HUD’s Good Neighbor Next Door Program in Wichita KS

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is strengthening American communities through neighborhood stabilization projects across the country. These programs are designed to revitalize our cities, promote home ownership and make neighborhoods safer.

One such program, the Good Neighbor Next Door program (GNND), is designed to fill distressed urban communities with role model like figures by offering half priced homes to Law Enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency responders (EMT), and K-12 teachers. People in these professions are given the opportunity to enter a lottery to purchase select homes at a 50% discount of their “as is” appraised value.

The Good Neighbor Next Door program in Wichita KS also offers participants using an FHAb insured mortgage to move in with only $100 down! Lottery winners can roll all closing costs, repairs, improvements, appliances and acquisition expenses into the mortgage. You must live in the home for a full 3 years and then are free to do with the home as you like. Including selling for profits!

There are some requirements and restrictions:

All participants must be employed full‐time by a federal, state, county, municipal government, Indian tribal Government, division of local government, or public/private school. Current homeowners CAN NOT participate and neither you nor your spouse has owned any other residential real estate for 1 year prior to lottery submission.

Reike For Animals

 

Reiki is a Japanese technique that promotes healing and stress reduction. Animals such as dogs and cats in shelters can benefit from Reike in Wichita Kansas. Life force energy is what the idea of Reike is based on. This force that flows through us can be shared by laying hands on and having the energy flow through to another.

It’s widely believed in certain beliefs that when the life force energy is low we are more susceptible to illness and the symptoms of stress. Reike can make us more capable of being happy and healthy. Many other cultures use this idea of sharing life force energy, including native Americans in North America, but the Japanese and Reike are the most well know.

I recently attended a Reike for animals class at the Kansas Humane Society in Wichita where I volunteer. When animals come into shelters they are often understandably stressed. Nervous and stressed animals are not good candidates for adoption. People like friendly and happy pets!

By learning Reike techniques and applying them we are able to calm the animals in our shelter and make them more “attractive” and adoptable. It’s also good for their health and well being. The difference in a new and stressed dog after a few Reiki for animals sessions in Wichita Kansas is noticeable. The animal is happier, more friendly and ready for it’s new forever home

If you have questions about Reike for animals in Wichita Kansas please contact me.

Getting pre approved by a lender or bank before looking for a home in Wichita KS just makes sense. A mortgage lender takes the guesswork out of shopping for a house by letting you know how much you qualify for.

Most sellers want proof that you can get a loan to buy their house before they’ll go into contract with you. This is because the home is off the market while working through a contract and if it turns out someone can’t get financing that’s all wasted time and money.

Another good reason to have a pre approval letter from a lender in hand is when you find that perfect house your ready to make an offer. If you have to take the time to go and get pre approved someone else may swoop in and buy YOUR house!

Here’s another scenario;

Imagine you have been diligently searching for a home everyday for months and you finally find it. It’s perfect! You put in an offer and come to terms with the seller. Three weeks later the lender informs you that the house you want is $15,000 more than you qualify for. It’s heartbreaking and frustrating.

If one takes the time to get pre approved before searching for a home it makes the entire process easier and stress free. You know what you can afford. You’re ready to make an offer when you find that perfect home. You’ve already established a working relationship with your team consisting of yourself, your Realtor and your lender.

So do yourself a favor and go get pre approved by a lender before starting your home search in Wichita KS.

If you have questions about getting approved or need help finding a reputable lender in Wichita KS please contact me.

Home-Owner Rehabilitation Program

As the first time home buyer program can help spur home ownership for first time buyers in Wichita this is another program that helps out current homeowners to repair and rehabilitate their primary residence. Again it can be used by local Kansas communities outside the federal HOME entitlement communities of Kansas City, Johnson County, Topeka, Wichita and Lawrence.

State recipients can apply for program funds up to $300,000 for administering a homeowner rehabilitation project in their area. Grant funds pass through the State and assistance is provided to homeowners in the form of a loan.

The entire properties are then required to be rehabilitated to full building codes. Competitive bidding practices must be used when hiring contractors, lead based paint compliance must be met and any other federal variances or standards which is not always an easy thing.

present real estate owners that make less than 80% of the area medium gross may apply.

This program can also be considered another way to help to control blight in the City by giving means to people to fix their homes.

For additional information or to find out if you can qualify for this program contact me.

First Time Homebuyer Assistance in Kansas

There is a program for first time home buyers in Kansas. It’s called The first time homes buyers program or FTHB. Not as well know as the first time home buyer tax credit of recent history,  it’s still a powerful and helpful tool.

One of if not the biggest obstacles to homeownership for first time buyers is lack of cash. This incentive solves that problem but first one must qualify with a participating lender. Once qualified a new buyer has plenty of help for a first real estate purchase.

To qualify the buyer or buyers must have incomes at or below 80 percent of the median for their area. The loan can be from 15-20 percent of the purchase price of the home depending on the applicants income level.

