Hear some opportunities Tennessee Housing Development Agency offers first-time home buyers and even for some families that are not first-time home buyers. We will also help you connect with programs similar to THDA in other cities and states across the nation. You will find out how to take advantage of THDA’s down payment assistance program. I will be covering some steps you need to take before buying your home and some other financing tips.
What are the real estate topics that interest you? Are you an aspiring homeowner? Are you a real estate investor? Do you already own your home. Subscribe to Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe by going to www.JoGarner.com . We want to stay connected with you.
To Your Success,
Jo Garner (901) 482-0354 jo@192.232.195.219
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Good morning, Memphis! Welcome to our listeners across this great nation! You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Officer. You can connect with me at www.JoGarner.com. This episode of Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe is brought to you by Joe Rojas, your title company connector. You can reach Joe Rojas at (901) 289-5821. Our general topic is FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE-YOUR CHAMPION TEAM GETTING YOU YOUR DREAM. If you have a question or comment and you’re on Twitter, make them to #JoGarner or call me directly off the show at (901) 482-0354. You can call us while we are live at (901) 535-9732 or outside the Memphis area (800) 474-9732 Today is October 22, 2016.
Stay tuned in with us on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. We’re going to be sharing some opportunities Tennessee Housing Development Agency offers first-time home buyers and even for some families that are not first-time home buyers. You will find out how to take advantage of their down payment assistance program. I will be covering some steps you need to take before buying your home and some other financing tips.
One of our guest today is Amy Schaftlein. Amy serves as the Community Outreach Liaison in West Tennessee for the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. Working from Memphis, Schaftlein focuses on partnerships in West Tennessee, personally reaching out to THDA’s housing and real estate industry partners, elected officials, and non-profit agencies by listening to their needs, issues, and challenges. Amy has 8 years experience rolling up her sleeves and working with non –profits with one of them being United Housing. Amy it is terrific to finally have you on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at Tennessee Housing Development Agency. <Amy introduces herself and talks about what she does at THDA>
(Jo) Our other guest, back by popular demand, is Debbie Reeves, Director of Community Outreach & Business Development. Debbie has been a champion for the first-time home buyer for many years. She started her career with Tennessee Housing Development Agency in 1995. Debbie has LOTS of great stories to share when it comes to first-time home buyers. Debbie, take a moment and introduce yourself and what you do for THDA <Debbie introduces herself>
(Jo) Mortgage rates this week stayed higher in the early part of the week but inched down a little lower Thursday afternoon and yesterday ended around 3.5% to 3.75% on the 30 year conventional loan program with the 15 year coming in around the high 2’s to the lower 3’s. The National Association of Realtor’s Real Estate Today show has been talking about their bullish outlook for the Millennial generation moving into homeownership. There was about a 6 year delay but the tail end of the Millennial age group will be a breath of fresh air to the housing market. Without the cash and equity reserves of the older home buyers, Millennial buyers are usually strapped for cash and needing some type of assistance, whether it is from family members or from a program like THDA. One motivating factor for buying vs renting is the dramatic increase in rental rates across the country. Mortgage rates are so low that, in many cases, the payment on a mortgage is much less than the going rent on a comparable property. The Millennial age group from around 19 years old to 35 years old find a lot of their resources online and often find their real estate buying team online too. Very important to the success of your home buying experience is an experienced and reputable realtor, a loan officer experienced with loan programs that you need and the newest lending guidelines. Along the way other team members you can pick are the home inspector, your homeowners insurance agent and the real estate title company. Call me and let’s do some numbers and explore some loan programs that would work best for you. You can reach me after the show at 901 482-0354 (901) 482-0354 or call us while we are live today October 22nd, 2016 at 901 535-9732.
