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Elkhorn family getting a place to call home

ELKHORN — There was no “move that bus” chant. No limousine bringing a family to their new home.

But on Wednesday there was as much excitement in Elkhorn as is normally reserved for ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” show.

Walworth County Habitat for Humanity presented Lori Potter, her son Dakota, 10, and her daughter Tawny, 9, of Elkhorn with the chance to have their own home.

The gift, received by the Potters amid tears and an affectionate hug shared by the siblings, was donated by dozens of volunteers from area churches.

Volunteers paraded from a local church to the Potters’ front yard, holding “Congratulations” and “You’re Going Home” signs.

An oblivious Lori came to open the door and couldn’t control her excitement. She thanked those standing outside her existing home as she said, “We got the house.”

“(Crying) is all I could do,” Lori said after receiving the house.

Lori rents her existing home and finds it difficult to pay the high heating bills in winter.

“[The house] is nice and big but I don’t necessarily need big, I need smart,” she said.

Lori, who during the application process said she wanted the house to give her children a better life, is an example of Walworth County residents who would not be able to afford a home on their own, said Teresa McKeown, executive director of the Walworth County Habitat for Humanity.

The house donation program, organized by the Walworth County Habitat for Humanity, is in its 10th year. It has awarded a total of 11 houses, McKeown said.

The home isn’t entirely free. To qualify, a family must be able to afford monthly payments while demonstrating it could not afford the house without the help.

Habitat for Humanity carries the mortgage, and the family pays it back over 30 years at 0 percent interest.

The Potters’ new home will be built at 207 E. Marshal St., Elkhorn, and will feature a basement and garage, a first for the program.

“We’re doing this simply because this is Wisconsin and we need garages and basements,” McKeown said. “We decided that the typical little box home is fine, but we can afford to build one with a garage and a basement.

The Potters are scheduled to move into their new house in September or October. But Tawny’s ready to pack her bags any day.

“I’m really excited because I get a bigger room and I get a new house,” the 9-year-old said.