provide/advocate affordable housing

Since I saw “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a child I knew I was supposed to help families get a home…it is a given. Me not doing it is like cutting out my heart!

there are many avenues to explore to make this happen for families.

It looks like the credit market is going to tighten even more so becoming an expert in finance was a wise move for me early on in my career. :)

has been a bust when it comes to affordable housing. Plainly in the Flathead Valley there is next to zip that an average working class family can comfortably afford to buy. I’m sure with the new development coming into the Valley this will change but for now it is still a recreational resort area.

To me affordable housing does not mean low-income housing. It means providing homeownership for a family for what they may pay in rent. That is achievable. We just have to be creative.

During the recent shake-up of the sub-prime market some of the best solutions to helping people get into homes have been thrown out also like many grant programs to help people buy a home.

One thing I would like to clear up about this whole sub-prime lending debacle is that the sub prime lenders and their employees for the most part were divisions of huge corporations using their profits to make mortgage loans that Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would not approve. If you don’t believe me check out who actually owned the sub-prime lenders.

These loans were not funded by independent mortgage brokers. The mortgage brokers sold what was readily available on the market financed by the fat cats who are still in business making money with other schemes. We will survive. The home lending industry survived the Savings and Loan scandals of the 80’s.

In my opinion, as a real estate lender for over 23 years, what has happened is the financiers lost enough money in a few markets, not necessarily to foreclosures, but in interest over the long term. It has become their benefit to cool off the money stream for the general public.

The housing market was so hot people could sell their homes within a very short period of time, make a huge profit and pay off those low interest loans keeping most of the profit for themselves. This is unacceptable to a lender.

There needed to be an adjustment. Foreclosures are high because people were allowed to finance much more money than they could afford. They have become the scape goat to “tighten” the mortgage market back to it’s original state of who actually can make a profit now.

Sorry to say, it won’t be the homeowners anymore.

has the Housing Opportunity Program. You may ask what is that?

“Because wages have not kept pace with rising home prices and rents, millions of American households struggle to meet their housing costs. REALTORS® participate in innovative activities, programs, and events that help increase the availability of housing in their communities. NAR’s Housing Opportunity Program helps REALTORS® and REALTOR® associations make the American dream of home ownership a reality for all.”

When I looked up programs available in Montana I wasn’t surprised. There are none.

A fabulous opportunity for growth here. ;)

and private property ownership rights have always been my cause in the real estate/mortgage lending business.

From the first time I saw Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”as a child until this breath I am taking this very second I have known that my true calling is to help provide housing of their own to working middle/low income families.

George Bailey is my hero…not because he was a nice guy but because he stood up to the Mr. Potter’s of the world. Unfortunately from time to time for economic reasons I have had to work for a mr. Potter here and there. It always turns out the same – they get richer.

Today I am taking a giant leap of faith to become who I have been all along. I am a licensed real estate professional. I am a licensed mortgage lending professional. It’s time to stand up for what I believe and make a difference. I have been fearful for far too long!

when I said this was my goal for having my real estate license here. I was at the local Realtor Association Orientation.

They asked if I knew that the average income for the state is about $28,000 with an average car payment of $450…the kids here pay anywhere from $800-$1500 a month in rent to these land barons… of course they want me to go back to Texas. ;)

while he was here, we saw many parcels of land for sale ready for development. A particular large land area at the base of the Rocky Mountains is beautiful.

We both thought it would be wonderful to buy the land and put 1/4 acre home sites under $200k for families there. It was like I have always had friends who believe in the very same things I do I just didn’t know it.

That is way cool! :)

is quickly becoming a crisis around the country. One of the rights we have been able to enjoy living in the United States is the ability to own our own homes. Sadly, we are losing the ability to do this even though we are working harder than ever.

This morning the Dallas Morning News lead story is about the affordable housing crisis:

“Dallas is the ninth-largest city in the U.S., and it’s not getting any smaller. Within 30 years, the city could add 500,000 more people. The question, then, for a city already lacking 30,000 units of affordable housing: Where are they all going to live?”

This is a very timely goal that I sure could use alot of help to accomplish.

first thing Monday morning. No more wondering what I should be doing. I am not working for anyone else. I am an Entreprenuer.

I am a Realtor that has access to the entire local real estate market. I am a Lender so I have access to the money for families to get into homes.

I know many people, who could if asked, would agree to be a part of this project.

It blends all of my career experience together. The only thing holding me back was my fear of change.