<Amy shares story of how she was able to buy her first home on a special government program?>
(Jo) Napoleon Hill, author of the book Think and Grow Rich, said “What the mind can conceive, it can achieve.” Some people have continued to rent just because they don’t want to have to change and after a while, they can’t see themselves buying a house even if they really want to own their own home. A weeks ago, I was attending one of the Talk Shoppe events here in the Memphis area. Talk Shoppe offers free education and networking to anyone interested in real estate or in business. That particular week the topic was on the power of vision boards—posters with pictures cut out of magazines or drawn on the poster board depicting places, people or things that person wants in his or her life. The vision board is posted on the bedroom door or the bathroom mirror so that the pictures remind that person what they really want in life. There were so many testimonials of seeing the vision board everyday helping the mind conceive so that they later achieved those goals…and then some of us were still in process….But get into your mind what you really want in life, the type house, the size, the amenities and what you want to be doing for work, what kind of life you want for you and your family. One person testified that she did not believe a vision board could help her move closer to her life goals, but once she made her vision board, she said it was like Magic how suddenly things begin to work out and gradually she keeps getting closer to realizing her goal. Do you have a goal to buy a house on your vision board, but no money to buy it? Or maybe you have some other situation holding you back. You are the person I want to talk to but you’ve got to talk with me personally. Call us while we’re live today October 22nd, 2016 at (901) 535-9732 or (800) 474-9732 or talk with me personally after the show by calling (901) 482-0354. But you have to talk with me personally and I do want to work with you.
< Debbie comments about how the first home a family buys may not be everything they eventually want in a home, but it can be a great step in gradually being able to work toward the dream home they will someday enjoy. >
(Jo) Today we are sharing information on the topic “FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE-YOUR CHAMPION TEAM GETTING YOU YOUR DREAM.”
Amy and Debbie of Tennessee Housing Development Agency, tell us about some of the programs THDA offers homeowners and homebuyers. <Debbie and Amy launch their topic >
2nd segment after 9:15 break: Our Look Back Memphis Trivia Contest is brought to you by notable Memphis historian, Jimmy Ogle. Jimmy Ogle offers free historic walking tours downtown in the spring and fall. For information about Jimmy Ogle, go to www.JimmyOgle.com . The Look Back Memphis Trivia Contest is sponsored by John and Jennifer Lawhon of Lawhon Landscape (901) 754-7474 the Lawhon’s can help you plan your landscaping if you have a BIG, BIG project or a smaller project . The Lawhons are giving away a $25 gift card to the first person with the correct trivia answer. If you know the answer to our trivia question, call us at 901 535 WREC 901 535-9732.]
TRIVIA QUESTION: Who Was I?
[Trivia Answer: ] Poplar Street Station
Poplar Street Station
Question: I am the origin point of one of the most famous train rides in American history. Who am I?
Hint: I opened in 1890 at the northwest corner of Poplar Avenue and Front Street.
Hint: I was often mistaken for a church, as I looked like the church buildings two blocks away.
Hint: I was replaced by two stations in the South Main area in 1912 and 1914.
Final Hint: John Luther “Casey” Jones picked up Illinois Central Engine # 382 here on April 30, 1900.
Answer: Poplar Street Station. The Poplar Street Station opened in 1890 and just got smaller and smaller over many years. The top part of the tower was removed in 1931. The original imposing structure was demolished in 1939, but a smaller facility continued in use as a secondary station until the 1960s. In later years it was a stop for only a few trains. The station finally disappeared from public timetables in 1967. This was the station that John Luther “Casey” Jones departed from in 1900 on his “ride to glory” (There is a historical marker at the corner of Front and Poplar). Bartlett resident, Avery G. Warner, was the engineer that brought the 382 into the station two hours late, which caused Casey to feel that he had to speed to make up for lost time, eventually leading to a crash later that day in Vaughn, Mississippi.
