Ivory Homes Workforce Housing enables members of Utah's workforce and first time homebuyers to purchase our most affordable homes in great locations! We are thrilled to share Samantha and Joseph Giles story and the way that the Workforce Housing Program impacted their homebuying journey. Read below to meet this cute couple! 

Tell us about your family! What do you guys like to do? 

We're the Giles! As a family we love the outdoors, finding new hiking trails, playing pickleball, and always trying to keep up with our Mini Australian Shepherd, Winston.

What do you love about living in Utah?

We love how Utah has a little bit of everything we love. We can go 30 minutes north and get access to the best ski slopes and the biking and hiking trails, and camping are just a few steps from our backyard. What's not to love?

What do you do for work?

Joseph: I’m a full-time student at Brigham Young University, but what qualified us for Workforce Housing was my service in the Marine Corps and Utah Army National Guard.

Tell us about your job and why you love it.

Joseph: My work in the armed forces revolved around setting up and maintaining communications equipment and artillery.  I enjoyed my time in the service because of the friends I made and the unique purpose our organizations had.

Why is your profession important to our community?

Joseph: I feel the most impactful work I did was with the Homeland Response Force.  We trained to respond to disasters and save people.

How long have you been in this profession?

Joseph:I’ve been serving since 2010 and just recently finished my service.

How did the Workforce Housing Program help you?

The Workforce Housing Program has been great for our family. We had been looking for well over a year to find the perfect house, but the housing market was so competitive in price and demand that we didn't know when or where we would have an opportunity to make our first home purchase. The Workforce Housing Program gave first-time, workforce homebuyers, like ourselves, the chance to find a home that we love and at a price that we could afford.

Why was homeownership a goal for you?

Homeownership was a goal for us to have a place of our own. We had been renting for several years where we were at the mercy of leasing. We went through rent spikes, the home we were renting was sold, you name it, we've experienced it. Homeownership to us is having a sense of permanence and excitement for making a house into our home.

What did this program mean to you? 

This program meant everything to us. We found the home of our dreams in a location and at a price that we never thought we could.

Why do you feel a program like this is important in our state and to others in your profession?

I think this program is important because it shows an appreciation for those in high-stress, potentially dangerous, essential jobs and roles in our community.

How was your experience buying with Ivory Homes?

Our experience with purchasing from Ivory Homes was great! All of our questions or concerns were addressed throughout the entire process. We could not believe that our house was completed in just 3 months. Buying from the Ivory name meant a lot to us and we whole-heartedly recommend them.