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Posts Tagged ‘Housing Opportunity Foundation’

Realtors Help Children’s Home of Iredell County

Posted in Iredell County, Quality of Life, tagged , , , on September 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I was fortunate to participate last Thursday in an awards luncheon hosted by the Housing Opportunity Foundation.  The HOF is the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtors Association.  At the luncheon I enjoyed meeting Brenda Speece, Executive Director of Children’s Homes of Iredell County, and hearing details of the wonderful work they’re doing to help upper aged children get a sound start in adult life.  The HOF presented a total of $10,000 in grants to 5 housing related organizations in Iredell and Mecklenburg counties.  As you can see in the news release below, the Children’s Homes of Iredell county received a well-deserved grant of $2,500.  See more about Children’s Homes of Iredell County HERE.

Housing Opportunity Foundation awards $2,500 to

Children’s Homes of Iredell County

Realtors® continue to make a difference through third-annual Community Grants Program

Charlotte, N.C.

– The Housing Opportunity Foundation awarded Children’s Homes of Iredell County $2,500 through its annual Community Grants Program. The foundation serves as the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association and is dedicated to making a difference in the community by creating housing opportunities, promoting homeownership, and positioning and educating Realtors® as leaders.

The Community Grants Program, now in its third year, supports area organizations that address unmet housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. The Realtor®-directed and funded program awards a total of $10,000 annually to area agencies, and has awarded $30,000 over the past three years to 14 nonprofits.

Children’s Homes of Iredell County was awarded $2,500 to provide educational training materials, college application funds, and transportation funds for employment and college visits to the young adults in the Children’s Homes’ Transitional Living Program. This program houses foster children ages 17-21 who have been in the care of the Iredell County Department of Social Services. The skills and resources that these young adults receive through this program help them to become more independent and self-sufficient as they age out of the foster care system. This funding will allow them to gain the skills necessary to pursue employment and/or advanced education, and will prepare them to be productive adults. Realtor® and volunteer Sonya Leonard provided a recommendation for Children’s Homes of Iredell County to receive funding.

“Realtors® recognize the vital role that agencies like Children’s Homes of Iredell County play in meeting the very basic needs of stability and shelter for children who have been separated from their families,” said association/Carolina Multiple Listings Services, Inc. (CMLS) President Laurie Knudsen. “We are thrilled to be able to assist this organization that works to provide homelike environments for those who are the most vulnerable in our community.”

For more information about the Housing Opportunity Foundation, the association or CMLS, visit www.CarolinaHome.com.

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Realtors® Care Day Coming Soon!

Posted in Iredell County, Mecklenburg County, Troutman, tagged , , , on March 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Last Thursday evening I spoke to the Troutman Board of Aldermen to tell them about our upcoming Realtors® Care Day in Iredell and Mecklenburg Counties.  The Troutman Board has been gracious in helping us highlight the work of the Housing Opportunity Foundation which is the charitable arm of the Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association.  I told them that on Friday April 8, over 650 Realtors® will gather at around 30 sites to help the homeowners do critical exterior repairs as well as adaptive and safety modifications.  This will be our third year of Realtors® Care Day.  So far we’ve helped 64 families with an estimated financial impact exceeding $300,000.  We’re assisted in this work through donations of many local businesses of materials and food for the participating agents.  We’ve also received funds directly from the agents themselves as well as organization grants.  Just this February, HOF received a $10,000 grant from the Foundation for the Carolinas.

These homes and owners were selected with the assistance of the City of Charlotte’s Neighborhood and Business Services Dept., the Charlotte, Matthews Iredell County and Our Towns Habitats for Humanity, the Davidson Housing Coalition HAMMERS Program and Love in the Name of Christ.  One of goals is to enhance and support the year-round efforts of these organizations.

We’ll soon get the assignments for our worker-agents in the Iredell and Mecklenburg areas. Last year we worked with four homeowners in the Troutman area to improve the livability and safety of their homes, and Representative Grey Mill visited one fo the sites to honor the agents and the program.

Through the Housing Opportunity Foundation, Realtors® work year-round to support fair and affordable housing.  We host a Workforce Housing Forum in June for Realtors and community leaders to further the discussion on local housing issues.  In the fall, we host our annual Workforce Housing Fair to provide information ont he home-buying process.