In 1909, the Tennessee Railroad Commission served notice that all stations would have to be brought into compliance with existing Jim Crow segregation laws (“separate, but equal”). Each station was instructed to submit plans. The Poplar Street proposal called for using a portion of the present station but adding two large additions to provide 6 waiting rooms, three each for black and white patrons. None of these improvements were ever made. Instead the railroads decided to build the new Central Station on the site of the old Calhoun Street Station at South Main and G.E. Patterson. Today the retaining wall of the small station building is still in place.tral Station on the site of the old Calhoun Street Station.
Jimmy Ogle gives free outdoor walking tours on the sidewalks and parks in Downtown Memphis during the Spring and Autumn of each year, with the next being the Judge D’Army Bailey County Courthouse Tour (indoors): one Thursday each month at 12:00 noon – the next being Thursday, December 15. The first Overton Square Walking Tour is 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 23 at the Tower Courtyard Stage. The November 6th, 1934 Street Tour is 6:06 p.m. on Sunday, November 6. Go to jimmyogle.com for more information.
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY GUEST-DEBBIE REEVES
- Talk about your Continued ED classes Continued education classes must be HUD-approved and can be found at http://www.hbeicalendar.thda.org/#1
- What are some of the main guidelines and restrictions for using THDA? Where can these be found online? You can find the guidelines under the Homebuyers tab at https://thda.org/homebuyers/first-time
- How does THDA define a first-time home buyer? Someone who has not owned a home that they have lived in for the last 3 years. Some THDA programs do not have the first-time homebuyer restriction. Others do have the restriction.
- How does THDA calculate Household Income? Income is calculated on anyone in the household over 18 with an income regardless if only one person is on the loan.
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY AMY SCHAFTLEIN
- What are some of the most popular THDA programs used by first-time home buyers?
Excerpts from www.THDA.org “As Tennessee’s housing finance agency, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) provides fixed rate mortgage loans for first-time homebuyers, promotes the production of new affordable housing units for households of very low to moderate-income, promotes the preservation and rehabilitation of existing housing units for such persons, and brings greater stability to the residential construction industry and related industries so as to assure a steady flow of housing production. Established by the General Assembly in 1973, THDA has evolved and grown to serve Tennesseans in many ways: providing grants to preserve and create homes, offering rental assistance on several different levels, assisting in the creation and maintenance of rental housing, providing educational opportunities, and helping other State agencies with housing missions to solve problems and save taxpayers’ money. For more information about THDA visit the About THDA page.
Appalachian Renovation Loan Program
The ARLP will improve homeownership for the residents of the Appalachian counties. The program goal is to help provide safe and sound housing to residents in Distressed and At-Risk counties through loans for repairs or improvements. Learn more about the Appalachian Renovation Loan Program.
Community Investment Tax Credit
Financial institutions may obtain a credit against the sum total of taxes imposed by the Franchise and Excise Tax Laws when qualified loans, qualified investments, grants or contributions are extended to eligible housing entities for engaging in eligible low-income housing activities. Learn more about Community Investment Tax Credits.
Emergency Solutions Grant
THDA administers the federally-funded Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program to help improve the quality of emergency shelters for the homeless; to help meet the costs of operating and maintaining emergency shelters; to provide essential services so that homeless individuals have access to the assistance they need to improve their situation; to provide street outreach services to the homeless, and to provide emergency intervention assistance and rapid re-housing services to prevent homelessness and to obtain permanent housing. Learn more about the Emergency Solutions Grant Program.
Family Self-Sufficiency
The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program works with families to create a step-by-step plan that leads to economic independence. The purpose of FSS is to facilitate access to the supportive services families need to become free of public assistance in a five-year time period. All participating Section 8 families are eligible to participate. Learn more about the Family Self-Sufficiency program.
Flexible Home Concepts
Flexible Home Concepts (FHC) is a voluntary certification program designed to encourage builders of new homes to implement design features which make a home more accessible. Learn more about Flexible Home Concepts.
Foreclosure Prevention
THDA trains organizations across Tennessee to provide free and confidential counseling to homeowners facing foreclosure. THDA maintains a list of certified foreclosure prevention counselors on its website. Learn more about our Foreclosure Prevention program.