The first time home buyer is expected to come up with $500 or 2 percent of the purchase price, which ever is greater.

Some other conditions are that the home being sought is $150,000 or less, cannot be in a flood zone, must be occupied by the qualified buyer and , this is tough one, cannot be within the City limits of Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Lawrence or Johnson County.

If cash on hand has been holding you back from moving into your first home you now may have an answer. Call me with questions or to see if you qualify.

Joel Weihe

joelw@rwwichita.com

316 833-2677

There’s Always Tomorrow

Today I put a Seattle transplant in a rental, put a Wichita family in another rental, looked at a couple other rentals, answered …. a lot of phone and email messages, wrote two offers on homes, worked on a problem contract, drove across town to borrow a truck, loaded it with top soil and unloaded it in our garden, made a dump trip with “stuff” from the garage and shed, searched for homes for a new client (showed a couple) made and distributed fliers for a reduced price listing, shopped for and found a new curtain rod (not hung yet), researched first time home buyer programs for a first time home buyer and still didn’t get a damn thing accomplished I wanted to. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

District Advisory Boards-DABs in Wichita

District Advisory Boards, or DABs, were created for the community by local Government in Wichita Kansas. DABs are comprised of a City Council member and 11 citizens representing that council members district. Citizens like you and I.

The district advisory board discusses zoning issues, community projects and other issues that affect the lives, homes and property of the districts citizens. They then make recommendations to the council which accepts those recommendations a great majority of the time. They do make a difference. Neighborhood meetings are a place where you can make a difference with the help of your DAB.

It’s not just the board but the entire district. The district advisory boards meet once a month and welcomes, in fact encourages, community input. Our DAB for district 6 meets the first Monday of the month at Evergreen recreation center. To find when your DAB  meets go to the Council section of the Wichita City website.

Show up at the meetings to have a say what happens where you live. This is a great way to be heard and your opinion counted. Your dealing with people just like yourself, not another Government official that to often just nods their head and forgets about you once your gone. It’s even possible to get on a board. Simply contact your council member and see if there’s a position open.

Get involved, it’s easy. You can be heard and make a difference.

Exercising Yourself For The Dogs

Exercising yourself for the benefit of the dogs will make you feel good on both counts.  Doctors, health professionals and just about everyone else agree that walking is a great form of exercise. Walking is healthy, can help lose weight, increase heart health and make you feel good.

But for some walking is just plain boring.  Others may find it a waste of time. I happen to know how one can walk, get fit, help and have fun.

Volunteer to be a dog walker at the Kansas Humane Society!

Really. It just takes a couple hours a week and you wouldn’t believe the good it does and the happiness it brings. Wichita has a great Humane Society. They really take good care of all the animals temporarily residing here. A great percentage of them find a new home. In the meantime we can all help the dogs be better companions to their new owners by being companions to them while here.

Personally I look forward to my time walking the dogs. On top of the good it does for the animals it’s a sort of relaxing fun meditation for me. All my worries and troubles are set aside as I play with and bring  joy to the dogs.

If you don’t dig dogs then come and sit with the cats. Plenty of opportunity for that and they need and love the interaction.

The cats love to be stroked and talked to. Intreaction with humans keeps these animals healthy and sane.

If rabbits, gerbils or rats are your thing there are even those at the Kansas Humane Society.

Uh Oh, Squeaky Stairs

Squeaky stairs are annoying and can turn off buyers when your trying to sell your home in Wichita Kansas. Often I notice potential homebuyers concerned when they walk down squeaky stairs.  House must be about to fall down.

Fixing those squeaks is easy and cheap. If you can get under the stairs all the better.

First pick up an L bracket from your local hardware store. It should come with screws. If it doesn’t make sure you pick up a few that are NOT going to run through the stair tread or riser. Usually 3/4 inch wood screws will do just fine but make sure to check your own treads.

Next simply get under the stairs and attach the bracket to the back side of the tread and the riser with the screws. This tightens everything up and stops the squeak.

Wood blocks can also be used. Glue the blocks in place where the riser and the tread meet. Drill pilot holes and screw the block into both the riser and the tread.

When you can’t get under the stairs don’t despair. If the stairs are carpeted pull the carpet back if you can. Drill a piliot hole and drive screws through the tread and into the riser.

If you can’t pull the carpet back you can still drive a screw through the carpet and the tread into the riser then simply break the screw head off.

If the stairs are wood use finish nails and wood putty.

Everyones Looking For A Deal

The  general consensus is that real estate is slow this time of year in Wichita Kansas.  Most homeowners thinking of selling would rather wait till the spring to sell their home when the market is more busy, or “hot”.  But there are those selling now, and more will come.

It stands then that those selling now must be doing so for a reason. The reason doesn’t matter. What does matter is that’s good news for buyers or someone looking for a home right now.

Prices are already depressed in the winter due to the slow market. Add a touch of desperation, super low interest rates and a preapproval letter and you may have yourself a good deal. A really good deal!