Last Sunday evening, Alan and I attended the 18th Annual Hammy Awards for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is one of Coldwell Banker’s signature charities helping build homes for qualified and motivated low income families. In the past, Ryan, Alan and I have all worked on “builds” and have also contributed financially to many of the Coldwell Banker sponsored fundraisers. Our Sierra Oaks office alone raised well over $5000. this past year and region-wise that number is in the 10’s of thousands of dollars.
Admittedly, Alan and I were invited to this prestigious event as I was to receive an award. But what we came away with that night was much more than the Golden Hammer Trophy I received.
During the ceremonies, they introduced notable guests and many devoted volunteers. And then they introduced two families that were recipients of homes this past year. Habitat actually built 8 homes in 2011. The applicants for these coveted homes are carefully screened and income qualified to be able to afford the payments and they must agree to and complete over a hundred hours of volunteer labor in the building of their new home. As testimony to the success of the organization, in the 18 years they have been placing applicants into these homes, they have not had one go into foreclosure. Huge accomplishment! Sitting at the table next to us was a single African American woman beaming proudly with her 4 children aging (am guessing) from about 5 to 15 or 16. During the 2 hour ceremony, they never made a peep sitting attentively all dressed up in their “Sunday best.” Across the room was another such family. A couple from East India who immigrated here a few years back. Life since arriving was less fruitful than they had hoped with safe housing being one of the biggest challenges. The husband gave a small speech of gratitude glowing as he described their new home and the yard which provided a safe place for his children to play. He was ever so grateful for their new home which was absolutely the answer to their prayers and their dreams; The American Dream!
After he sat down, Ken Cross, CEO of Habitat said, “now to the rest of the story”! That gentleman in his native land was an optometrist. However, he was not able to find work in his field since they migrated here. It just so happens that Rex Bennet, CEO of Vision Service Plan is on the Habitat Board of Directors. Ken made the introduction between the two and as of February 1, 2012, that man is now fully employed with VSP. The announcement brought everyone to their feet with a resounding round of applause.
I know it is all sort of corny, but I was so taken with the true love of home-ownership that filled the room that night. During the course of the years between 2002 and now, that dream has been tarnished. Where we lived went from being a home where all the important things in our lives take place and memories were made to being profit centers and piggy banks often used to pay for vacations and new cars and now to nooses around struggling families’ necks. Admittedly, many of the families who now find themselves in that upside situation, never bought a new car or vacation with the equity from their home, but were just victims of ill timing. But that night in that room, no one was focusing on foreclosures or short sales. They were celebrating the great work of a lot of people to help provide affordable safe housing to very deserving hard working families.
I, realized because I was there, I was part of that effort as well. Last summer, I received a call from Frayda Bruton who is a well-known estate and probate attorney here in town. Frayda and I have worked together for over 20 years. She asked me if I could help her liquidate a residential lot located down in the Meadowview Area. There was about $18,000 owing in back taxes and the estate needed to get rid of it. I suggested they let it go back to the City, but learned that was not an option as the beneficiary of the estate was a non-profit. So I drove down and took a look at the lot and then set about calling about half a dozen investors only to get the overwhelming response that none of them were interested; especially at that price. I conveyed that back to Frayda and she asked if they would be interested at $1.00. I went back to my investor pool to get the same response. Frayda urged me to come up with another idea. I suggested that maybe Habitat might want the lot to build on. I made more phone calls and finally connected with Ken Cross. Without hesitation, he wanted to pursue the lot. So I connected him with Frayda and that deal was put together. It turns out that the beneficiary of the lot and that estate was the Red Cross. Additionally they had two other similar properties, so all in all, it turned out to generate an donation of three properties to Habitat at no cost to the charity. This is especially significant as most the lots the charity obtains is at the cost of those back taxes. I was very happy to play a small role in helping make this happen and to establish a new partnership with Habitat and the Red Cross.
I am often asked “After 43 years, you must really love what you do??!!” My response is it is more about my passion for what I do. Sunday night it really hit home that my passion is with helping people. During the past 4 years it has been mostly focused on helping those families with the nooses around their necks. But on Sunday night, I reclaimed my passion for helping people re-identify and obtain the American Dream of Home Ownership!
We encourage you to visit the Habitat web site
http://www.shfh.org/ and see if there is a way you can help. If nothing else keep in mind that Habitat has a store, called the ReStore. It is a retail outlet where you can purchase all sorts of donated building materials, fixtures and furniture. Several major companies like Lowes and Ikea donate new items on a regular basis. All the proceeds go to fund the building of these homes. For more information you can call (916) 440-1215 ext. 1116.
If you are on the fence about buying a home, now is the time to dive back in. Prices are at rock bottom levels as are interest rates. It is time to reclaim that American Dream!
Give us a call and we will show you the way!
# posted by
Viki Benbow @ 3:18 PM
