Realtors Join in Building Homes for Heroes

Realtors Join in Building Homes for Heroes by Bob Hunt There were no dry eyes today at the celebration/ceremony marking the raising of the walls of the first four homes in Habitat for Humanity's "Homes for Heroes and Foundation for Families" neighborhood in San Juan Capistrano. Homes for Heroes is a pilot project for Habitat. Fourteen of the 27 homes to be built on a 2.7 acre site here will be marketed both to combat-disabled veterans and their families and to the surviving families of deceased veterans. It is anticipated that this program will be continued throughout other parts of the country. Habitat for Humanity is widely known for its philosophy of "providing a hand up, not a handout." Families are selected to purchase Habitat for Humanity homes based upon need, good credit, household income (which must fall between 25 – 80 percent of the area's median income), legal residency in the U.S., ability to make a 1 percent down payment and to repay a long-term mortgage, and a commitment to partner with Habitat. Once a family is selected, they attend classes on home ownership, budgeting, and home maintenance. They work with a "family partner" who provides guidance and support. And, most notably, they donate 500 hours of "sweat equity" either building their own home or helping another family build theirs. In the case of the San Juan Capistrano project, families of Marines stationed at nearby Camp Pendleton were encouraged to apply. (Currently, the Orange County branch of Habitat is processing over 200 applications and inquiries.) At today's ceremony, seven of the families who will live in the eight homes in Phase One were introduced. Two of them were families of active duty Marines. One Marine, a single dad, could not be there. His duty today was to escort home the body of a fallen comrade. Today's wall-raising event was preceded by the participation last week of approximately 400 Marines and Sailors from Camp Pendleton. About 100 a day worked for four days building frames, digging trenches, and laying irrigation lines. They worked so hard, so fast, and so efficiently, that they were asked to move on to another project before the four days were up. They had done a projected four day's work in about two. Members of Combat Logistics Regiment 15, most of them are preparing to deploy to Iraq. The Homes for Heroes project particularly resonated with local Realtors®. Three nearby associations – Orange County Association of Realtors®, Newport Beach Association of Realtors®, and Laguna Board of Realtors® -- committed to raise $250,000, an amount sufficient to build one home. Their efforts, to put it simply, were just phenomenal. Individual Realtors®, brokerage offices, Women's Council of Realtors®, association staff members, affiliates such as lenders, home warranty reps, and sign companies all pitched in. They held events (one Realtor®, Michael Gosselin of Laguna Beach, even sponsored a "non event" that raised $19,000), they recycled, they auctioned, they sponsored luncheons and drawings, and they wrote checks. Need I remind anyone that when all this was going on, the market had already turned? Down, that is. The last year and one-half has not been fat times for Orange County Realtors®. This past month, the Realtor® associations topped their goal of $250,000. Excess funds will be used to help furnish one of the homes for heroes. Having raised the requisite money, today scores of Realtors®, association staff, and affiliates were on site swinging hammers and raising the walls of homes that will introduce deserving, well-chosen families to the American Dream. Don Readinger, president of the Orange County Association of Realtors®, and himself a Navy veteran, begins his public addresses by stating, "I'm proud to be a Realtor®." Anyone who attended today's ceremony in San Juan Capistrano would have been proud to say that with him. Copyright © 2008 Realty Times. All Rights Reserved.