I want to do a quick follow-up to last week's blog about the Northshore Fuller Center. The Northshore Fuller Center has broken ground for its first project. Delores Black, who lost her home during Hurricane Katrina, will have a new place to live. The Northshore Fuller Center and its volunteers will be rebuilding her home. Delores has been trying to rebuild her home for three long years. With help from family and friends, Dolores saved $65,000. She discovered that, even with the money she had saved and the plans a friend drew up for her, she still could not afford to rebuild.
Her daughter, Beverly Black, approached the director, Charlie Park of the Webster Parish covenant partner of Fuller Center, to ask if the center could help her mother. Beverly received the good news that David and Tamara Danel were opening the Northshore Fuller Center in Hammond. After hearing her story, David and Tamara agreed that this was the perfect "first project". Delores Black was in for the surprise of her life. Tamara and Beverly made the official announcement on Mother's Day, during services at the Greater Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church of Belle Chasse, Delores' home church.
The Northshore Fuller Center is off to a great start. I am sure we will hear more about their efforts to improve our community and help our neighbors in the future. Congratulations to Delores Black and to the Northshore Fuller Center.
If you would like to be a part of this effort or want to know more about the Northshore Fuller Center, give Tamara Daniel a call at (985) 507-0732. You may also contact the center by e-mail at northshorela@fullercenter.org.
To become involved or to learn more visit:
Northshore Fuller Center
Fuller Center For Housing
Disaster ReBuilders
Faith Builders Program
Global Builders Program
Greater Blessing Program
RV Builders Program
Student Builders
Millions For Milliard
Mr. Millard Fuller passed away in February 2009. To honor his memory, the Fuller Center for Housing has launched an initiative to raise $1 Million for Millard by August 30th, 2009.
Yvonne Martin & The Martin Team, your Hammond real estate specialists
The Northshore Fuller Center has opened its doors in Hammond. The Northshore Fuller Center is a non-profit organization spearheaded by David and Tamara Danel that serves the housing needs of low-income families in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston.
As with most non-profit organizations, the Northshore Fuller Center needs help. Before you get your checkbook out or look to see if your budget can manage another donation, consider giving your time. The Northshore Fuller Center needs you. You are a valuable commodity within yourself. Volunteers are needed to serve as board members and to serve on various committees. College students to retirees, you are needed; whether you can pick up a phone or swing a hammer, you are needed. There are talents that you may not even know you possess; David and Tamara will be happy to help you discover and develop them.
Housing is more than just a building, it is more than just a roof over our heads and it is more than a shelter from the elements. Homes are more than just sticks and bricks. Houses are our homes, the place we laugh, cry, love and live. Homes are refuges for our children. This is where we express our own personal artistry through our decor and landscaping. Homes are one of the very basic needs of every human; a place to call their own. Our homes influence what we think of ourselves and what we can accomplish in life. Home ownership brings pride and stability to a community. The Northshore Fuller Center for Housing wants to make home ownership a reality for over 250 families in the Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston parishes.
The Northshore Center realizes that there is more to home ownership than just owning the home. For many on a fixed or low-income budget, routine maintenance repairs to their home are more than they can manage. The Northshore Fuller Center will be helping homeowners to help themselves with maintenance improvements to their homes. Well maintained homes benefit everyone in a community.
David and Tamara were personally requested by Mr. Milliard Fuller to establish the Northshore Fuller Center, which is the 50th covenant partner for the Fuller Center for Housing and the third covenant partner in Louisiana. Mr. Fuller's vision was to provide homes for every family in the world with dignity. Rather than give them charity, he gave them pride of ownership. Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing provide homeowners a means to purchase their homes or pay for the needed repairs by giving them loans to match their ability to pay. These loans are interest free and no financing costs are factored into the loans.
Help change the world one home at a time; call Tamara at 985-507-0732.
Millions For Milliard
Mr. Millard Fuller passed away in February 2009. To honor his memory, the Fuller Center for Housing has launched an initiative to raise $1 Million for Millard by August 30th, 2009.
To become involved or to learn more visit:
Northshore Fuller Center
Fuller Center For Housing
Disaster ReBuilders
Faith Builders Program
Global Builders Program
Greater Blessing Program
RV Builders Program
Student Builders
Bike Trip
The always fun and exciting Tickfaw Italian Festival will kick off this Saturday, April 18th with a Spaghetti Cook-Off. The Spaghetti Cook-Off will be held near the White Pavilion at the railroad tracks in Tickfaw. Everyone is invited to watch the competing chefs. So, bring a chair, soak up some sun and cheer the cooks!
