Realtors, your "Mission Impossible" if you choose to accept it!!

I just completed the Georgia Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Informational Class recently and as I was listening to the instructor and observing this room filled with licensed real estate brokers and agents, this thought crossed my mind "If this room filled with licensed professionals who deal in real estate daily are not aware of all of these grant programs, then how in the world does a lay person have any chance to find out the details?" and "If this room filled with licensed real estate brokers and agents is having a hard time understanding all of the qualifications and how the programs work, then how in the world is the average Joe (or Jane - just to be politically correct) going to understand this?"

Then that's when it hit me! This is just like Mission Impossible! I couldn't help but think about the old "Mission Impossible" TV Series. Not the movie with the young and handsome Tom Cruise, but the one with the old, gray-haired Peter Graves. At the beginning of each episode, Peter Graves (or Jim Phelps was the character's name) would receive a tape, a hidden recording, from his superiors in the most inconspicuous places. In this recording he would receive his instructions along with some pictures regarding the mission. I can still remember the classic phrase always contained in the tape (I will have to paraphrase): "Proceed as per our instructions and in the event you or any member of your team should be caught or killed, then the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.... Your mission, should you decide to accept it is this........") and then after the IMPOSSIBLE MISSION was given, then the voice on the other end of the tape would say"Good luck, Jim!" and the tape would self-destruct. All of their missions were "nearly impossible", but they prevailed and succeeded every time!

Realtor's Mission Impossible: To decipher, learn, understand and be able to communicate to the Buyers and Sellers about all of these governmental programs available today. A job that is nearly impossible. These are great programs, but they are very complicated to lay persons. Although not easy to understand, the government has made them available and hopefully the use of these programs will help absorb a significant amount of our inventory. Between the current Foreclosure prevention, loan refinance and loan modification programs currently available and the use of these new grants available, I'm hopeful that we can help reduce the number of foreclosures, keep homeowners in their homes, reduce the amount of foreclosures entering the market and reduce the over- supply of inventory. Realtors, learn these programs and any new ones that come out, host a homebuyers seminar, host a foreclosure prevention seminar, use public libraries (most of them will be free for public education), etc. GET THE WORD OUT!

Some of these programs available in Georgia are:

The Georgia Dream NSP Purchase Discount Program

HUD Homes

First Time Homebuyer's Affordable Housing Program (through Federal Home Loan Bank)

NACA

Gwinnett County Georgia's HomeStretch Program

In Atlanta: Home Atlanta Downpayment Assistance Program, Opportunity Downpayment Assistance Program, Beltline Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Atlanta Affordable Homeownership Program and Vine City/English Ave Trust Fund Program

Dekalb County, Georgia's First-Time Homebuyer Downpayment Assistance Program

FHA 203K Rehabilitation Loans

And don't forget to mention the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit for First-Time Homebuyers and the $1,800 Georgia Tax Credit !!!

Realtors, your mission is this:

"Proceed to learn as much as you possibly can so that you can educate and help the public and in the event you or any member of your office should get stuck or not understand, then YOU will assist them. This is your mission, should you decide to accept it! Good luck, Realtors!"

We can do this!!!

John Michelena

www.AmerivestRealtyOfAtlanta.com