Military family move into mortgage-free home in Pflugerville

Military family moves into mortgage-free home in Pflugerville

The Makaafi family sent an application to Operation Finally Home during the pandemic, waiting months to finally learn they had been chosen to live in a new home.

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - A veteran and his family received the keys to their fully furnished, and fully paid for new home in Pflugerville.

"I've been doing this for 18 years, and the very first one we did was special, and today is very special," said Dan Wallrath, founder of Operation Finally Home. "It’s just being able to see the look on those children's faces and mom's face, knowing that they've got a forever after house, and they don't have to worry about where are they going to be living from here on."

The mortgage-free home was made possible by Operation Finally Home along with Scott Felder Homes, Tiemann Land and Cattle Development and other community partners.

Pflugerville military family surprised by gift of new, mortgage-free home

Operation Finally Home surprised this U.S. Marine Corporal, his wife and four kids with the home.

"We were very unstable," said Makaafi. "We were going from rental property to rental property to rental property."

That was back in California after Makaafi served two tours overseas, bringing home physical and emotional trauma, including a traumatic brain injury that triggers migraines, memory loss and a chronic lumbar strain.

They decided to apply to Operation Finally Home around the time the pandemic hit. It wasn't until December 2022 that Makaafi, his wife, Precious, and their three children under 8 years old were surprised with a visit to their future, partially built home.

They thought it was just another step in the application process. Instead, they were welcomed to their new neighborhood by community members that lined the street and waved American flags. Many also left "love notes" on the framing of the home.

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"I was very overwhelmed emotionally, and I just couldn't believe it," said Precious. "We had no idea that this would happen at that moment."

Four months later, the Makaafi family received their second, and final, welcome home.

"I would like to thank everybody involved with Operation Finally Home," said Makaafi. "Not just them, also the community of Pflugerville, the police department, the fire department, everybody involved with this building, everybody who left notes of love in my walls, forever grateful."

To learn more about Operation Finally Home or apply, click here.