Rain For Change

Affordable Housing?

This is the perfect example of why RainForChange needs to exists.

We need a better definition of "affordable."  David A. Podgursky has just detailed an "affordable housing" project in Palm Beach.  His post  -  Affordable Housing Initiatives in South Florida: Part 2 - Preconstruction - details the costs and implications of Greystone.

"Greystone was to be part of the affordable housing answer in Boynton Beach," David writes. But his analysis of the numbers paints a different story. "I don't fault the builder... don't get me wrong.  Canyon is beautiful and so are the rest of their communities.  But what kind of answer is this to the problem of affordable housing? Why were people so elated at this "affordable" community??

His first post in this series asked this quesiton: "Who decided that $300K is affordable?"

You can read more here.

Illinois Governor Announces Major Housing Initiative

Diane Rice, of Rice Property Management & Realty, LLC has pointed us to a comprehensive new program being launched in Illinois.

Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich recently announced a reform of the state's housing policy, that will for the first time allow a comprehensive coordination of efforts to better distribute more than $600 million in annual state spending that will benefit over 115,000 people in Illinois.

There are thousands receiving state housing assistance, however there was no plan before this one that assured  the "neediest" were receiving these benefits. 

Gov. Blagojevich praised the Task Force on Affordable Housing for completing its work of drafting a comprehensive housing initiative with the goal of better addressing the state's growing affordable housing needs.

Read the rest of her post here...

NAR Affordable Housing Tax Credit... and more.

Jim Lee of Realty Executive Associates in Knoxville, TN, wrote recently about some of the programs the National Association of REALTORS® is involved in on a national level. I think it's important to remember, as we think and act locally, that the NAR is involved in many areas regarding affordable housing. The following is an excerpt from his recent post on ActiveRain.

Here's some policy initiatives we're working on this year:

"Affordable Housing Tax Credit
NAR supports incentives to increase the supply of affordable single family housing. NAR is urging Congress to enact legislation providing a tax incentive in the form of a tax credit to developers and/or investors to enhance the supply of affordable housing that would be available for purchase."

"Improving the Effectiveness of FHA
NAR is a strong supporter of the single- and multi-family programs administered by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). However, FHA's market share has diminished considerably threatening its ability to serve its public purposes. NAR is working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to modernize FHA to enhance its effectiveness in today's mortgage marketplace."

"Natural Disaster/Flood Insurance
NAR supports the promotion of affordable and accessible homeowners' insurance, especially in disaster-prone areas. Additionally, NAR supports reforming the National Flood Insurance Program to ensure its financial and actuarial soundness. NAR is urging Congress to enact legislation ensuring the availability of adequate, affordable homeowners' insurance to consumers in disaster-prone areas, and NAR is urging Congress to fully fund FEMA's flood map modernization program."

To read the comments in their original context... please click here.

From Renter To Homeowner

Diane Rice, of Rice Property Management gives some "rent to own" advice for real estate professionals.

She writes:

Every tenant cannot become a homeowner. A TRUE homeowner "to be" is someone who takes responsibility for their own life. They do not look around for someone else to contribute to their cause. It is someone mature. It's someone who has added up the cost, and is willing to pay it. It is someone who does not need a "lord" over their land to supervise or make choices for them. They have tempered their appetites in a prioritized manner. They are not looking for a hand-out. They are goal oriented and realistic. Rents are paid on time every month, and excuses are rarely made. These attributes become apparent while the "homeowner to be" is still renting.

There are many reasons why a renter may not have taken the steps to become a homeowner.

Here are three:

• 1) low credit scores
• 2) lack of knowledge
• 3) fear of leaving a set comfort zone

All three can be overcome when the tenant chooses to take the leap and/or come in contact with the truth about  home-ownership. Click Here To Read More...

An ActiveRain Stager Takes Action

James Frazier, of A Defined Design, took the Rain For Change message to heart and started acting immediately.

"I began a project," James said, "that I am giving away to a person who needs some help. She is a nurse who is holding down a full-time job and then going to college on the weekends. She is trying to sell her house and move to a small condo, but she really does not have the extra money for staging. Her house is a very low priced home, so there are no great expectations about profits upon sale."

James saw this as a way to use his staging skills for a cause - a very personal cause. "The Rain For Change concept inspired me to actually do something to help out people in need. I offered to do this one for free. So your efforts have already helped at least one person."

This is a perfect example of how one person can make a difference. How can you use your skills to help out someone truly deserving a lift?

The Power Of ActiveRain

An Idea Is Coming To Life! Here Is The Evidence

So many of you responded favorably to the notion that the ActiveRain cyber-community is uniquely suited to becoming a resource for helping real estate agents impact the cyle of poverty in their local communities, places they can see and touch. (If you are just now stumbling on this idea, some background reading may help you. Please read "The Poverty Gap Is Growing: What Can We Do?" and "Harnessing The Power Of The ActiveRain Community: An Idea.")

The idea was and is a simple one. Click here to read more...