April 7, 2010
$Jortlani» (Obstruer
Buying a Home? Buy Smart
Successful
couple found
resources
Paul and Valery Mannthey and their children moved
into their new home last year in southeast Portland
thanks to the help they received from ROSE Community
Development, a non-profit housing resource and a
$4,000 grant they won by attending a homeownership
workshop during a community home ownership fair.
T h e h o u s in g m a r k e t h a s
c h a n g e d e n o rm o u s ly . B ut th e
d e sire fo r h o m e s a n d th e n e ed
fo r h o u sin g h a s n ’t.
F o r n e w h o m e o w n e rs P aul
a n d V a le ry M a n n th e y the b o t­
to m lin e w a s h a v in g a g a m e
p la n . L ast y e a r, th e c o u p le a t­
ten d ed a p ublic h o m eo w n ersh ip
w o rk s h o p sp o n s o re d by R o se
C o m m u n ity D e v e lo p m e n t to
le a rn all th e y c o u ld a b o u t th e
h o m e b u y in g p ro c e s s a n d
w o n a fre e ra ffle fo r a $ 4 ,0 0 0
h o m e b u y e rs’
a s s is ta n c e
g ra n t.
T o d a y , th e M a n n th e y ’s are
e n jo y in g th e ir n e w h o m e, a
sh o rt d ista n c e a w a y fro m th e
S p rin g w a te r C o rrid o r in so u th -
east P o rtla n d . T h e in te rio r o f
th e ir h o m e is sp a c io u s an d w ell
su ite d to th e ir fa m ily size.
P aul p ro u d ly p o in ts o u t the
im p ro v e m e n ts th e y m a d e to
the h o m e a fte r th ey m o v ed in,
in c lu d in g so m e re p a in tin g an d
re p la c in g a p p lia n c e s an d lig h t
fix tu re s to m atch th e ir p e rso n a l
taste. V a le ry is s o ft-sp o k e n b u t
sm ile s w id e ly as w e ta lk a b o u t
w h a t th e y lik e in th e ir h o u se .
W h en I a sk to ta k e a p h o to o f
th em in th e ir fa v o rite ro o m ,
P au l re sp o n d s “A ll o f th em ,
b e c a u se th e y all a r e ” .
T h is is P au l a n d V a le r y ’s
first h o m e. T h e y h ad p re v i­
o u sly b een re n tin g , b u t k n o w ­
ing th a t th e y w a n te d to e x p a n d
Homeownership
Fair Coming Soon
L ooking for the tools you need
to b u y and preserve a hom e?
T he fifth annual E ast Portland
H o m eo w n ersh ip F air on S atur­
day, A pril 24, from 10 a.m .-2
p .m . at R on R u ssell M id d le
School, 3955 S.E. 112th A ve.,
ju s t south o f Pow ell B oulevard,
w ill be full o f inform ation d e ­
sig n ed for new hom ebuyers and
those w ho w ish to buy.
T he free event, sponsored by
the n o n -profit R ose C o m m u n ity
D ev elopm ent C orp., w ill bring
you face to face w ith realtors,
lenders, hom e-buying counselors
and o th er businesses.
H om e-buying and hom e-ow n-
S u b s c r ib e
ju s t $60 p er year
(please include check)
ership w o rkshops w ill co v er a
w ide range o f topics, ranging
from “ Steps to H om eow nership”
to “ I m p ro v in g Y o u r C re d it
S co re” and “ foreclosure p rev en ­
tion”
I
T he highlight o f the day w ill be
a f r e e r a f f l e f o r a $ 4 ,0 0 0
H o m e b u y er’s A ssistan ce G rant.
T he prize w ill be available only
to those attend the w orkshops
presen ted that day.
T ra n s la to rs fo r th o se w h o
speak Spanish, R ussian, V iet­
n am ese and M andarin w ill be
available. In ad d itio n , there w ill
be c h ild re n ’s a c tiv itie s, d o o r
prizes and a free lunch.
PRESERVING THE
COMMUNITY
N ame : _____________
T elephone : ________
A ddress : __________
Home Repai
Programs
Hr - ■ ■ I .- 1 ÏIJT*!
..
ÎL »
1 f
First-time Buyer
Programs
PORTLAND
DEVELOPMENT
COMMISSION
À
Portland
>/ Bureau
or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com
■
STARTS AT HOME
503-288-0033
Attn'. Subscriptions, The
P ortland O bserver, PO Box
3137, Portland O R 97208.
th e ir fa m ily a n d try to sav e a
little
b it
of
m oney,
h o m e o w n e rsh ip w a s th e a n ­
s w e r.
Paul said w hen he atten d ed
the E ast P ortland H o m eo w n er­
ship Fair in 2009. “ I had so m uch
in fo rm a tio n . P a m p h le ts, b ro ­
ch u res, b u sin ess cards, ju st a ton
o f stu ff.”
H e k n e w th a t th e re w as a
g ra n t d ra w in g fo r $ 4 ,0 0 0 but
lo o k in g a ro u n d at th e larg e
ro o m fille d w ith h u n d re d s o f
p e o p le , he c o u ld n 't im a g in e
w h a t th e o d d s w e re th a t he
w o u ld be o n e o f th e g ra n t fi­
n a lists. “ W h en m y n a m e w as
c a lle d , I w as s h o c k e d ,” he r e ­
calle d .
iH
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