Great Choice and Great Choice Plus
Great Choice offers a low fixed rate 30-year first mortgage loan. Great Choice Plus combines the Great Choice first mortgage with the Plus, providing the borrower with up to 4% of the sales price for down payment and closing cost assistance. The Great Choice Plus second mortgage loan has a 0% rate with no monthly payments. Learn more about Great Choice and Great Choice Plus.
Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program
The Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program (BEP) will assist with the removal of blighted properties in targeted areas within Tennessee. THDA will work in partnership with approved non-profit partners to strategically target residential single-family properties for demolition, site improvement, and acceptable reuse. The BEP will reduce foreclosures, promote neighborhood stabilization, and maintain property values through the demolition of vacant, abandoned, blighted residential structures, and subsequent greening/improvement of the remaining parcels within the targeted areas. Learn more about the BEP.
HOME
Under the HOME Program, THDA funds local housing programs designed to promote the production, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable housing for individuals and families of low- and very low-income. These funds are awarded to cities, counties and non-profit organizations through an annual competitive grant process. Learn more about the HOME Program.
Homeownership for the Brave
The Homeownership for the Brave program offers a 1/2-percent reduction on THDA’s Great Choice first mortgage loan for active and retired members of the military. Learn more about Homeownership for the Brave.
Homebuyer Education
THDA provides nonprofit organizations with tools to teach homebuyer education classes. THDA maintains on its website a list of certified homebuyer education trainers who can help consumers as they consider purchasing a home. Learn more about our Homebuyer Education Initiative.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program designed to assist households below 150% of the federal poverty standards of low income, particularly those who pay a high proportion of household income for home energy bills, meet their immediate home energy needs. The funds are awarded to a network of 19 community service agencies serving all 95 counties in Tennessee. Learn more about the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
A Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is a credit against federal income tax liability each year for 10 years for owners of and investors in affordable rental housing. Learn more about Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
Multifamily Tax-Exempt Bond Authority
The Bond Authority program, like the LIHTC program, supports rehabilitation, acquisition and rehabilitation, and new construction of rental units. Municipalities request an allocation of the state’s bond authority and sell bonds in support of housing development. Learn more about the Bond Authority program.
Reentry Housing Program
THDA and the Department of Correction have an intergovernmental agreement from which THDA makes payments to nonprofits that provide transitional housing for ex-offenders. For more information visit the Department of Corrections site.
Take Credit MCC Program
TAKE CREDIT is a Mortgage Credit Certificate (“MCC”) program administered by the THDA. An MCC is not a loan. An MCC permits an eligible homebuyer a federal tax credit up to a maximum of $2,000 per year based on the mortgage interest paid by the homebuyer. Learn more about the Take Credit MCC Program.
Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher
The Section 8 Rental Assistance program is a tenant-based rental assistance (voucher) program funded by HUD. THDA is one of 28 public housing agencies (PHA) in Tennessee that administer the Program. THDA administers its Program in 72 of 95 Tennessee counties. The purpose of the Program is to enable eligible low-income households to obtain decent, safe and sanitary housing by the PHA paying a portion of rental costs (including utilities) directly to a landlord in the private rental market. Participating households may select a unit of their choice. Learn more about the Tenant Based Housing Choice Voucher program.
Tennessee Housing Trust Fund
The purpose of the Tennessee Housing Trust Fund (HTF) is to serve the needs of low- and very low-income, elderly and special needs Tennesseans. Funds, provided through THDA funds, private sector investment, and matching funds from local grantees, are awarded to and administered by cities, counties, Development Districts, Public Housing Authorities, other departments of State government, and nonprofit organizations. Learn more about the Tennessee Housing Trust Fund.
- The Emergency Repair for the Elderly Program is administered by eight Development Districts and one Human Resource Agency in Tennessee to provide funding to make essential repairs for elderly homeowners.
