Hi Friends and Loved Ones,

This spring, our landlord let us know he’s retiring. He gave us two options: buy the home, or move out by the end of the summer so he can sell it without tenants.

Our hearts sank. Our home is so much more than a house: It is a gathering space that’s held so many dreams, meals, guests, rehearsals, and naps. We have poured our hearts and our imagined future in Portland into this home.

Flashback to April 2021…

We flew to Portland on a mission: find a place to live. We’d fallen in love with PDX just before the world shut down, and now that things were opening up, we gave ourselves four days to find a rental. We fell in love with the very first one we toured - a cozy little ADU tucked behind a house in Concordia. So many windows. A tiny fenced yard. It was exactly what we’d hoped we might magically stumble upon. So we took the leap, packed up our lives in Kansas City and made the cross-country move with Winston (our pup) and about a thousand plants.

Fast forward two years…

Our lovely neighbors told us they were moving to California, and the main house on the property would be available to rent. We had always dreamed of more space: a backyard for Winston to run, a place to host dinner parties, maybe even a guest room?! We weren’t sure we could swing it - but we dreamed. In April, we moved in, joyfully arranging furniture, hanging art, and we started scheming: Alison Roman-inspired dinner parties? Homemade pizza nights? Signature cocktails on the back porch? Yes.

That summer, backyard hangs became one of our favorite traditions. Andy grilled. We pulled out every chair we owned. Friends gathered under the walnut tree (yes, the nuts fall all summer - and yes, that’s part of the charm). For the first time, we had space to host, cook big meals, and take Zoom meetings upstairs in the “office” (yoga studio? Meeting room?).

That December, we hosted our first-ever Christmas. Nicole made a giant Italian feast. Andy churned out homemade pasta. We pulled out every mismatched wine glass we owned. Our friends came, they ate, they laughed, they spilled things. It was perfect. The house felt full in all the best ways, and we realized how much joy this space could hold.

Present Day…

Our home is so much more than a house. Thinking of leaving seemed impossible.

But we ran the numbers and we simply couldn’t afford it.

Then a plot twist! We found out we qualify for a FHA Loan that helps first time home buyers who don’t meet the typical financial criteria for buying a house. All we had to do was figure out how to cover the downpayment and cover some of the repairs necessary to qualify for the loan. It’s a larger sum of money that we currently don’t have, which felt daunting but we also finally had hope. Suddenly, we had the chance to stay - to own the place we’ve called home for four years.

We knew we had to try.

That’s why we are asking you, our community, for help…

The truth is, we didn’t think homeownership would ever be in the cards. We’re artists and educators - long on passion, short on generational wealth. But this opportunity dropped in our laps, and with your help, we can say yes to staying. If you’ve ever lived in a space that made you feel grounded, safe, and inspired you know why we’re fighting for this.

How your support will help us keep our home:

Downpayment support. We can afford the monthly mortgage, but we simply weren’t prepared to pull together such a large upfront sum on short notice.

Required home repairs. In order to qualify for the FHA loan, we are required to make certain repairs to the house (roof, heating, drainage, etc.)

If 250 people give $100, we can meet our closing cost goal.

If 500 people give $50, we can cover repair estimates.

If 1000 people give $25, we can make this dream happen.

We need to hit our goal by October 19th, ideally.

Whether you can give $5 or $500, or even just share this link with others, you’re part of our story, the story of our home.

And if now isn’t the time, we get it. Truly. We feel your support in a million other ways - your encouragement, your belief in us, your love. It all matters.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for being part of our village.

With love,

Nicole, Andy & Winston