For Gary and Roxanne Pedersen, family means everything. After spending years in their Houghton Lake, Michigan home located closer to the center of town, they were ready for something more private.
After another financial institution was unable to help Gary and Roxanne, they made their way to GreenStone where, now retired, Financial Services Officer Brian Peariso was ready to help.
“They came to me back at the beginning of 2018 to inquire about doing a self-build. When you’re able to help someone after they haven’t had success with another financial institution, it’s very rewarding. We were able to appraise it and move forward,” said Brian.
And move forward, they did. The two broke ground on a new piece of property in West Branch, Michigan which would soon become their brand-new four-bedroom paradise.
Gary has a background in construction, but this was the first time his wife Roxanne has worked with him on a build.
“Gary is a handyman so it’s always awesome to work with people who have a background in construction,” said Brian.
A learning curve for her, the two made the most out of the experience together.
“I worked for a builder to put me through college, but this is the first time Rox and I worked on something together,” Gary explained.
“I pretty much learned on the fly, but I had a good teacher,” said Roxanne.
Gary and Roxanne had some help from contractors, but built about fifty percent of the home entirely on their own. Roxanne jokes that being able to go to her job during the day and only work on the house in the evening is what kept her going.
“He worked day and night on this place, but I had the luxury to go to work during the day,” said Roxanne.
As expected, there were some compromises along the way.
“One of the best decisions we made was on the back porch,” Roxanne explained. “It’s half covered. I get to be in the sun and he gets to be in the shade.”
That compromise was important – because of their work arrangements.
“I work outside, and she works in the office, so we flip-flop when we get home,” said Gary.
Among many of their projects, one thing Roxanne is happy to show off is their beautiful stone fireplace.
Roxanne is most proud of their beautiful stone fireplace.
“That was a fun project,” Roxanne remarked. “It was like playing Tetris because I got to pick out the rocks and he got to place them together.”
But the thing they’re most proud of is having a space where they can host their family.
“It’s a house built for a family of twelve, but there’s two of us,” Roxanne joked. “It’s awesome because when our granddaughter comes up to visit, there’s room to play.”
That extra room was the goal all along.
“We always hosted family, but now, we actually have the room,” said Gary. “The kids can go outside during the winter time. During the summer, there’s a slip-and-slide going down the hills. There’s a little creek out back to cool off. There’s plenty of room depending on where you want to visit at.”
Gary and Roxanne said this would not have been possible without the help of Brian and GreenStone.
“GreenStone has been really easy to work with,” said Gary. “Everyone requires certain amounts of documents, but GreenStone makes it easy. It’s nice that they are family-oriented and blue-collar-oriented.”
Gary also appreciates GreenStone’s commitment to giving back to our member-owners through our Patronage program. In 2023 alone, GreenStone returned $120 million of profits to our members.
“The Patronage program helps out,” said Gary. “It’s awesome to get a bonus check in March to get caught back up in the winter.”
Gary and Roxanne enjoyed their experience with GreenStone so much that when they decided to put up another building on their property, they knew exactly who to call.
“Gary called me not too long ago, and said they wanted to build a barn,” said Brian. “We had such a good relationship with them, and I was happy to assist them.”
Gary and Roxanne recently began a barn build on their property.
After a quick process, Gary and Roxanne were able to begin building their dream barn.
“The construction loan was pretty darn easy. Everything went smoothly,” said Gary.
The barn will be used for storage, a game room, and Gary and Roxanne’s newfound passion – his woodworking business.
“It’s kind of a hobby and a stress reliever, and I thought we could make some money at it, and we have.”
If that business ever needs an expansion, Gary knows exactly who to reach out to.
“I’m not just a number at my branch, they know my name,” said Gary. “We tell everyone to call GreenStone.”
And our staff, like Brian, will always be ready to take that call. “If something sounds like a solid plan, GreenStone will try to make it work.”
To view the article in the online 2023 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
