Finding a place to call home

‘This is really beautiful’ - Finding a place to call home 

John Bushert had found his perfect home in the country. 

Looking for a place to put down roots and eventually retire away from his home in suburban Milwaukee, Bushert stumbled upon the farm in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, last winter. It had everything he was looking for: lots of land, resources for farm animals and ample privacy across its 39 acres. 

“To get there we had to go over all these hills and curves, and I remember thinking ‘Wow, this is really beautiful,’” Bushert said. 

A bump in the road 

There was just one problem. Getting a loan for the property was more complicated than Bushert had initially planned. Even though he’d applied for the loan and been approved, the bank he was working with put the brakes on it once it came time for appraisal. 

Because Bushert planned on keeping his current home while he got ready to move in, the property was considered his second residence, which meant the banks he talked to couldn’t offer him a traditional loan. 

The process was further complicated because the property’s size classified it as a farm. But Bushert wasn’t a farmer and didn’t intend to make an income off the land. 

Bushert even considered a short-term loan with a high interest rate, but he decided it wouldn’t make financial sense. 

And in April of last year, as the closing date loomed in just a few weeks, he wondered if he had exhausted every option. But then a friend told him about Compeer Financial, a lender specializing in rural properties. 

 Compeer offers a lifeline 

Bushert reached out and connected with Wendy Kohrt, a loan officer with Compeer. She told Bushert that Compeer could offer him a loan on his type of property and connected him with a team including an underwriter and an appraiser. 

Kohrt stressed the case's urgency to the team, and they were able to get him a final approval for the loan just as the closing date approached.  

“I was getting pretty frustrated and discouraged and started to understand why more people don't do this,” Bushert said.  

“But I ended up deciding that it was something that I wanted to see through. And I was absolutely delighted when Wendy said, ‘I think we can do that.’” 

‘It put the biggest smile on my face’ 

Bushert’s case wasn’t the first time Kohrt had seen clients frustrated by the fine print attached to loans from many banks. 

“It happens a lot when you go with a bigger bank. They aren't able to loan on these types of farms. And that is what Compeer is known for,” Kohrt said.  

Part of Kohrt’s job as a loan officer was to be a point of contact for Bushert during what proved to be a stressful process, especially given the tight time constraint. 

“I kind of think of myself as the liaison between the client and the team. You're the first point of contact… So sometimes the frustration hits you first,” Kohrt said.  

“But I believe that's part of the reason I like my job so much. I like helping people. Getting it done put the biggest smile on my face because I knew we helped him achieve what he wanted.” 

 Investing in a future in the country 

Before he can move in, Bushert still has several improvements to make over the next few years, both to the property’s main house and five outbuildings. But his vision is coming to life already. 

Bushert’s connected with a local farmer, whose cows can graze on the property’s pasture. He also plans to plant fruit trees and a vegetable garden on the property, while the garage will be converted into a workshop where he can pursue his wiring work as a hobby. 

“Liquidating all of my assets and putting them into this property was not something I wanted to do. Because then I wouldn't have any money to fix up the property,” Bushert said. 

“Compeer made it possible for me to buy this place. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.” 

Considering buying a home in the country? Check out our other articles and resources.