BRYAN, Texas — Through Habitat for Humanity in Bryan-College Station, one woman in Bryan was able to pay off her 20-year mortgage ahead of time.
An organization built on strength, stability, independence, and shelter helped change Mrs. Mae McCoy’s life.
“I am so happy,” said Mrs. Mae McCoy, Habitat Homeowner.
“Happy ain’t the word. I don’t know if I was happy when I got accepted or if I’m more happy now that I got it paid off. Both of them were great times in my life.”
Mrs. Mae McCoy moved into her habitat home in 2005.
She paid off her 20-year mortgage in just 19 years.
“You volunteer and help others with their home and then when you get started on your home, they come and help you,” said McCoy.
She found out about the opportunity through former coworkers.
Mrs. McCoy shares how she did it.
“I worked and I paid my notes,” McCoy said.
“A couple of times I doubled up and I never missed a payment, and I never was late a payment. I was just surprised when I paid it off as early as I did.”
Now, she’s payment free, but the journey wasn’t always easy.
Mrs. Mccoy shared through the process of paying off her home, she beat breast cancer after 32 rounds of radiation and 36 rounds of chemo.
“It’s amazing,” McCoy said.
“The first of the month, you ain’t got to worry about paying a mortgage. You ain’t got to worry about paying rent.”
Mario Trevino with Habitat for Humanity helps people from the application process to home closing—all the way through the payoff.
“This program is specifically for lower income families to be able to achieve that American dream of being a homeowner,” said Mario Trevino, Director of Homebuyer Services, Habitat for Humanity.
“It allows for better outcome and outlook of children, educationally, health wise.”
Since opening in the Bryan-College Station Area, Habitat for Humanity has built over 315 homes locally to help families.
Mrs. McCoy wants everyone to have the opportunity of owning a home.
“[We’re] not just building homes, but also building these families up and giving them the tools they need to succeed,” Trevino said.
“You don’t have to have a whole lot of money, but you got to put the work in,” McCoy said.
“In anything you want, you got to put the work in. And I did that. I’m getting teared up.”