Securing a bank loan can be difficult, with several obstacles and challenges. While banks play an important role in providing financial help, their reluctance to make loans is frequently rooted in a complicated web of variables. Steve Travis and Jeff Ingram, undeterred by banks’ refusal to grant them a loan for an earth-sheltered dome home, decided to take matters into their own hands.

The duo exhibited creativity by recycling old highway signs for the concrete foundation forms, while financing each aspect of their unorthodox hobbit palace project paycheck by paycheck.Milestones in their trip included a boisterous “dome-raising” party at which I-Beams from a dome kit were erected, as well as a year-long devotion to tying their rebar.

After six years of living in a fifth-wheel trailer, the couple finally moved into a partially built home, demonstrating their unwavering dedication. Fast forward a decade, and Steve and Jeff now enjoy a mortgage-free lifestyle in a home designed to withstand a nuclear blast as well as the powerful forces of hurricanes and earthquakes in their fault zone area.

The home’s hyper-insulation provides no heating or cooling expenditures. Steve attributes structural strength to the massive 1000 tons of dirt that surrounds their unusual residence. Despite county requirements requiring the installation of bedroom wall heaters, the pair has never required them, highlighting their home’s thermal mass insulation value.The decision to build non-load-bearing walls allowed for large windows on three sides, letting in plenty of southern light.

During the development process, their unique home sparked interest from curious neighbors, who mistook it for a government facility due to its unusual appearance. Steve reflects on their property choices, recounting how he discovered the Bay Road area while driving from Toledo.Watch the video below to see how the trio built their Hobbit home without a bank loan.