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My name is Alex Boyle, and I am fundraising on behalf of my longtime USMC teammate Steve Lincoln, and the Lincoln Family who are at risk of losing their home before it’s even finished. Steve has been trying to get his first home built since 2020. However, construction delays, unscrupulous demands for additional funds, and abandonment by the original builder turned Steve's dream into a nightmare.

The ongoing uphill battle to move the building process forward has left the Lincoln Family mentally, physically, and financially drained as their new home in North Carolina sat at only 70% complete after almost 3 grueling years of time, effort, and investment.

Steve, an accomplished Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, will be in financial ruin and will never be able to finish the rest of his home and call it his own without our support!

The Problem:

We were deployed in Iraq in 2020. We received news that upon returning to the States, we would now be stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina instead of Camp Pendleton in Southern California. After being California residents for years, we were all excited by this realistic chance to achieve homeownership for the first time in our lives. Steve dreamed of finally having a place to raise his family in North Carolina surrounded by good people and outdoor hobbies at a price a Marine could afford.

At that time, interest rates still started with a 2%. Steve found a great piece of land in Holly Ridge, NC. It was perfect for the Lincoln Family, and Steve was excited to see his vision take shape! Given that the Veterans Administration does not provide land loans, Steve needed to pay all cash for the land. Getting a construction loan is not a problem especially since most homes are built in a matter of months with a functioning and conscious builder. Steve connected with the realtor to begin the process of buying the land, hiring the builder, getting the loan, and the builder was on track to start constructing the Lincoln dream home while he finished up his tour in Iraq.

But Steve’s construction nightmare was just beginning.

Construction Begins in Late 2021:

Steve was connected with a local builder who was more than happy to take on Steve’s home as a project. However, since Steve was constantly away training for our next deployment, and while everyone else’s home in the neighborhood was being framed, his foundation hadn’t even been poured.

Steve and his agent spent weeks and months tracking down the builder to make sure that there wasn’t some sort of error delaying his house. After all, it had already been 8 months since he signed the contract. The builder continually dodged Steve’s calls and, when confronted, demanded additional money to get his crew back to the build, citing “cost increases.” The costs were never explained, but COVID lumber prices were substantial, and Steve didn’t want to have to find a new builder over a few thousand dollars so he ponied up those costs, despite having already exhausted nearly all of his life savings to purchase the land outright. Additionally, materials that were contractually purchased by Steve were never ordered/delivered by the builder.

Flash Forward to 2022. Now, it is two years into the build of Steve’s home, and we are getting ready to leave for another combat deployment. The builder assured Steve that his home would be move-in ready by the time he got home and thanked him for his service! Then, after failing a structural inspection, he proceeded to abandon the job site for almost a year, leading to significant structural damages and deterioration requiring serious rework. During this time, the builder overwhelmed the yard with trash and debris while the interior drywall and insulation were left exposed to the weather. The local Homeowner’s Association became combative and the neighbors disgruntled. Violations were heaped upon Steve due to the prolonged construction and project abandonment by his builder who had promised the home would be done when Steve returned again.

Flash Forward to early 2023. Steve returns to the States and his dream home is still not done. Worse, it is falling into decay and disrepair. The builder won’t return his calls, and when he does, Steve is given the run-around. All this while his family is still living back in California with its increasingly high housing costs. Steve can’t very well bring them to North Carolina with nowhere to live so he began sleeping on couches and even living out of a toy hauler as he desperately tries to scrape together more funds from his full-time Marine salary. He starts looking for outside help to get his home finished and put this nightmare behind him so he can begin living his American Dream.

Flash Forward to late 2023. By now, Steve’s financial strain is considerable. His home still isn’t done and in its unfinished condition, is falling further into decay. After using his life savings to purchase the land initially, Steve secured a construction loan to finance the building of his family home by the original builder. Due to the extended construction period and project delays, he has been forced to extend this loan multiple times. Meanwhile, that initially low interest rate has disappeared as each extension of the construction loan has come with higher interest rates, compounding the cost. Each extension has also incurred additional fees, further straining Steve's depleted finances.

Steve has also had to personally pay for the builder insurance risk policy because the insurance company refused to deal with the original builder any further on this project due to non-performance and job abandonment. The HOA and the neighbors are still complaining, calling Steve and demanding action. But without a builder to finish the job and rapidly dwindling finances, he feels utterly stuck and trapped by the nightmare scenario that has unfolded.

Flash Forward to 2024. Steve’s family is still living in California. Steve and his fiancé decided to cancel their wedding plans despite knowing that some of what they’d spent on the wedding was non-refundable. This decision was made under duress and with concern about their ability to maintain the solid credit rating they built before this catastrophic home-building project. With few options remaining, Steve has been forced to find a new builder to take on the project while he pursues the original builder and lender with legal action.

Luckily, Trey Lewis of Lewis Coastal Homes and Renovations LLC has stepped up to take on Steve as a client despite the numerous issues stemming from the previous abandonment of Steve’s home. Trey began work immediately and within just a couple of weeks of taking over the the build, had completed more work on the home than had been completed during the entire year prior. Trey worked with the appropriate licensed engineers to repair the structural deficiencies and his proactive involvement has been crucial in getting the project back on track for completion this summer. Trey and his team have shown stellar professionalism and communication has far exceeded expectations. Steve is finally being treated as a valued client.

Steve and the Lincoln family are incredibly grateful to Trey and his team who have also tackled the following issues:

After more than three devastating years, Steve and his family see a glimmer of light on the horizon. But they still have a long, long way to go to not only finish their home but also recover from the significant financial and emotional strain of this years-long ordeal.

What’s Needed:

I am asking you, our friends, our family, our military community, and the good-hearted citizens of America who believe a man who has given his all for his country should not be made to suffer and keep suffering at the hands of a the former builder and lender to help the Lincoln family.

We need your help to raise funds to finish the home and cover Steve and the Lincoln family's incredible financial expenses, which they incurred through no fault of their own.

How Will the Funds Be Used:

Our initial target is to raise $200,000 which will go to the Lincoln family and be allocated as follows:

Conclusion:

We’ve come a long way since I first watched Steve’s eyes light up as he told me about the home that he would eventually move his family into while we stood guard in an Iraqi outpost. You may not know Steve personally like I do, but I think anyone can understand how much I want to see that light come back to this Marine’s life.

The fact that I am now writing a GoFundMe page asking for family, friends, and the greater community for support, is absolutely mind boggling to me. Please give if you can and help us spread the word about this campaign by sharing it on social media, via email, and with any media contacts you have. The Lincoln Family has sacrificed more than you can imagine to see this home completed and they need a helping hand to recover their quality of life and finish this project.

On behalf of the Lincoln family, thank you so much for your donations, for your support, and for helping us make sure this campaign reaches the right eyes and ears.

Please help me give Steve and the Lincoln Family a second shot at the American Dream.

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