July 28, 2026
By ANASTASIA PENCHI
HILLSBORO, Wis. – Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region is looking for families that want to live in brand new homes on the west end of Vernon County in a picturesque subdivision in Hillsboro.
Habitat’s Executive Director Kahya Fox said four of its 10 CrossMod homes (a cross between manufactured and traditional stick-built homes) are now ready and listed for sale in the Tinker’s Bluff Subdivision. Each three bedroom, two bath home also includes a garage and covered front porch, and is available for purchase to income-qualified families.
These four homes are being sold at “market rate,” which means the household must earn at or below 120 percent of the area media income. A family of four can earn up to $115,200 per year, Fox said.
Downpayment assistance and a Habitat reduced interest rate mortgage may be an option for those households under 80 percent, she added, but that limits earnings to $76,800 per year for a family of four.
Income limits increase as family size increases and decrease as the household total shrinks. More specifics are available by calling Fox at (608) 797-8086 or emailing her at kayha@habitatlacrosse.org.
Fox said Habitat is the first non-profit developer to collaborate with Clayton Homes (she works with the branch out of Redwood Falls, Minn.) and put the CrossMod homes on permanent basements. This essentially doubles their square footage, although the basements are sold unfinished.
Clayton CrossMod homes are built to federal HUD code in facilities across America, according to company’s Web site. They combine the “efficient building processes traditionally associated with off-site construction methods with the design-forward style of site-built housing.”
Fox calls the project a new, innovative approach to get people into their first homes. She said not only are all brand new Energy Star appliances included with each home, but there are big closets, upgraded windows and 7K watt solar-arrays that provide power and battery back-up systems. The homes have zoned heating, electric water heaters and electric heat pumps; and each sit on an almost half-acre lot.
Pricing for the homes (each averages about $330,000) were set by appraisals, Fox said. Monthly payment is estimated at $1,725, which will include the mortgage, interest, property taxes and insurance.
Tinker’s Bluff Subdivision is located in the “rolling hills of the City of Hillsboro,” according to the City’s Web site. It is adjacent to a large park and features interconnecting walking paths.
“This collaboration is designed to address the need for affordable homes for local workers and enhance the quality of life for Hillsboro residents,” according to the City’s Web site. “The ten homes will be available to families across a range of income levels, resulting in a vibrant, mixed-income development.”
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