On the edge of a lush golf course in Pampa, Texas, sits a stunning home where cattle graze, nursing their newborn calves. In the golden light of day, the sun catches it just right. For the Taylor family, this place is called ‘home.’ Perhaps it is even more than that; it is their napkin dream brought to life.
Cade Taylor and his wife, Taylor (yes, they share the same first name), share their rural home with their two children: daughter Haley Grace and son Cale James. By trade, Cade works in the insurance industry, but his community involvement extends far beyond his day job. Many locals know Cade as an active member of the Pampa community. He has served on the school board, been elected to the appraisal review board, and even coached his son’s little league baseball team. As involved as they are in their community, they have only been residents of Pampa since 2017.
Both Cade and Taylor have a background in agriculture. In fact, that is one of the things that brought them together. They met at a Pappadeaux in Fort Worth, TX, when Cade, an Ag teacher at the time, was attending a stock show in Fort Worth with his students. Taylor was in attendance because she had a passion for breeding cattle, a hobby that put her through college.
“So when I met my wife at that Pappadeaux, I introduced myself as Cade. She introduced herself as Taylor Haliburton. And she said, ‘What’s your last name?’ And I said, ‘Well, once you realize that I’m the only guy that you can spend the rest of your life with, then I’ll let you know,” said Cade. Then, as he puts it, “The rest is history.”
The Dream: Cattle, Land, and a Beautiful Home
Early in their marriage, they lived in Waco, TX. From the start, they dreamed of owning a homestead where Taylor could breed the finest quality cattle and a home where they could raise their children. So, in 2017, they took a risk. They uprooted their lives in Waco and moved to Pampa, settling on a small two-acre property with the hope of expanding.
As an outsider, Cade foresaw the difficulty of acquiring more land for their rural homestead. “…some of these farms are generational farms, and they’ve had that land in their family name for hundreds of years. And to come into a place that is like that and try to take a piece of that for yourself is, can be tough,” said Cade. However, the warm Pampa community far surpassed their expectations. “It took us two weeks of being here to know that Pampa is a place you want to raise your kids, but it’s also a place that you want your kids to return to,” said Cade.
Immediately, they recognized that there was something special about Pampa, something that they wanted to invest in long-term. Both Cade and Taylor agreed: if they were going to make this homestead dream happen, it would have to be with the support of the Pampa community. It was that very community that stepped up and led the Taylor family to find land near the golf course. To the Taylors, it was the perfect place to start a homestead. One afternoon, when Cade and his wife went to lunch, they sketched out their plans for their dream home on a napkin.
Backed by a Community and a Lending Partner
By the time they purchased the land that they planned to build on, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. Supply chains were strained. Building costs soared. Interest rates climbed. Add to that the difficulty of finding a lender, and it seemed the Taylors might have to toss the napkin dream.
That’s when a friend in the community introduced them to Mandy at Plains Land Bank. “I remember the first time I met with her about it. She said, ‘Oh, yeah! No problem.’ I was like, ‘What? How can it just be no problem?’” said Cade. For the first time in a long time, Cade was encouraged. Finally, someone understood the value of the land he owned and the homestead he knew it could be.
Once their financing was secured, it was up to the Taylors’ hard work to see the project through. From cutting his own road to crafting a custom staircase, Cade did not just stand and watch, he did much of the work himself to help stretch every dollar against rising prices.
Fast forward to today, and the Taylor family is reaping the rewards of a job well done.
“And Plains is the only reason. They’re the only reason we have what we have today. It’s not because I make millions of dollars. It’s not because we have a bank account with zeros. It’s because we formed a relationship with a partner that understood what we wanted to accomplish and said ‘yes’ to what our dream was and made it a reality.”
