A Dream Realized: The Couch Family Finds Their Forever Home in Middlebury

When Sean and Shalyn Couch began dreaming of homeownership, they never imagined the path would take them across the country to Vermont. In 2017, while living in San Diego, they started looking for homes but quickly realized the market there was out of reach. They longed for a place where they could start a family, in a safe, family-centered community. Vermont’s natural beauty, family-friendly atmosphere, and shared values called to them.

So, in 2020 they made the leap, packing up, moving east with newborn baby Eleanor, and deciding to rent until they found the right home.

The Long Road to Homeownership
Like so many young families, Sean and Shalyn worked hard to prepare for homeownership. They paid off debt, saved diligently for a down payment, and set their hearts on finding a permanent home. But the Vermont housing market wasn’t easy to navigate.

Many homes were fixer-uppers that needed more work than they could take on. Others were too far from the schools, jobs, and grocery stores that their growing family needed. For a time, they squeezed into a tiny studio apartment, making do while Eleanor was still a baby, but they knew it couldn’t last forever.

Eventually, they found a rental in Middlebury, and everything changed.

“We fell in love with Middlebury,” Shalyn shared. “The schools, the neighborhood, the community, it all just felt right.”

Sean, who works as a delivery driver, has the chance to see towns all across Vermont, but nothing compared to Middlebury. Shalyn works at the local food co-op, where she’s found the same sense of community and shared values that first drew their family to Vermont. Together, they knew this was where they wanted to put down roots.

Finding Addison Housing Works
Then, all in the same week, two things happened: they spotted information about Addison Housing Works’ Shared Equity Program online, and their realtor mentioned it as well. It felt like a sign.

Still, they assumed it was a long shot. “We figured too many people had already applied and that we’d be way down on the list,” Shalyn recalled.

But then came the email from AHW’s Shared Equity Manager, Michelle. The Couches were first in line for a brand-new home at Stonecrop Meadows through the Shared Equity Program.

“When I opened that email,” Shalyn said, “I felt like we won the lottery. My heart couldn’t contain the emotion.”

Welcome Home
This summer, the Couches closed on their new home, the first family to move into Stonecrop Meadows through AHW’s Shared Equity Program.

“We wanted this so badly, and now we have it,” Shalyn reflected. “It feels like a dream come true.”

Their favorite part? “The convenience,” Sean said. “Everything is brand new. Everything is an upgrade. We love having a garage and being able to bring groceries in while staying dry.”

For Shalyn, it’s the cozy “nook space” by the window, a perfect reading spot for her and Eleanor to share books together, or for Shalyn to enjoy a rare quiet moment.

And for Eleanor, age five, the best part of her new home is the simple joy of a bedroom window where she can look out at the stars and the moon each night.

Beyond the house itself, Sean and Shalyn say the community has already made them feel at peace: “Everyone is so nice. I feel calmer here. We feel like we belong.”

A Home for Today and Tomorrow
For the Couches, their new home is more than just a house. It’s stability, safety, and a future. Thanks to a down payment grant from Addison Housing Works and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, a home that otherwise would have cost over $350,000 was made accessible at just $233,000 and will now remain permanently affordable for future generations of families like the Couches.

One day, Sean and Shalyn hope their home can either be passed on to Eleanor or transition to another family in need continuing the cycle of opportunity that helped make their dream possible.

That’s the power of the Shared Equity Program: it makes homeownership possible today, while ensuring homes stay affordable for generations to come.

Welcome home, Couches. We are so glad you’re here.

​Want to learn more about how Addison Housing Works’ Shared Equity Program can help make your dream of homeownership possible? Visit addisonhousingworks.org/shared-equity-program.

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