Rosemary Place in Meadowmont. He was first on the homebuyer list, and when he saw the home, he knew it was the right one.

“I fell in love with it – the home, the neighborhood, the convenience. Grocery stores, the wellness center, everything I needed was close by.”

In 2006, Eric officially became a homeowner through Community Home Trust, purchasing his home for $95,000. His monthly mortgage was under $590, and even with HOA fees around $220, it was far more affordable than anything else in the area.

Today, nearly two decades later, Eric has built over $30,000 in equity. But the benefits of homeownership go beyond the financial.

“First of all – it’s mine. No one can raise the rent. I have security, and I can pass it on,” he says. “It’s fuel-efficient, the HOA hasn’t increased too much, and I love the village. It just feels like home.”

While his family had initial doubts about the land trust model, Eric knew that traditional homeownership simply wasn’t an option, and that CHT gave him a real opportunity. He had recently started his own pet care business, and the stability of owning a home helped him lay the foundation for both personal and professional growth.

“Owning this home changed my life,” Eric says. “It gave me a true sense of belonging and connection – to the neighborhood, to the community, to Chapel Hill. I live and work here, and now I truly feel like I’m part of it.”

We’re proud to have helped Eric and so many others achieve their dream of homeownership; and we’re even prouder to see how homeownership through Community Home Trust can create lasting impact, one family at a time.