On April 8th, we’ll all come out to work and hope for a cool, sunny day!

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Delivering Gifts for Affordable Housing

Posted in Iredell County, Lake Norman, Mecklenburg County, Quality of Life, tagged , , , on December 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Every year our Realtor Association and its charitable arm, the Housing Opportunity Foundation (HOF), have a Christmas holiday luncheon and meeting designed to gather area Realtors together to celebrate the season and to give us an opportunity to raise funds for the HOF’s programs throughout the year.  We also bring toys to be passed along to The Salvation Army.  We actually have two such luncheons, one in Charlotte, and one in our Northern Region including Iredell and northern Mecklenburg Counties.Christmas Tree

I just got back from Charlotte delivering some goodies from gracious donors to the HOF staff.  These donations will be raffled off to Realtors who attend and buy raffle tickets.  The funds will go toward our programs including Realtors Care Day and our Community Grants Program.  These efforts target helping our communities maintain affordable housing for area residents in both Iredell and Mecklenburg Counties.  My special thanks go to Ben Thomas, local real estate attorney and pilot, who donated a flying tour for two around Lake Norman, to Terry Waggoner, of Benchmark Residential Inspection Service, who donated a valuable radon test for a home, and to Bill and Drinda Warren of ShopsUpFront in Statesville, who donated a pretty bow-front corner cabinet which will look great in some lucky Realtor’s home.  Lots of other cool raffle items will be at the luncheon for the Realtors to try their luck to win.

Things are somewhat slow in the real estate business right now, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get together, have a good time, and in the Christmas spirit help raise funds for those less fortunate than we are.  If you’re a local Realtor, make plans to attend on December 8 at Barium Springs (be sure to register on our web site) and support our fund-raising efforts.  Also, we have a special guest speaker, Marion Karr, who is an advocate for Hinds Feet Farm, a local facility that helps those with brain injuries.  Let’s just say that Marion went to GREAT LENGTHS to help bring attention to the work of Hinds Feet Farm.

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Housing Opportunity Foundation Provides Grants

Posted in General Real Estate Market, Iredell County, Mecklenburg County, Quality of Life, tagged , , on September 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

From our local Realtor Association charitable arm- Housing Opportunity Foundation:

Housing Opportunity Foundation awards $10,000 to area nonprofits

Realtors® make a difference through annual Community Grants Program

Charlotte, N.C. – The Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association Housing Opportunity Foundation announced the recipients of its annual Community Grants Program and awarded four local nonprofit agencies a total of $10,000. The foundation awarded grants to Changed Choices, Inc., Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, Residential and Support Services, Inc., and Samaritan House.Housing Opportunity Foundation

The foundation, which serves as the charitable arm of the association, is dedicated to making a difference in the community by creating housing opportunities, promoting homeownership and positioning and educating Realtors® as leaders.

The Community Grants Program seeks to support area organizations that address unmet housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. Since 2009, the foundation has awarded $20,000 through the Realtor®-directed and funded program. “Realtors® are acutely aware of the tremendous financial responsibility these agencies shoulder to meet the diverse critical needs in our community,” said association/Carolina Multiple Listing Services, Inc. (CMLS) President Lyn Kessie. “This program gives our members – who are on the front lines as volunteers at many agencies across the region – a way to pool resources and share in the foundation’s vision of creating a better quality of life for our community.”

The following organizations submitted applications to a review panel and were recommended by Realtors®. All were approved by the foundation board of directors to receive community grants for the 2010 fiscal year:

• Changed Choices, Inc.: $2,500 to finance the living costs of five formerly incarcerated female clients. Clients are supported for one month as they work to attain employment and their first paychecks. Recommended by Doris Horton, Realtor®.

• Men’s Shelter of Charlotte: $2,500 to assist 10 of the community’s homeless citizens with rent and utility deposits to begin the process of moving out of the shelter. Recommended by Julie Wall-Burris, Realtor®.

• Residential and Support Services, Inc.: $2,500 to assist families who need help with mortgages and are in danger of losing their homes through the “First in Families” Project. All families with this organization have the additional challenge of caring for a developmentally disabled family member. Recommended by Donna Anderson, Realtor®.

