Family’s 16-Month Journey to Mortgage-Free Home Hits New Setback

UPDATE: A family’s ambitious plan to build a mortgage-free home on their in-laws’ property has hit significant delays, extending their stay in a cramped trailer for over 16 months. Shawn Lentz and his family are still waiting for their new home to be completed on a 5-acre lot in Arlington, Washington, after selling their previous home in April 2024.

The Lentz family’s journey began with a hopeful vision of financial freedom and closer family ties, but it has turned into a challenging saga filled with unexpected hurdles. Initially, they sold their 4,000-square-foot house in Concrete, Washington, planning to live in a 23-foot trailer while their new manufactured home was being constructed. However, the anticipated timeline of a few months quickly spiraled into a prolonged ordeal.

New reports confirm that the couple faced a multitude of complications, including obtaining necessary permits, conducting wetland surveys, and designing a septic system. The biggest setback came when a newly discovered wetland on the property required them to modify their plans, delaying the project by an additional five months.

Currently, the family is still living in their trailer, which Lentz describes as feeling like a “tin can.” The tight quarters have been made even more challenging with their teenage son, three English bulldogs, and a territorial iguana named Rawr all sharing the limited space. “We have to basically pole vault back and forth over the things to move around the trailer,” Lentz said.

Despite these struggles, there is a glimmer of hope. The manufactured home was delivered in late June and is now being stabilized and connected to utilities. Progress is being made on the septic, electrical, and water systems, with the family having invested over $275,000 into the project.

While the Lentz family is eager to move into their new home, they remain acutely aware of the emotional toll this extended stay in the trailer has taken. “This extended camping experience has tested our marriage more than anything else in our 12 years together,” Lentz shared, highlighting the strain of living in such close quarters for so long.

As they continue to navigate the complexities of building regulations and unforeseen costs, the Lentz family is holding onto their dream of a simpler, mortgage-free life. “Staring across the property at our unfinished house is torture,” Lentz lamented. “But we’re hopeful that when it’s complete, this nightmare we’ve been through will have been worth it.”

With the home nearing completion, the family looks forward to finally moving in and leaving the trailer behind. This story is a reminder of the challenges many families face in achieving homeownership and the emotional resilience required to overcome obstacles. The Lentz family’s experience serves as an urgent call to others considering similar paths.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story as the Lentz family inches closer to their long-awaited goal.