Bethany Berg couldn’t stop smiling Saturday morning as she and her teenage sons hammered the first nails into their new home in northern Forsyth County.

“This house is such a huge blessing,” said Berg, a single mother and newest Habitat for Humanity homeowner. “God has exceeded my expectations so much.”

The three-bedroom, two-bath home will sit on about an acre not far from Browns Bridge Road.

The Bergs were the first Dawson County family approved for home ownership after a group of local volunteers formed nearly three years ago with plans to extend Habitat’s presence in the area.

When land was not immediately available in Dawson County, the group worked with Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia officials to build the house in neighboring Forsyth.

Berg, who currently rents a house in Dawsonville, said sons Ian and Cory were somewhat reluctant at first about leaving the county.

“But it’s not that much farther and the neighborhood is just beautiful, way more than I ever expected,” Berg said.

She said being selected by the organization gave her an opportunity for home ownership she would not have had otherwise.

Elder son Ian said no one deserves that opportunity more than his mother.

“It means a lot to me that Habitat is doing this for us, giving us a place that we can afford and call our own,” he said.

The Bergs’ home is expected to be complete in May.