- The Housing Modification and Ramp Program provides funding to United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee to construct ramps and make other modifications to assist persons with disabilities with access to their homes throughout Tennessee.
- Rebuild & Recover helps communities that have been hit by a natural disaster, but do not qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency or Tennessee Emergency Management Agency funds. Grants are made to the city or county.
- Competitive Grants are awarded twice a year to develop and/or preserve affordable rental housing for low- and very low-income households, the elderly and those with special needs. Eligible applicants are local communities, non-profit agencies, public housing authorities, development districts, and other departments of State government.
Weatherization Assistance Program
- The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is a federal program designed to assist households below 200% of the federal poverty standards improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The funds are awarded to a network of community service agencies throughout the State. Learn more about the Weatherization Assistance Program .”
- What other mortgage loan programs work well with the THDA programs? FHA, VA, and other first mortgage programs work in conjunction with THDA bond funding and down payment assistance.
- Talk about the recent changes to the THDA program? THDA just raised the amount of down payment assistance offered to 5% of the price for down payment assistance from the 4% of the home price that was offered as down payment assistance previously. The assistance portion is interest-free. THDA recently lowered the rate on the first mortgage loan from 3.99% to 3.75% fixed on the first mortgage choice program and 3.25% fixed for the Homeownership For The Brave. The down payment assistance portion is interest-free. If you stay in the home for the full 30 years, you do not have to pay back the down payment assistance at all.
- Do you now require a minimum buyer investment or is there still an opportunity for some buyers to get in for zero down? With THDA down payment assistance and many times combined with the home seller paying the buyer’s other closing costs and prepaid taxes and insurance, the buyer can get into a home with very little down payment or zero down.
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY JO GARNER
- What are some of the most common programs you offer first-time home buyers?
A: Home Ready program through Freddie Mac: You can find information for Home Ready programs anywhere in the country by going to https://www.fanniemae.com/singlefamily/homeready (97%, income restriction by the zip code –you can find this information for your zip code anywhere in the country at https://homereadyeligibility.fanniemae.com/homeready/
B: Other Programs That Offer Down Payment Assistance: According to the Real Estate Today show through the National Association of Realtors, 90% to 95% of people needing down payment assistance to buy a home, do not know there are programs to help home buyers with the down payment .There are other down payment assistance programs available to first-time home buyers in Tennessee and other states other than Tennessee. Most of them have restrictions such as not owning a home within the last 3 years, income restrictions based on the number of people in the household and the location of the property. If you want to know more, Google “Down Payment Assistance” and the name of YOUR state and you should hit the jack pot. Many metropolitan cities have their own down payment assistance programs with certain restrictions. Memphis has the City of Memphis Down Payment Assistance Program and in addition to the regular program, they have some funds especially for Police, Firefighters and Teachers. But ask an experienced, reputable realtor in your area what programs THEY recommend. They usually know what programs are good and which ones may be not so advantageous. You can also check with Rob Chrane at Down Payment Resource, supported by Housing Finance Agencies across the country, for assistance programs in YOUR city and state. http://downpaymentresource.com/about/leadership/
- Mortgage Programs with no down payment required- The Veteran Administration loan for eligible veterans, in most cases, is a 100% loan. USDA Rural Housing Loans, for those borrowers who qualify under special restrictions, can get into a home with a http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome and http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/
- What are some of the top tips you give first-time home buyers?
A. Determine if homeownership is right for you at the present time. How long to you plan on staying in the geographic area? If you plan on living in the area for at least 3 years or more, you need to look into owning your home instead of paying rent. With mortgage rates as low as they are today, you have a unique opportunity to have your mortgage payment less, in many cases, than the rent you would pay on a comparable property. If prices on homes continue to increase at a steady rate as they are now, you could be building quite a bit of wealth for yourself instead of your landlord. If you have listened to me long on the radio, you have heard me say, “trying to decide whether to rent or buy a home? You’re going to make a mortgage payment either way—yours or your landlord’s.”
