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Congratulations to Shontae on buying your first home!

We spoke with Southwest Georgia United HUD certified counselor Denise Ruff who has been with the company for 5 years. Ruff explained the program and what they offer. The program has been created to provide some educational experiences and workshops for homeowners or potential homeowners. The program looks at credit, budgeting, and ways to improve credit. When they do their workshops they invite relators, bankers, mortgage professionals, USDA reps, inspectors, insurance agents and more all the types of people that are important to the home buying process. The workshops are 2 parts 8 hours long, once the participant has completed the workshop they received a certificate for down payment assistance through Georgia Dream of $10,000. They can use the certificate to purchase a home; it gives them financial incentive towards the down payment. It is required that they complete the workshop before receiving this certificate. Southwest Georgia United also offers options to people looking to become business owners as well as a rental property program. Shontae Brown was the only participant is the first workshop they put on and has recently closed on her house, and is now a homeowner. Trisha Slater was the guest realtor at the workshop and she helped to facilitate the program and helped Shontae in purchasing her home. Slater is now working with a second person on buying a home through the program as well.

Ruff said that, “ We believe it is a very intricate part of the community, their goal is to try to help people who are interested in purchasing homes.”

Slater wants to spread the message of how important it is to be a homeowner, from the benefits to owning your own home and possibilities that come with it. Slater said that, “there is no reason to not be a homeowner in this day and time.”

The workshops are quarterly every 3 months; if there is an influx of need they are able to put a workshop together sooner. The next program going on is starting on; Part 1: Monday April 17^th Part 2: Monday April 24^th at South Georgia Tech at 5:00PM.