When Jennifer Howlett moved into the Brandy Hill apartment complex 13 years ago, she had a very specific goal.

"I said, 'I'm staying here until I can afford to buy my own house,'" the 34-year-old mother of two recalled.

With the help of the Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity and the community, Howlett has finally accomplished her goal.

In the coming weeks, Howlett and her children, 15-year-old Latroy Hairston and 11-year-old Xavier Hall, will move into a brand new house, located at 39 Minot Ave., just one mile from the family's current apartment.

The 1,000-square-foot house, with a freshly-painted blue door, is a symbol of hard-work and dedication.

Howlett, a lifetime Wareham resident, was notified that she'd be receiving a Habitat for Humanity home in August of 2009. In the months following, the community rallied, with various groups and private citizens, as well as Howlett and her children, pitching in to get the house built.

Howlett painted the door to match the shutters the day before a home dedication on Sunday, Dec. 19.

"This has been an amazing experience," Howlett said after taking the keys from Stephen Sooy, President of the Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity during the dedication.

The family was also presented with keepsake quilts made by Fairhaven's First Congregational Church Vacation Bible Camp, and the Humanities Quilters, who meet at the Wareham Free Library.

Sooy thanked resident John Decas for donating the property for the home. Local foundations, such as Charlesbank Homes, the town's Community Preservation Committee, and the Makepeace Neighborhood Fund donated funding to the project. Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School students ran the rough plumbing and gas lines for the home. More than a dozen local businesses donated supplies.

"It's exciting" to be nearly ready to move in, said Latroy, who did lots of heavy lifting during the building process.

"He does all the manual labor, because he's the strongest 15-year-old I know," Howlett said with a smile.

And Xavier, though he was just 10 years old when the family started building, wasn't left out of the process. He helped build the frames for the walls, he said.

"This has been a long time coming," Howlett said, nearly speechless following the dedication.

Though the home isn't much bigger than the family's current apartment, there are no nearby neighbors who will bang on the walls or blast stereos, common headaches associated with apartment living.

"It's just enough," Howlett said. "It's ours."