On Wednesday, the First Guaranty Bank will host an open house at the Tickfaw City Hall (5pm).
The Tickfaw Italian Celebration and Festival will be held next weekend (April 24-26). The festival will be held at Tickfaw's Our Lady Of Pompeii Baseball Park. The fun begins on Friday night at 6 pm. Kenny Fife and the Bac Trac Band will provide entertainment until 9 pm. Following Kenny will be the Van Broussard & Bayou Boggie Band, who will play until midnight.
A parade will be rolling though town at 10 am, so arrive a little early to get a great curbside seat. The official Opening Ceremonies are slated for noon at the Festival grounds. Saturday's entertainment will be provided by Broken Silence (12pm), the energetic Bag of Donuts (2pm), Destiny (5pm), Rhythm Kings (7pm) and Todd O'Neal (9pm).
Sunday's activities will begin with celebration mass at Our Lady of Pompeii Church. An appearance by Miss Louisiana Blair Abene is scheduled at 10 am. If you are a closet singer or a public one, you are sure to enjoy Karoke (11-2). Donino's will be providing the entertainment until the closing of the festival at 6 pm.
You know that the food will be great, with various booths offering Italian specialities. The culinary delight of Italian sausage or down-home Louisiana alligator sausage will be available for your enjoyment. The Boy Scouts of America will be serving that all-American favorite: hamburgers. You can wash down the great food with a little beer or even a Daiquiri.
Arts and crafts booths will dot the landscape and carnival rides are available for kids of all ages. The live entertainment will be performed on two separate stages.
Come celebrate the Italian immigrants who helped to make Louisiana the great state it is!
Yvonne Martin, The Martin Team
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the Tangipahoa School System Proposed a New Plan. Your input regarding the plan is being requested by city leaders and the Tangipahoa School System. The proposed plan is important to all of us, especially those with children in our school system and future students. Please review the Educational Plan so that you can give your opinion and suggestions. Public forums are being planned for April 18th and 19th.
Mayor Foster (City of Hammond) is calling for your input as well: "I am asking the public to let me know your thoughts, concerns and suggestions on the school system's proposed desegregation plan, so that I can, as your representative, voice your needs to the school system and its designees." You can email the Mayor at schoolplan@hammond.org.
The education plan is an issue we must be involved in. The new desegregation plan is not a choice, as the Tangipahoa School System is under a federal order to desegregate the parish school system. The plan is currently still a draft, but the final plan must be submitted to the court on April 30. The educational plan includes a new tax of 1 cent to fund the approximate $183.4 million in school improvements. If the plan is approved, the tax will go to vote in October.
Be involved. Send an email to the Mayor and attend the public forums. Remember, this is a proposed plan. However, the plan must be finalized for approval by April 30. Time is running out.
Yvonne Martin, The Martin Team
Tangipahoa Homeowners should know that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is providing help for delinquent and non-delinquent homeowners. Last month, the Treasury Department announced its Making Home Affordable programs. Making Home Affordable provides two options for homeowners, refinancing and loan modifications. The programs are aimed at homeowners who are struggling to meet their mortgage obligations. The Home Affordable Refinance program is for homeowners who have been making their mortgage payments on time but are struggling to do so. The program allows qualifying homeowners to take advantage of today's historically low fixed interest rates. The program even allows homeowners who have seen a decline in values to participate. Because the lender already has much of the homeowners' information on file. the refinancing process should take less time and be less costly than conventional refinancing.
The Home Affordable Refinance program is only available for home loans which are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Home Affordable Loan Modification program is aimed at the at-risk homeowner as well as homeowners currently in the foreclosure process. Loan modifications may reduce loan payments to 31% of the homeowner's gross monthly income. Loan modification includes reduction of payments, loan balance forgiveness and extension of the loan up to 40 years. The Home Affordable Loan Modification program has been designed to work in conjunction with the FHA Hope For Homeowners program as well. To apply for the Home Affordable Refinance or Loan Modification programs, homeowners must qualify under the guidelines of the Making Home Affordable program.
Tangipahoa homeowners should be aware that there are scams afoot which charge you for services in seeking loan modifications. Please do not be taken in by those who prey on others. Free help is available at HomeownerHope.org for homeowners seeking a loan modification. At this site, you will find a questionnaire which helps to determine what federal and/or local programs are available. The site also provides a free checklist and call log to assist you when you contact your lender. In addition you can sign up for a free newsletter which will keep you up-to-date on any changes to programs which may assist you.
