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July 2018 - Got Those House Projects Done?
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Block
Blitz!
Friday,
Sept. 14
9am-3pm
Elmwood
Have you been practicing bending over 100 times while picking up brush or painting an unruly foundation? Do you have your proper attire picked out to withstand 90+ degrees, rain, prickly weeds and a mulch fight with a co-worker? Do you have what it takes to walk for blocks searching amongst hundreds of people for that one perfect iron rake?
Well good thing because the
12th Annual Neighborhood Block Blitz is coming up fast! This year's Block Blitz, on
Friday, September 14, 9am-3pm, will be held surrounding beautiful
Elmwood Park in Syracuse.
We need just about everything to make this event a success for all involved. If you're interested in volunteering, donating materials or money or want to sponsor a specific project, contact Mary Jo or Karen at
info@homehq.org or (315) 474-1939.
For more Block Blitz information visit
HERE!
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Meet HHQs' Community Energy Advisor
Brendon Fox believes wholly and unconditionally in what he terms, "the gospel of energy efficiency." He's an expert on solar energy and has spent most of his adult life studying how to best make energy affordable for all families. He comes to Home HeadQuarters from Apex Solar Power where he was an Energy Consultant and Design Specialist. Prior to that, he had various positions in the energy field, including with Halco Energy and Hudson Valley Clean Energy. Brendon has an AAS degree in Renewable Energy Technology from Morrisville State and a B.A. in Political Science from LeMoyne College and has various certifications including the very challenging NABCEP Solar Professional certification. When he's not working the energy angle, Brendon is working on his own home, being a math tutor and listening to too many political podcasts. Brendon lives in Hamilton with his wife and four children, two of which are new twin boys.
Want to set up a NYSERDA energy presentation with Brendon? Email him HERE!
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A Family's Fresh Start
Monique Kearse looks at the question asked by her child two years ago as the true start to her home buying process. "We were visiting family at their beautiful home and my daughter looked at me and said, 'Mom, when is our time coming?' That's when I knew I had to get serious."
On the advice of her sister, Monique was already taking the
HomeBuyer Education Course through Home HeadQuarters' HomeOwnership Center, but felt she needed to do more. "I wasn't working towards where I needed to be. I needed to work on my credit."
After graduating with a certificate from the Homebuyer course, Monique met with a certified housing counselor and continued working to improve her credit situation. She then made an appointment to meet with an HHQ mortgage loan officer to get pre-qualfied and find out what she could truly afford in a new home and then sat down with a realtor from
CNY Affordable Realty at Home HeadQuarters. Within three months Monique found her new home.
"It was so cute!" says Monique. "It was a foreclosure that needed a bunch of work, but I could see the potential."
Monique counts only one real low point in her home purchase journey. The Mom of two left her bedroom last on the remodel list so the kids could be in their new bedrooms first. After countless sleepless nights spent on the living room sofa, Monique started questioning if she should have taken the home buying leap.
But now, enjoying her newly remodeled bedroom and focusing on improving the common family rooms, Monique wants to encourage others to go through the same process. "Everyone was so helpful to me on this journey, my Mom and Sister and everyone at Home HeadQuarters, I really just want to give others all the encouragement I can share. My family got to take advantage of all the home buying incentives like the affordable mortgage with down payment and closing cost assistance and now we truly benefit from great neighbors and a home to call our own."
While Monique Kearse is willing to share her joy and encouragement with others, she is not so willing to share her newly remodeled "en suite" bathroom. "Oh no, no one is using my bathroom!" she says with a laugh.
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HHQ Credit Builder
Have little to no credit? With support from
NeighborWorks America, Home HeadQuarters and
Cooperative Federal have teamed up to provide a Credit Builder program for those who need some help building good credit. Individuals enrolled in the program will receive credit and budget counseling from a certified housing counselor at Home HeadQuarters and will be signed up for a secured credit card through Cooperative Federal. The cost to participate is $65 which includes a membership at Cooperative Federal, a minimum balance savings account and $300 in secured, revolving credit.