• Samaritan House: $2,500 to provide a home-like environment for homeless men and women as they recuperate from a hospital or emergency room stay. Funds will also support the referral of these individuals to local social service agencies that assist in transitioning individuals to stable housing. Recommended by David Deal, Realtor®.

For more information about the Housing Opportunity Foundation, the association or CMLS, visit http://www.CarolinaHome.com.

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Realtor Raffle

Posted in Iredell County, Lake Norman, Mecklenburg County, Quality of Life, Real Estate, tagged , on February 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

No, we’re not raffling off a Realtor.  We area Realtors are members of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.  Part of that association is a charitable arm called Housing Opportunity Foundation.  The mission of the HOF is to “Position and educate Realtors as leaders, promote homeownership and provide funding to create housing opportunities.”  That last is particularly focused on helping people find affordable housing.  This year as part of our Realtors Care Day (700+ Realtors taking a day to do rehab on  30+ houses in Mecklenburg and Iredell) activities, we’re launching a raffle to raise funds for the great work of the HOF. 

The raffle is selling tickets at $10 for 1, $20 for 3, $30 for 5 and $50 for 10.  The prizes are a 42″ LCD Flat Panel HDTV or a brand new Apple I-Pad computer gizmo.  Each ticket gives you a chance for both prizes, so it’s really a great deal!  The drawing will be during a celebration at the end of the day on Realtors Care Day, April 23.  You don’t have to be a Realtor to buy a ticket, and you don’t have to be present to win.

I just happen to be selling those tickets and would be very happy to help you purchase as many chances as you’d like to win one of those great prizes.  Just contact me about how many you’d like, and I’ll handle the rest.  All we need is your name, your phone number, and your cash or check!

Call me- mean it!

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REALTORS Giving Money Away!

Posted in Iredell County, Mecklenburg County, Quality of Life, Real Estate, tagged , , on September 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

REALTORS are good people.  They live in the same communities as everyone else and see the same needs in those communities that everyone sees.  Like many people, we REALTORS want to help people who seriously need help, particularly help with housing.  We even have a charitable foundation that is part of our REALTOR Association- the Housing Opportunity Foundation.  Last April, the HOF orchestrated over 700 volunteers, mostly REALTORS, in spending an entire day- REALTORS Care Day- working on 33 homes in Mecklenburg and Iredell Counties which needed repairs. 

Recently, the HOF awarded at total of $10,000 in grants to five area organizations that address unmet housing needs in Mecklenburg and Iredell Counties.  HERE is a link to a Charlotte Observer article with the details.  I sit on the board of the HOF, and spent considerable time with my colleagues developing this new annual Community Grants Program.  Our intent is to provide these grants to viable local organizations which make a significant contribution to the well-being of citizens in need in our area communities.  All of the organizations receiving grants were recommended by REALTORS who are members of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.

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Affordable Housing in Lake Norman Area

Posted in Iredell County, Lake Norman, Mecklenburg County, tagged , on June 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Our Realtor Association’s  Housing Opportunity Foundation hosted a workshop for Lake Norman area Realtors a couple of days ago.  Speakers were from Davidson Housing Coalition, Community Housing Development Corp. of Mooresville/South Iredell, and United Family Services.  Statesville Housing Authority was invited, but couldn’t attend.  I was there and was impressed with the assistance these folks give to all kinds of people who want to purchase affordable housing or are in housing but having problems hanging on to it.  I came away with some new tools to help people in my real estate work.  The speakers noted that they used to deal with people who have generally always had limited income, but now they’re seeing folks who’ve previously had no problems in this area but due to the economy have recently had a great reduction in income.  These people have little idea how to seek help from willing agencies, so there’s lots of couseling and education going on in addition to arranging help on home purchases.

If you or someone you know is looking for guidance on holding onto or buying affordable housing, any one of these agencies would be a good place to start asking questions.  It that agency can’t help, they likely will know of another that can help.  Here are the agencies and links to their web sites:

Davidson Housing Authority

Community Housing Development Corp. of Mooresville/SI

Statesville Housing Authority

United Family Services

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