Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida to Make Buying a Home More Attainable to Area Renters

Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida to Make Buying a Home More Attainable to Area Renters

June Homebuyer Fairs to target those “shut out” of the competitive South Florida Homeownership Market

MIAMI, FL – In the last decade, the trifecta of sky-rocketing housing prices, scarce affordable housing inventory and depressed wages have created the perfect conditions for the most severe homeownership crisis in recent South Florida history.  With the purchase price of a modest starter home for first time home buyers averaging $180,000 in the state of Florida and $279,900 in Miami-Dade, the dream of homeownership has remained elusive for South Florida families, young professionals and millennials who are entering their prime earning years.

“The housing crisis in South Florida has reached an unprecedented point, and with homeownership rates on a steady decline, the dream of homeownership is growing further and further out of reach for the average family or young professional in this area,” said Kimberly Henderson, President and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF), a 40-year-old a housing counseling and community development organization. “But the dream is still attainable, and we have resources that can help South Florida residents realistically achieve the dream of homeownership.”

This summer NHSSF will host two events targeted to those who feel like they’ve been shut out of the competitive South Florida housing market. The organization will host two free homebuyer fairs, where attendees will have the opportunity to meet with lenders, realtors, home inspectors and all the various people involved in the home buying process. Attendees will also be able to participate in housing counseling workshops in English and Spanish. The classes will cover how to prepare yourself to buy a home, how to improve credit, how to work with realtors and lenders as well as understanding the home buying process from pre-approval to closing. Most notably, attendees who need homebuyer education certificates to receive local and state homebuyer assistance program funds will be able to complete the required eight-hour housing counseling certification class on site at the Broward County Homebuyer Fair.

“By bringing our collective network together and hosting these homebuyer fairs, we hope to reach 1,000 potential area homeowners and help them accelerate their home buying process this year,” says Henderson.  “We’ll be there to provide them with required home purchase counseling, connect them with mortgage lenders, inform them of the up to $80,000 (in Miami-Dade) or up to $40,000 (Broward) in available down payment and/or closing cost assistance, and ultimately help them realize the dream of homeownership.”

Homebuyer education certificates are often required by community lenders for first time and low and moderate-income homebuyers.  In addition, you must have a homebuyer education and certificate to receive county and state sponsored down payment and closing cost assistance.  Broward County residents should register for the homebuyer certificate class held at the June 30th Homebuyer Fair on www.nhssf.org.  Attendees will have ample time to also participate in the Homebuyer Fair and refreshments for class participants will be available.

The Miami Homebuyer Fair will be held on Saturday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 N.W. 22 Ave., Miami, Fla. The Broward County Homebuyer Fair will be held on Saturday, June 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Junior Achievement of South Florida, 1130 Coconut Creek Blvd. Both events are free and open to the public.

About NHSSF

Established in 1978, NHSSF is a 501(c)(3) chartered member of the nationwide NeighborWorks® network of 245 trained and certified community development organizations at work in more than 4,400 communities across America. NHSSF provides a full spectrum of homeownership services in English, Haitian Creole and Spanish to assist potential homebuyers in reaching their homeownership goals. Both NeighborWorks and NHSSF are celebrating 40 years creating new homebuyers and revitalizing communities throughout the USA.  To learn more, visit http://www.nhssf.org

 

About Carma Henry 24363 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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