B. Know your budget limitations. Stay within those limitations with your house note.
C. Keep an adequate emergency fund at all times—especially right after closing on your new home. You will have extra expenses with moving and settling into your new castle. That is another reason why using the down payment assistance programs can be a good idea. Some programs allow you to have a healthy amount of savings on the accounts you disclosed to the lender. A few assistance programs will not give you the full amount of assistance if you have a hefty amount of money left in the bank account you disclosed to the lender. http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/
D. Get preapproved with a reputable lender BEFORE you go out looking at houses with a realtor. Once the lender has seen your last 2 years tax returns, your W2s and 1099s for the last 2 years and your latest paystub, you can feel fairly confident they are calculating your income correctly. Be sure and disclose to the lender debts that may not show up right away on the credit report. Allow the lender to review the last 2 months bank statements. The last thing you want is to fall in love with a nice big home only to have your hopes and dreams dashed when you discover that you cannot qualify to purchase it. The other advantage to having a strong preapproval letter is the competitive edge it gives you if you are making your offer on a house along with others with competing offers. There are some sellers who are looking for the surest deal, not necessarily the highest price. Let’s talk about your plans to buy YOUR home. Let’s review your income, asset and credit information and get you a STRONG preapproval letter so you can get some bragging rights on your financing and the house that you will be proud to own. Call me personally at (901) 482-0354 after the show (901) 482-0354 or email me at jo@192.232.195.219 Let me be on your home buying journey with you. MAKE YOUR PLAN, WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, DO IT TODAY.
REAL ESTATE TIP OF THE WEEK: Amy shares a tip about knowing BEFORE you put a contract on the house the cost of transportation, child care etc that will need to be paid as a result of the location of the new home to work and other key locations.
Debbie debunks the myth that you have to have 20% down payment to buy a house. Several loan programs allow you to get into a home for as little as 5% to nothing down. THDA is like a parent giving you what you need to get into your home.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Talk Shoppe offers free networking & education to anyone interested in real estate or in business. Talk Shoppe meets every Wednesday 9A-10A CT at the University of Phoenix 65 Germantown Court 1st floor Cordova, TN. This Wednesday October 26th 9A to 10A Talk Shoppe presents: “The Mastermind Principle-based on the book Think and Grow Rich. For more about Talk Shoppe, go to www.TalkShoppe.com
- Talk Shoppe events are free thanks to sponsors/advertisers/supporters like Independent Representative for World Ventures. Peggy can show you how to earn free first-class vacations. Have a chat with Peggy at (901) 289-0747
- If you are looking for a place to grow your business through referrals, connect with Jana Cardona, executive director of Business Network International Mid-South at www.bnimidsouth.com
- Joe Rojas sponsored Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe today. Connect with Joe Rojas to get connected to your title closing company. (901) 289-5821.
- Realtor Ellis Rankin of Real Estate One Group (901) 406-3141 invites everyone out to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center soccer field from 9AM to 5pm today October 22nd, 2016. Join with others to honor the veterans who have been disadvantaged by homelessness for a day of celebrating their service. They will be honored with food, clothing, health care services, help with getting jobs and help with their VA benefits.
SPECIAL NOTE: REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CONSULT WITH A FINANCIAL, LEGAL OR OTHER CERTIFIED, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE ACTING OR INVESTING ON ANYTHING YOU HEAR OR SEE FROM THE CONTENT ON THIS SHOW OR BLOG POSTS. THE INFORMATION WE SHARE ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE IS GENERAL IN NATURE MEANT FOR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
FOR THIS PODCAST OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE AND MORE, GO TO JOGARNER.COM
Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe reminds you that MAKE YOUR PLAN, LET’S WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, DO IT TODAY!.
QUOTE CORNER: Napoleon Hill “What the mind can conceive, it can achieve.
