by Teri Carnicelli

Last month WalMart employees Daniel Thomas and Rebecca Detweiler, along with their three children, moved into their new home near Central and Dunlap avenues in North Phoenix. The three-bedroom, 1,420-square-foot house came to the family through John C. Lincoln’s Desert Mission Neighborhood Renewal (DMNR). 

The family, which previously resided in a cramped apartment in Glendale, came to DMNR after trying to buy a home for two years. The Detweilers took to the road toward home ownership in the fall of 2006 by submitting an application with DMNR.

    “Having a place to call your own is both comforting and empowering,” says Tracy Crouch, Housing Program coordinator for DMNR. “It is really an accomplishment for two retail workers to be able to purchase their own home, especially since real estate values have increased substantially over the last few years.”

    To qualify for the subsidized home mortgage loan, the family had to meet a number of criteria including a good credit report, steady employment and an income level below 80 percent of Arizona’s median family income. The Detweilers worked hard to save the $1,675 down payment toward the purchase of their home over the past year while DMNR built the home. The average time it takes to get a qualified family into a home is approximately one to two years. In addition to saving, the family had to attend homebuyer education training.

    “Daniel and Rebecca’s home ownership was made possible by coordinating efforts from many sources,” explains Crouch. “City of Phoenix provided the land subsidy and down payment assistance. The couple’s down payment was matched by subsidy provided through the National Bank of Arizona and DMNR. In addition, the family also accessed subsidies through Community Housing Resources of Arizona. Labors Community Service Agency built the home through their Youthbuild program and Wells Fargo Mortgage provided the mortgage through their affordable loan program.”

    DMNR provides the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, disposal and ceiling fans, and Mountain States Nursery donated the plants.

    Thirty-two families so far have purchased homes through DMNR. “It is so gratifying to see how much homeownership enhances the family’s life, and we are happy to be a part of it,” Crouch says.

Townhomes rising

    DMNR’s next housing project is the 12-unit Vogel Townhomes located at 13th and Vogel avenues, expected to be complete by summer 2008. The development project includes three 4-plexes, each two stories tall. It’s a new venture for the organization, which until now has focuses only one single-family homes. But given the rising costs associated with homebuilding and the scarcity of available land, this townhome project seemed best suited for the acreage, which DMNR purchased in 2000.

Celebrating the beginning of construction on the Vogel Townhomes project are, from left: Joel McCabe, director of Desert Mission Neighborhood Renewal (DMNR); Cathryn Hugger, one of the first owners of a Vogel Townhomes unit; Tracy Crouch, Housing Program coordinator for DMNR, and JoAnn Holland, and associate with Wells Fargo’s Community Development Mortgage Program (photo by Teri Carnicelli).

    Cathryn Hugger and her husband, Jason, are currently renting a home just outside the historic Coronado district in downtown Phoenix. “We’ve been trying to buy a home since 2004; we needed to get our credit straightened out and our income in order,” explains Cathryn, who presently is unable to work. Jason is a disabled Iraq War vet who helps supplement the family’s income with his artwork (www.huggerstudio.com). They have no children.

    The Huggers worked closely with DMNR’s Crouch and with lending partner Wells Fargo. JoAnn Holland is a mortgage associate with Wells Fargo who specializes in working with lower-income clients and first-time homebuyers, through the bank’s Community Development Mortgage Program. She has been involved in DMNR’s projects for six years and is presently working with the Huggers on their loan for Vogel Townhomes. “My passion is helping people like the Huggers overcome whatever obstacles are in their way and get into their first home,” she says.

    DMNR is looking for buyers who can qualify for about a $120,000 mortgage to participate in its townhome project. Units range from 2 bedroom/1,000 square feet to 3 bedroom/1,320 square feet. All units have a single-car attached garage and additional surface parking. A household of two earning $7 per hour each could qualify for the 2 bedroom unit, $8.50 per hour times two wage earners could purchase a 3 bedroom unit, and a couple each earning $10 per hour could purchase the larger three-bedroom plus den unit.

    The 12 townhomes all will be sold to buyers whose family income is below 80 percent of the median Arizona income. It’s anticipated that the 30-year fixed rate mortgage payment on smallest unit will be $750/month. State and city subsidies are based on need and help make homes more affordable.

    For more information about the Vogel Townhomes project, contact Tracy Crouch at DMNR, 602-331-5833.