Now Building * Be Our First
Bridging Rent to Home
Stepping Stone Studio LLC

Housing that helps
you move forward.

Many renters live paycheck to paycheck, able to pay rent, but unable to save for a downpayment. Stepping Stone Studio paves the way for renters to become homeowners. We pair affordable housing with a tenant owned HYSA, so they build that downpayment while they rent without stretching them thin. We are focused on the greater Omaha and Council Bluffs area.

Join the Waitlist See the Program
1st
Pilot resident
actively testing
~3yr
To down payment
savings goal
100%
Savings belong
to the resident
Bridge to Home * Pilot Path
✓
Renting below market
2
Building your own savings
Reaching down payment goal
4
Becoming a homeowner 🏡
Month 18 of 36 $2,700 saved
Small multifamily properties
Below-market rents
Tenant-owned high yield savings account (HYSA)
Real estate license in progress
Papillion*Omaha*Council Bluffs
The journey

From rent to roots ~
a clear path forward

Our residents don't just pay rent. They follow a structured path - affordable housing paired with automatic savings discipline - building toward a first-time homebuyer down payment that is entirely their own. We're building this carefully, one property at a time.

1

Move In

Rent a quality Stepping Stone property below market rate. Stable, well-managed, genuinely affordable.

2

Save Automatically

We help you create your own high-yield savings account. Each month, an amount you designate will be automatically deposited into the account at the same time you pay rent, building a little nest egg. It will feel like part of rent, but it is entirely yours.

3

Reach Your Goal

Over time your savings grow toward a first-time homebuyer down payment. We guide you through the process.

4

Become a Homeowner

Buy a Stepping Stone property or anything on the market. Your savings are yours, the choice is yours.

Bridge to Home Program

More than a place to live.
A plan to own.

We offer more than housing. Residents can choose to join our Bridge to Home program where they build savings alongside rent while working toward long-term stability or homeownership.

This is a long-term approach, built carefully, with attention to both the property and the people who live there.

🏘️

Affordable, Quality Housing

Small multifamily properties priced to cover expenses not to maximize profit. Predictable, fair rent.

💰

Your Savings, Your Account

You open your own HYSA, set up an automatic transfer from your own bank account, and have it timed with your rent. 100% yours from day one.

🔑

Real Estate Guidance

Actively pursuing my real estate license so I can bring insider knowledge to help residents navigate home buying with confidence.

Sample Savings Illustration

Monthly rent (below market)$1,200
Monthly savings (automatic)$150
High-yield savings APY~3.0%
Saved after 3 years~$5,600+
First-time buyer down payment
3–5% on a $200k home
In reach.

*Illustration only. Actual amounts vary by program terms. All savings belong to the resident.

Our mission

Bridging the gap between renting and owning

“Housing that moves people forward”

Stepping Stone Studio is built around a simple but powerful idea - pair affordable housing with automatic savings discipline. We invest in small multifamily properties in the greater Omaha and Council Bluffs area, creating stable, well-managed homes while building genuine pathways from renting to owning.

A lot of people are doing everything right - working hard, paying rent on time, taking care of their families - yet the down payment is just out of reach. That gap is exactly what Stepping Stone Studio is here to close.

Affordable Housing First

Rents set to cover our costs ~ nothing more. Your financial progress matters more than our margin.

Transparency & Trust

Your savings are always yours, always accessible. No gimmicks, no lock-ins, no fine print.

Long-Term Relationships

We're not flipping houses. We're building your future and ours over years, not months.

Community Investment

When renters become owners, neighborhoods strengthen. That's the growth we believe in.

Papillion*Omaha*Council Bluffs

Rooted in community.

We're not just a housing company, we're your neighbors. Stepping Stone Studio is proudly rooted in Papillion and the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area. We believe in showing up for the community around us: supporting local events, local businesses, and local people.

O Con

O-Con Expo

We're proud team members of The O Con Expo * Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area's celebration of comics, cosplay, gaming, and pop culture. We celebrated 10 years this summer where we had our famous corgi panel and our fantastic cosplay contest where a $1000 grand prize was awarded! Community events like this are what make the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area special.

The O Con Expo
🏪

Shop Local * Stay Local

From Papillion to Bellevue, La Vista to Ralston, this is home. We invest here because we believe in here. We're committed to supporting the small businesses that make the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area thrive. When we grow, we bring our neighbors with us.

Local Business Love
🌳

First-Time Buyer Resources

Homeownership is the goal for our residents and our neighbors. We’ve pulled together local organizations and programs that can help first-time buyers get there.

Housing Resources
💛

Brands & Causes We Believe In

We spend our money where our values are. These are the businesses and causes we actively support, because community investment doesn't stop with housing.

Values * Community

"Art that tells a story and merchandise that carries it with you."

Coming Soon
The Creative Side

Art, merch &
the next generation

Behind Stepping Stone Studio is a family, and a family with serious talent. My daughters are gifted artists whose work deserves to be seen and shared with the world.

We're building a merchandise line featuring their original artwork including prints, clothing, and goods celebrating their creativity and our community. A portion of every sale will support the Stepping Stone Studio mission.

Powered by Printify * print-on-demand means every piece is made to order and ships directly to you.

🎨 Shop launching soon. Join our waitlist below and we'll notify you first when the art shop goes live.
Support the mission

Help us build something real.

Every stepping stone is built one at a time. If you believe in affordable housing, homeownership pathways, and community investment, you can support us through Ko-fi.

☕ Support on Ko-fi Join the Waitlist

Ko-fi lets you support a mission-driven founder directly with no platform fees on your end. Every contribution helps us get to our first investment property.

Get in touch

Be part of what
we're building.

🔒 Your info is private and never sold.

✅ Thank you! We'll be in touch soon. You're part of something meaningful.
⚠️ Something went wrong. Please email us directly: hello@steppingstonestudiollc.com

Stepping Stone Studio LLC

We're a small, personally run operation, so when you reach out, you're talking directly to the founder. No bots, no call centers.

📍Papillion, Nebraska * Serving the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro Area
📧hello@steppingstonestudiollc.com
🌐steppingstonestudiollc.com
🏗️Currently building and pursuing investment properties and real estate license
🧪Pilot program underway with our first resident, proving the model before we scale

"I started this because I wanted to help people. I see so many people doing everything right but stuck in a cycle of rent with no way out. Stepping Stone Studio is my answer to that. I'm just getting started and I'd love for you to be part of it."

~Jennifer McDowell, Founder, Stepping Stone Studio LLC