By Kristine Thomas
Mt. Angel residents Ramon and Senaida Arellano don’t have to say a word to show their friends and family members how they feel about their latest accomplishment.
They just smile – a smile that shows relief, joy and pride.
Ramon, 70, and Senaida, 52, made the final payment on their home on Feb. 26, becoming the sixth North Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity family in the area to pay-off their home.
The North Willamette Valley affiliate of Habitat for Humanity was founded by Ivo Bauman in April 1986. It was the second affiliate to be established in Oregon.
The first home was constructed by Habitat for Humanity volunteers and dedicated in 1987. A total of 29 Habitat homes are now being purchased by local families. To date, six homes have been built in Woodburn, seven in Mt. Angel, 10 in Silverton, three in Gervais and three in Canby.
Evan Stewart, program coordinator, said the Arellano family received a notice last February informing them their final house payment would occur in March 2009. However, because they were undercharged on their taxes and homeowner’s insurance, they would have a remaining balance to pay off over the new few months.
“Ramon and Senaida decided to get it over with and paid the entire balance off in one lump sum,” Stewart said.
Their payments were $425 a month and for the last payment they paid $1,000 in cash, said Steve Braman, business manager.
“They only owed $995 but donated the $5 to Habitat for Humanity,” he added.
The Arellanos first moved into their home in April 1994, agreeing to a 15-year mortgage. They were North Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity’s seventh partner family.
Sitting in their living room with their daughter, Hilda Traeger, and her son and daughter; Ramon and Senaida said they give thanks to the volunteers who helped build their home and to Habitat for Humanity.
“We are so happy to have paid off the house,” Ramon said. “We are thankful to Habitat for Humanity for providing us with the opportunity to have a home. There was no way we could qualify for a loan or get a house if it weren’t for them.”
When asked if she was happier about getting the house or paying it off, Senaida said it was more exciting when she learned they had qualified for the house.
“I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep for nights,” she said. “It is almost as exciting to pay it off. It is a weight off our shoulders.”
Both Senaida and Ramon worked long hours at nurseries during their early years of homeownership.
“It would be cold and raining and they worked 14 to 16 hours a day,” Hilda said.
Now Ramon works four days a week at Allied Waste’s Recycling Plant in Wilsonville and Senaida works four days a week cleaning an office building. Ramon plans to retire in the fall.
The secret to their success, Senaida said, is “much sacrifice.”
“We always made sure we paid the mortgage and our bills first,” she said. “We did without a lot.”
Hilda said her father taught her and her five siblings that it’s important to always make the house payment first because “what would be the point of having nice things if you didn’t have a house to put them in.”
Braman and Stewart said they weren’t prepared when the Arellanos came to make their last payment. Luckily, they had some balloons on hand and a camera.
“Some people never pay off their home because they either sell it and move to a new one or they refinance it,” Braman said. “It’s a significant event to pay off a house.”
The Arellanos children and grandchildren framed the photographs of their parents and grandparents making their last payment and then wrote notes.
The photographs are hung on a wall in the living room.
Paying off their home means the Arellanos can breathe a little easier, have a little less stress and look to the future.
“We are planning a trip to Mexico,” he said.