If interested in finding out more about building your credit, contact Jenna McClave at the HomeOwnership Center at Home HeadQuarters at jennam@homehq.org or by calling (315) 474-1939.
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Elisia Gonzalez: Reporting Progress
With every Federal, State and City grant Home HeadQuarters receives for home improvement dollars, there is usually a reporting requirement that lasts at least the length of the loan. That's where Elisia takes over and helps make sure we're providing all the correct information to all the right people. A recent S.U. Geography graduate, Elisia started her professional life as a VISTA volunteer at Cooperative Federal. She's a Syracuse native from the city's Southside and has no immediate plans to move away. When she's not sorting through reams of paper, she can be found either playing video games or watching the Mets (sorry about that!).
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UPCOMING CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
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Landlord Training
9am-4pm, CNY Philanthropy Center. Join the Greater Syracuse Tenants Network and experts from Syracuse Code Enforcement, CNY Fair Housing, Section 8 and Home HeadQuarters to learn best practices in owning investment property. $50, must register in advance:
www.syracusetenant.org or (315) 475-8092.
BEGINS AUGUST 13
5:30pm-7:30pm, this 8-hour course provides all the information you need to become a successful homeowner. Trained housing counselors provide class instruction and one-on-one financial counseling. HomeOwnership Center at Home HeadQuarters, 320 Tracy Street.
AUGUST 15
FREE, one-hour introduction to the basic steps to becoming a successful homeowner and the products available to you as a first-time homebuyer. Homsite, 60 Clark Street, Aburn.
AUGUST 21
11:00am-1:00pm, FREE, 2-hour informational workshop looks at how to avoid foreclosure, how the judicial process works and what to expect once a foreclosure action is filed. HomeOwnership Center at Home HeadQuarters, 320 Tracy Street.
AUGUST 25
9am-1pm, minimal cost. Ready to get your finances in order? Join us for a four-hour, hands on training on how change, monitor and manage your personal finances for the most gain. Register online at www.homehq.org.
For a full 2018 HomeBuyer Education Class Schedule, click
HERE!
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FOR SALE
419 Fellows Ave.
1,224 SQ FT
1.5 Baths
3 Bedrooms
New Windows
Hardwood Floors
Appliances Included
$119,000
Westcott Neighborhood
Interested? Contact:
Mary Jo Richer
(315) 671-6008 |
maryr@cnyaffordablerealty.org
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Congratulations to Board Member Gladys J. Smith
Please join us in congratulating long-time Home HeadQuarters Board Secretary for winning the 2018 "Who's Who in America's Neighborhoods" Award from NUSA (Neighborhoods USA) during their recent conference in Nevada.
Gladys was called out for her, "lifelong commitment to civic involvement which included the Syracuse Congress of Racial Equality, being a Neighborhood Outreach and Program Coordinator with Crusade for
Opportunity, serving on the Citywide Council of Syracuse Low Income Housing
Residents, CAMP 415, and having a distinguished career as a Licensed Practical
Nurse."
For more on the NUSA Awards, visit HERE!
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How HHQ Can Help
Phase I of the Gustav Sitckley House restoration on Columbus Avenue in the University neighborhood was recently completed with a little help from Home HeadQuarters. With most projects funded through New York State and other governmental agencies, funding does not become available until after a project is fully complete. Home HeadQuarters was able to provide interim financing to help get this project off the ground. We're proud to have been a part of this project even if it was completely behind the scenes!
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When the Before & After Photo is Easy!
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New infill construction on Borden Avenue on Syracuse's Southside. This was the site of last year's Block Blitz kick off and lunch. Thanks to the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, NYSERDA and the Greater Syracuse LandBank for being a part of this great project.
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Home HeadQuarters, Inc. | 538 Erie Blvd. W., Suite 100, | Syracuse, NY 13204
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