A last-minute cancellation didn’t stop homebuyers and Realtors from visiting Greenville’s latest affordable housing project in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
About 10 people turned out Monday for the event set to celebrate the completion of six new homes in the west Greenville community even though the city abruptly rescheduled the event until July 8 because of the early morning rains.
When city officials learned people were at the houses, located in the area of Fleming Street, they hurried to the location and offered a “preview” open house.
“This is an opportunity for us to provide additional home ownership for low and moderate income buyers, specifically first-time home buyers,” said Tiana Berryman, director of Greenville’s Neighborhood and Business Services department. “We do have a very generous down payment assistance program that we are looking to layer with this.”
The city is working with an appraiser to set the sales price, which Berryman said would be their appraised value. The homes should sell for low to mid $200,000, she said.
Bill Clark Homes built the houses at cost in an ongoing partnership with the city.
The six houses, between 1,200 and 1,400 square feet in size, are three and four bedrooms with two bathrooms, Berryman said.
“They are really beautiful, very modern. We worked closely with the designers at Bill Clark Homes to make sure the amenities are what families are going for these days,” she said.
That includes granite countertops and luxury vinyl plank flooring.
A four-bedroom home has a walk-in shower in the primary bedroom’s en suite bath and a wraparound porch. A three-bedroom home has a screened back porch.
Greenville City Council last year upped its down payment assistance program to $40,000 for people interested in the homes, Berryman said. It is a no-interest loan that’s forgiven at 1/15 a year for 15 years as long as owners continue to occupy the homes.
The city is also working with two state home assistance programs, NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment and Community Partners Loan Pool, to layer subsidies that will provide some buyers with up to $105,000 in down payment assistance, which would greatly reduce their mortgage, she said.
Keonya and Dominique Miller, along with their children, Evian and Ivory, want to buy a home for their growing family.
“I’ve been in some of the homes they’ve built before that are also in the neighborhood. I see it growing and I would love to be part of a growing community,” Keonya Miller said.
“There are new opportunities to be a new homeowner. It would be really good to have something that we could call our own,” Dominique Miller. “And being able to buy without draining all our accounts, I think this is a really good opportunity.”
Rebecca Bunn with Influx Realty Co. is selling the homes for the city.
“One of my favorite things is affordable housing, and it’s something I focus on. I am from west Greenville; I grew up off of West Sixth Street. I see the need for affordable housing in our area. It excites me.”
A similar down payment assistance program allowed a teacher Bunn worked with to reduce her mortgage from $1,800 to $813, a payment lower than what the woman would have paid for a one-bedroom apartment.
It’s a huge savings, it’s helping people be able to afford something, it’s why I love the city of Greenville,” Bunn said.
Anyone interested in learning more about the city’s affordable housing program can call Neighborhood and Business Services at 329-4418 or contact Bunn at 302-4823.
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