Roots run deep in Cannon County, Tennessee. Its lush forests and tight-knit communities have been home to the Nichols family for more than eight generations. That’s why it’s no surprise that several family members wanted to get Closer to What Matters® and felt Cannon County calling them back home.
First was Connor, who dreamed of building a home for his family on his father’s beloved hunting land. Meanwhile, his sister, Kayla, dreamed of settling down on a homestead of her own after a year of traveling America in an RV with her husband and son.
Both siblings wanted to be closer to what mattered most—family and a simpler life. So, they turned to their big brother, Dale. For Dale, now a real estate broker and auctioneer living in Rutherford County, what mattered most was making families’ dreams of peaceful rural living come true, especially when that family was his own. “When my family called me and asked me, ‘How do we get started with this?’ Rural 1st immediately came to mind, because I knew it’s a one-stop shop,” Dale recalled.
As an auctioneer, he knew the difference the right financing could make. When Rural 1st was at his auctions, he saw how families could bid with more confidence because they had the right financial partner. “Rural 1st’s ability to meet the customers’ needs is nothing like any other banks offer,” Dale said. Both siblings needed this knack for understanding the unique needs of rural living. In each case, they wanted to acquire land and build homes of their own.
Connor knew this could be a challenge. Buying his father’s land and building a house could’ve meant getting multiple types of loans. However, with Rural 1st he was able to tie the land loan in with mortgage and construction loans and lock in an interest rate early. “It was a seamless process,” Connor said.
The return to Cannon County didn’t stop there. As Connor and his wife Emily were building their dream home, the property next door went up for auction. He knew it was a perfect way to bring another branch of the Nichols family tree back home. “One day, I got a call from my brother,” Kayla recalled. “He said, ‘Hey sis, you’re never going to believe this, the property next door is for auction. We would share a property line.”
With her brothers’ help, Kayla and her husband Jeff won the auction remotely from their RV campground in North Carolina. When they moved to Cannon County, Kayla was grateful for her family’s help and the connection with Rural 1st. Kayla and Jeff were able to combine their land, construction and mortgage loans into one easy solution.
“With Rural 1st, we quickly felt like we knew one another. I could call any time of day. They made it easy,” Kayla said. Now, Dale, Connor and Kayla’s families live their American dreams together, and enjoy living on the land so deeply connected to their roots.
Interested in returning to your own rural roots? Connect with a Rural 1st loan officer today to learn more.
