Home. Made.

Aug 06 2023 663

Home. Made. Podcast artwork

Inside every home, there’s a story. Hosted by Stephanie Foo (This American Life, Invisibilia), each episode of Home. Made. explores the meaning of home and what it can teach us about ourselves and each other. Poignant, hilarious, provocative and downright unexpected, take a journey into the diversity of home in America. Listen to the stories of reclaiming segregated spaces, finding community after tragedy, coming back from rock bottom and more. Rocket Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender. Licensed in all 50 states. NMLSConsumerAccess.org #3030. (833) 326-6028. 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1906.

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Chosen Family

Aug 06 2023 26 mins

Kim Ceurstemont always knew she wanted to be a mother. In her late 30s and still single, she opted to become pregnant through a donor. She planned to raise her son on her own, but wanted her child to know who their father was. So she chose a donor willing to share his identity. His name was Guilherme Figueiredo. Gui and his boyfriend, Jeremy, had never discussed children, but both

The Blind Surfer

Jul 23 2023 29 mins

As a teenager, Ling Pai had barely settled into her new home, in a new country, when she learned she was losing her sight. She’d been diagnosed with dominant optic atrophy, a degenerative condition with no cure or treatment. Her vision would continue to get worse with every passing year, until she was effectively blind. For years Ling resisted – even outright ignored – the im

House Managers

Jul 09 2023 28 mins

At one time, Robert and Dareda owned seven homes – including a massive lakefront property and a 50-acre farm. And then it all came crashing down. But that didn’t quite spell the end of their opulent lifestyle – or at least not the appearance of it. For the next decade, the couple occupied dozens of extravagant houses – none of which belonged to them. In exchange for living

Love, Loss and Baking

Jun 25 2023 26 mins

Jazzmyn Cramer and Chris Phillips arrived in the desert outside of Chama, New Mexico, with plans to build a home and live a self-sustaining life together. But in a flash, a tragic accident changed everything. Suddenly, Jazzmyn found herself alone, broke, and in a town where she knew no one. She turned to the one thing that always consoled and steadied her through challenging moment

Found In The Fire

Jun 11 2023 23 mins

Brandon Smith was raised by a family of public servants, but he felt like he was more of a public nuisance. A couple of wrong turns after college landed him in prison. While languishing in his cell, lost and unclear on what path to take next, a prison counselor offered him an opportunity: volunteer for Fire Camp, and help California tame its wildfires. The idea of fighting wildfire

The Birwood Wall

May 28 2023 23 mins

As kids, Esther Boyd and Teresa Moon spent hours playing alongside – and sometimes on top of – the 6-foot-tall, half-mile-long wall that cut through their Detroit neighborhood. But the wall’s intended purpose was much darker. It was built to segregate their Black neighborhood from the white families on the other side. The Birwood Wall had one job to do, but history suggests i

There’s No Place Like Home. Made. Season 3

May 21 2023 2 mins

Stephanie Foo returns with six new stories of people who redefine the meaning of home in ways that may just change your own definition. Two Detroit women work to reclaim a historic landmark built by hate and fear. A prisoner finds purpose and belonging fighting California wildfires. A woman transcends tragedy and builds a bakery in a town of strangers. A single mom adopts a new way

Bonus Episode: The House Instagram Built

Jul 24 2022 7 mins

Back in our “Is There A Doctor In The Dollhouse?” episode, we met Kwandaa Roberts, a doctor who went viral on Instagram after renovating her daughter’s dollhouse. Now, we dive deeper into the impact that reality TV and social media have had on Kwandaa, interior design, and how we all see ourselves in our homes. Fashion journalist Liz Segran talks Queer Eye, This Old House, In

Bonus Episode: Return of the Ghosts

Jul 09 2022 10 mins

In this episode, we have another spooky story to share. We talk to Victor Castro, a paranormal investigator, about the two ghosts he encounters in his home. He also provides some expert insight into Steve and Krista’s ghostly encounters from our “My Roommate, The Ghost” episode. To learn more about the podcast, go to: https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/podcast Rocket Mortga

Electric Lady

May 01 2022 22 mins

Shana Turner was struck by lightning and survived, miraculously unharmed – or so everyone thought. In the years following her lightning strike, she began to experience some serious physical and mental side effects and struggled to cope. To make matters worse, some of her family and friends refused to believe anything was even wrong with her. Desperate to return to the life she le