New Orleans group assisted with the move
The opportunity to own a home didn’t only come with finding the right program to assist the Adams family, but it came with the lesson of patience.
“You have to have a great amount of patience, also endurance,” Brianna Adams of Luling said about getting an opportunity to own a home for the first time and the crash course necessary to appreciate home ownership. “I also learned, honestly, to let it flow. Don’t stress. It’s going to get done. Just trust the program and trust what they say will happen.”
And it did happen.
The couple, along with their two sons, Kevin III and Khade, will officially move into their house today (June 30) with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 112 Magnolia Manor Blvd. in Boutte. As a native of St. Charles Parish, Brianna said the move to Boutte is like home to her anyway.
They found the Family Resources of New Orleans’ Self-Help Housing Program that helped them work out the financing for the house with no down payment or closing costs.
Participants must also participate in the construction of the house.
It made the difference for the Adams family, who had been longtime renters and living in Luling until they officially move this week.
“It was pretty much the only way we could get into our first home,” Brianna said. “After you’ve rented for so long, your ideal end would be to be able to own your own home and put your money toward your own mortgage. And that means a lot to us.”
There’s also the sweat equity required from every family who participates in the program.
“We learned about building – the steps from the beginning to the end,” she said. “You have to gain some muscle, as well.”They picked paint colors, flooring, granite countertops and brick, and then they helped paint, caulk and hammer they way into home ownership. And of these tasks, Brianna considered caulking the entire house the most challenging part of the job.
“The best part is you get to pick what you want,” Brianna said. “You’re in 100 percent in the choice made about the house.”
As a newly licensed real estate agent, she had gained knowledge about selling a house, but knew little about building one. She and her husband, Kevin, were educated in taking and assessing bids from multiple contractors for construction, which she considered a great help.
But, without hesitation, Brianna said they learned patience and how to wait, particularly on how to deal with delays with weather.
“You give yourself time,” she said. “You have a budget and a timeframe, but it depends on those elements. Also, we got a little more familiar with the local vendors and began to know the plumbers, the electricians and bricklayers.”
The additional lesson for this family is that home ownership is also an economic venture that deepens relationships in the community of residence.
But ask Brianna about her experience overall and she unhesitatingly responded, “It was an amazing experience. We gained a bit of knowledge and were able to pick and put everything in. It was really an honor to be a part of that type of process.”
Family Resources of New Orleans made this possible, which Brianna said allowed them to put the estimated $5,000 that would have gone into a down payment and closing costs into the house.
“They help you better your credit rating,” said Brianna, who praised the program as a great opportunity for those financially challenged who want to own a home but not familiar with home buying, as well as great for a good community, too. “I always knew that I’d be a homeowner. I can’t sell homes and not own one. The program made it come to fruition a lot earlier.”
And community is everything to Brianna and her family.
“It means everything,” she said. “I wouldn’t rather be in any other parish than St. Charles Parish. It’s the place you want to stay.”
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