The Making Home Affordable website offers a free online tool to determine your eligibility for both refinancing and loan modification options available to homeowners. Any Tangipahoa homeowner that has experienced a job loss, a reduction in their income, foresees their house payment increasing or is struggling with their current mortgage payment would be wise to check out the Making Home Affordable Refinance program. If you are a Tangipahoa "at-risk" homeowner or if you are behind in your mortgage, you should contact your lender regarding a loan modification. Lenders are receiving incentive funds from the government when they help you modify your loan.
Yvonne Martin, providing real estate services for buyers and sellers. Areas servedL Hammond, Ponchatolua, Tickfaw, Loranger, Amite, Robert, Kentwood, Albany, Covington, Springfield, and Livingston.
Free Relocation Package Ask the Experts Special Report
I once heard a saying that "People don't care what you know until they know you care." That saying has become my standard in real estate. I want each and every client to know that I do care.
With my focus on Technology and my tremendous investments in marketing programs and my constant increases in advertising venues I strive to be the best real estate agent in the market, never losing focus on what is important, you, the client.
If you want an agent, who displays dedication and competence; someone who knows the area, and someone who cares about you and your family, then call me. When you are ready to buy or sell, I make this pledge to you: That I will be the hardest working, most trustworthy and simply the right person for you to hire.
This is the business that I have chosen. This is the business that feeds, clothes and shelters my family. I tell you this to let you know that if you want quality service, a name you can trust and a person working hard for you, then hire me. You'll see that I am different from most. I rely completely on this business and so I treat each and every client as if they were a true friend and most are.
If you are moving into the area or if you have been here for years and are ready to step up or down. I am here to help you "come home". I specialize in the Hammond, Ponchatoula, Covington and surrounding areas' real estate market. I strive for excellence to ensure quality service and a real estate team you can trust.
My family has been in the area since the 1850's. I have been a Realtor in the area for several years. I understand the unique niche that the Hammond, Covington, Ponchatoula, Springfield, Albany, Amite, and surrounding communities have to offer. I have been here a while and I understand the complexities of the region and the people that I serve.
Here's What They're Saying:
Thank you Yvonne, I have never been happier. I was looking for a nice home and surroundings to retire in and very happy with our choice. We couldn't have done it without you and I will always remember that and I will continue to spread yyour name. A lot of people know about you but aren't ready to make a move yet, but I still feel that they will....sooner or later. Thx much!! - Mike Lutz
~~~ I wanted to take a m-nute to thank you again for all the hard work you did in assisting my husband and me in purchasing our first home. Without your help we would have been totally lost. I was awed by your knowledge and expertise. You guided us through the entire process with professionalism and dedication. I'm sure ours was a small purchase compared to other clients'; however, you made us feel just as important. You were readily available to answer questions, you returned calls promptly, and you went out of your way to complete and deliver paper work in a timely fashion. I was amazed at how well the entire purchasing process flowed. I remember first seeing the house on June 11, and we had the closing on June 27. We could not have had such a quick and problem free transaction without your guidance.
It's been three months now, and we are completely satisfied with our decision. We were well-informed buyers due to our wonderful agent.
Thanks again for your hard work. We will definitely recommend you to anyone we know. _ Ora Lynn Anderson Smith
~~~ Yvonne Martin was my agent three years ago. Prior to my meeting her, I had been looking for the right house for one year, to no avail. I was exhausted and frustrated when we met. She was amazing. After my first meeting with Yvonne, she got a firm grasp on the type of house I was looking for. Within days, I had a purchase agreement on my dream home. She was a pleasure to work with, and extremely effective in carrying out her duties. She later sold a property for me, which again, she did an exceptional job. All I had to do was show up to sign the paperwork at closing. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a new home. - Jennifer V. Daigle
~~~ Yvonne is a great agent! She sold our house quickly despite difficult market conditions. Through Keller Williams, she has access to current market data, which she used to help us price our home and develop strategies for marketing it. She was prompt in getting our house featured in their on-line sites and also in returning phone calls. She was diligent about contacting potential buyers, and showed our home often while it was on the market. She advised us well throughout the process. Working with Yvonne was a very good experience, and we would certainly use her services again in the future. - Carl and Toni Phillips
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