Tell Congress Homeownership CountsThe core values of homeownership have come under fire recently from critics that want to eliminate or reduce programs that make owning a home affordable and accessible to Americans,

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" 239-357-1844


Tell Congress Homeownership Counts

The core values of homeownership have come under fire recently from critics that want to eliminate or reduce programs that make owning a home affordable and accessible to Americans, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
To counter the attacks and reinforce the benefits of homeownership, NAR is conducting a comprehensive Value of Homeownership campaign and asking for help from all REALTOR® members. Responses must be in by Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, emailed to:awarenesscampaign@realtors.org.
"We're gathering real-life stories from homeowners across the country to put a human face on the true values of owning a home," says Frank J. Sibley, NAR senior vice president of publications, convention and public affairs.
NAR wants to find the following types of homeowners:
· Single homeowner with kids: This could be a man or a woman who purchased a home to make a better life for their kids; motivated by better schools, becoming part of a community, etc.
· Couple with growing family: This couple would ideally have sold a home to purchase another home because they outgrew their space. If they used some of the proceeds from the sale of their old home toward the new purchase, all the better.
· Single woman, no kids: NAR research shows that one-fifth of recent homebuyers were single women. "We're looking for real-life stories to present with this research - women who are trying to establish themselves and see homeownership as a way to build their wealth and security," says Sibley. "Women at all stages of life would be fine - a young professional, an older divorcee, etc.
·Downsizing retirees: People married or single who recently purchased a retirement home. Having raised their families, they still see the value of homeownership into retirement and chose to own rather than rent.
· Couple without kids: This couple may have been priced out of the overheated housing market in the past few years, and now with increased affordability and low interest rates, they're able to own a home.
in a recent client matches NAR's description, send their name(s), phone and email address to awarenesscampaign@realtors.org. Include a brief description on which profile they fit and why they might make a good human-interest story. NAR's media team will follow-up and determine which homeowners work best for feature stories in local and national news outlets. Each story will tout the benefits of homeownership and explain how reduced government support would impact these people.