Steve, a police officer with the Flower Mound Police Department, was faced with the challenge of getting married and blending a family with three small children. A renter for over 8 years, it was important that he find a home that could not only accommodate his growing family, but be affordable.
With the help of his lender, Kevin Murphy at American Home Mortgage, Steve was able to qualify for the Homes for Texas Heroes Home Loan Program. Kevin was referred to Steve by a fellow fire fighter. “Kevin made the whole process easy and was the catalyst,” explains Steve.
“We did not expect to get this much home in such a good neighborhood for the price we paid. The community is tight. The neighbors are friendly.” Steve went on to say that the neighborhood was even sponsoring a block party the following night. Steve is enjoying having his own garage and yard; not to mention all the room he has for his new family!
Brian and Kyndra, a young married couple, became homeowners by utilizing the Professional Educators Home Loan Program. “Our biggest obstacle was that we were both 23, just graduated college, just married, and just started working. We did not have a lot of credit or a lot of money to start out.” Despite these obstacles, the couple realized the benefit of homeownership and wanted to invest in a future with greater stability. Kyndra states that she and her husband have a plan for their lives including graduate school and children. “Because of this house, we are years ahead of everyone else our age!”
The couple worked with David Jackson with Market Street Mortgage Corporation. When we asked the couple if the process was easy, they explained that the process was almost too easy. “All we had to do is say ‘we want it' and everyone jumped to get it done for us.”
Brian and Kyndra are no longer renting, and are enjoying the benefits of living in a master planned community. They have enjoyed making all the decisions regarding their new home. The decorating decisions are theirs to make… including painting a room RED if they so desire.
Debra's dream of becoming a homeowner came true in March of 2006, when she purchased a home in a rural area in east Texas . Debra, an employee of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, longed for the personal security and peace of mind in owning her own home. However, like many first-time homebuyers, she struggled in saving enough to cover any downpayment costs associated with purchasing a home. With the 5% grant available for downpayment and closing costs through the Homes for Texas Heroes Home Loan Program, Debra was able to jump this hurdle.
“Being able to say ‘my home' and letting my children decorate their rooms the way they want,” Debra states, “has been the best part of owning my own home.” When asked if she would recommend one of the Corporation's programs she answers, “YES! These programs make dreams possible!”
According to Debra, after completing the initial paperwork, the hardest part was finding the house she wanted. She owes the ease of the process in large part to her lender, Nanci Doran with the Home Loan Corporation in Arlington . We applaud Nanci for serving as one of our lenders, committed to making the first-time home buying process successful for borrowers like Debra. “Nanci worked her magic, got me approved, and I closed on my home within a month.”
Kathy, a teacher with the Corpus Christi Independent School District , had been renting for over 24 years. She grew tired of seeing monthly rent payments rise, and began thinking that homeownership would be a wise investment. In September of 2005, Kathy began the process of purchasing a home through the Professional Educators Home Loan Program. Kathy spent time finding the home that was just right for her. She wanted a home that was the right size with a monthly payment that would still allow her to save money and take vacations.
Kathy enjoys taking pride in working on her home, both inside and out. We asked Kathy what's the best part of owning her home. She states, “When I go to work in the morning the last thing I see is a wreath on my front door that says ‘Welcome'. It's also the first thing I see when I get home.”
Brenda Davila, with Wells Fargo in Corpus Christi , served as Kathy's lender. “Brenda was wonderful. She kept me informed daily.” According to Kathy, Brenda went the extra mile and even brought paper work requiring signatures up to Kathy's school so she would not have to take off work.
Kathy goes on to say, “School teachers get very few breaks – so why not utilize something as wonderful as the TSAHC programs. Without your help, this dream would not have been possible!”