Jim Rohn “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”
Napoleon Hill “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”
Anonymous “Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do”
Anonymous “If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to build theirs.”
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REJOINERS:
- Peggy Lau, Independent Representative with World Ventures Memphis, TN. Peggy can show you how to earn first-class vacations and how to enjoy them free Find out how (901) 279-0747
- Katie Gilliland with BackupRX.com Hernando, MS your solution to data back up and recovery
- Loretta McNary, host of the Loretta McNary Show Memphis, TN lorettamcnary.com
Transitional Music:
Hall and Oates “You Make My Dreams Come True;” “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert; Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay; “Memphis” by Johnny Rivers
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ABOUT AMY SCHAFTLEIN, Tennessee Housing Development Agency
Amy Schaftlein serves as the Community Outreach Liaison in West Tennessee for the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. Working from Memphis, Schaftlein focuses on partnerships in West Tennessee, personally reaching out to THDA’s housing and real estate industry partners, elected officials, and non-profit agencies by listening to their needs, issues, and challenges. Schaftlein has her Masters in Urban Anthropology and Political Science from the University of Memphis. She has a passion for housing policy, and financial education. She also brings over 8 years of housing experience to her role. She served as the Development Director for United Housing, Inc., as the Research Associate with the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation, and Research Assistant at the Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action. Amy Schaftlein may be contacted at 901-208-9071 or aschaftlein@thda.org.
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ABOUT DEBBIE REEVES, Tennessee Housing Development Agency
Director of Community Outreach & Business Development
Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) Has worked with THDA since 1995.
December 2006 – Present (9 years 11 months)404 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37219
Develop, build and maintain great working relationships with THDA partners…lenders, realtors, homebuilders, non-profits, local government officials and other housing-related entities.
Debbie is a business relationship builder. She uses her skills to raise the recognition of THDA as a leader in the housing industry in the lines of homeownership, community programs and homebuyer education initiatives.
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ABOUT JO GARNER-MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER:
www.JoGarner.com (901) 482 0354 jo@192.232.195.219 twitter @jogarner
Jo describes her job description: “As a mortgage loan officer, my job is to give my client the benefits they want from their financing terms– listening to my client and determine what’s of the most value to THEM– What is their comfort level on a house payment, how much are they comfortable paying down, what type of financing do they need to get the house they want to buy or refinance. Different clients have different priorities in life—some are buying their first home with very little down payment funds. Some are recovering from medical challenges, divorces or preparing to send children to college and some are embarking on a long term goal of buying properties to build rental income. Whatever their personal priorities are, my job is to put together a mortgage with comfortable terms that will help them achieve their goals.”
Jo Garner is a mortgage officer with extensive knowledge in tailoring mortgages to her customers who are refinancing or purchasing homes all over the country. She offers conventional, FHA, VA or other loan programs for refinancing and purchases.
Jo can help you look at rent vs buy, when it makes sense to refinance, how to get the best deal on your home purchase financing.
Jo Garner has been in the real estate/financing business for over 20 years. She got her start in Portland, Maine where she first began her real estate career. She received her real estate education from the University of Southern Maine and was personally mentored in San Diego, California by Robert G. Allen, author of Nothing Down, Creating Wealth and The Challenge.
On moving back to West Tennessee in 1987, she went into business buying and selling discounted owner-financed notes secured on real estate. In 1990 Jo went to work for a residential mortgage company and has been a mortgage loan officer for over 20 years. Her goal is to offer excellent, affordable service to her customers, tailoring the loan programs to the specific needs of her clients.
In addition to her work in the mortgage field, Jo Garner is the primary sponsor and founder of Talk Shoppe in Memphis. www.TalkShoppe.com She was also the editor of Power Shoppe, a free weekly e-zine designed for real estate professionals and others indirectly connected to the real estate industry and currently publishes on her blog www.JoGarner.com