Teacher Next Door Blog

Congratulations Angie, on your beautiful new home in Texas! Thank you for the 5-star review!  We were excited to be part of your journey!

Angie is a nurse in the Lufkin area, and was able to take advantage of the Nurse Next Door grants and benefits. Here is what she had to say about her experience with the program.

Wonderful!

Nurse Next Door Realtor: Angie Williams
Nurse Next Door Loan Officer: Jess Peternell

"Thank you so much! You have been so wonderful and helped me so much!! Thank you for answering all of my endless questions and making this process go so smoothly!”
Madison McMullen
Lufkin, TX

More Nurse Next Door Reviews

For more reviews, please visit www.teachernextdoor.us/reviews.

Most recent reviews of the Officer Next Door National Home Buying Program:

Very Knowledgeable!

Officer Next Door Realtor: Tracie Chicoine
Officer Next Door Loan Officer: Drew DiMessa

"Very knowledgeable! Super helpful with making every step of the process make sense!”
Julia Taylor
Mesa, AZ

Great Team!

Officer Next Door Realtor: Tamarah Taylor
Officer Next Door Loan Officer: Drew DiMessa

"Drew and his team were amazing. I loved the open communication. This was my first home buying experience, and I had a great team”
Cyntell H.
Lanham, MD

Most recent reviews of the Firefighter Next Door National Home Buying Program:

Excellent Experience!

Firefighter Next Door Realtor: Kyle Savage
Firefighter Next Door Loan Officer: Philip Prince

"Excellent experience! As a first time home buyer, it was a very intimidating endeavor, I didn't know where to even start. Some nurse colleagues of mine recommended looking into the Nurse Next Door program and it was the best advice I could have taken. Once I spoke with Philip Prince he took all the anxiety of the new and unknown away. He is very down-to-earth and easy to talk to, he took the time to explain everything, gave me tips on ensuring it was a smooth loan process, and was available and responsive. Kudos to his team as well, Karoline Aung Khin was wonderful in making sure I had all necessary documentation for approval. Thank you Philip and Karoline for making things so easy, that the only stressful part of this process was packing up and moving everything to my new home!!!”
April Passetti
Tunkhannock, PA

Great Buying Experience!

Firefighter Next Door Realtor: Troy Thomas
Firefighter Next Door Loan Officer: Drew DiMessa

"Drew was so great during our first ever home buying experience! He answered any and all questions we had promptly. He made sure we understood each part of the buying process and never hesitated to answer. We couldn't have done it without him and his team!”
Geralyn Hawkins
Houston, TX

Most recent reviews of the Soldier Next Door National Home Buying Program:

Made it Happen!

Soldier Next Door Realtor: Russel Cary
Soldier Next Door Loan Officer: Brian Cohrt

"I highly recommend working with Brian! We didn’t think it would be possible to buy a home just 2 years after graduating college but thought we’d give it a shot, and Brian really helped us make that happen! He answered any and all questions we had throughout the process.”
Claudia Sanford
Grand Forks, ND

Great Job!

Soldier Next Door Realtor: Sarah Schroeder
Soldier Next Door Loan Officer: Brian Cohrt

"Did a great job from beginning to end. He really does know his stuff :)”
Will Telsrow
Williston, ND

Infographic: Home Ownership Net Worth Comparison
Source: Forbes

Teacher Next Door’s stated mission is to increase home ownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing, free from discrimination. So why is home ownership so important? The following research from multiple sources speak clearly to the importance of home ownership in America.

KEY FACTS

• Homeowners net worth, on average, is more than 3,600 percent higher than renters. (Source: Forbes)
  
  
• Children of homeowners are significantly more likely to stay in school until age 17 than children of renters, especially in low-income households, according to a study in the Journal of Urban Economics.
  
  
• Children in home owning families outperform children in renting families in both math and reading achievement tests, even when other factors are the same. These children will have fewer behavioral problems, higher educational attainment and greater future earnings, according to a study by an Ohio State University Ohio State University economist.
  
  
• The graduation rate for children of homeowners is 19 percent higher than for renters, and they are twice as likely to acquire some post secondary education, according to a study in a journal published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
  
  
• A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston of homes with a student about to enter college found that a modest increase in home value for homeowners led to an increase in the child’s earnings later in life, while an increase in a property’s value for renters led to a decrease in the child’s earnings.
  
  

“A safe, decent, affordable home is like a vaccine,” Dr. Megan Sandel of the Boston University School of Medicine testified to Congress. “It literally prevents disease. A safe home can prevent mental health and developmental problems, a decent home may prevent asthma or lead poisoning, and an affordable home can prevent stunted growth and unnecessary hospitalizations.”

Is Home Ownership Still Affordable?

Home prices have risen sharply over the past twelve months, which of course is why owning your own home represents such a good investment. However, despite the recent rise in prices, finding a home that works within your budget may not be as hard as you think.

In recent months, home prices have stabilized in many markets across the U.S., and even though the Federal Reserve has increased its benchmark interest rate, it was adjusted from near an all-time low, to a more typical level. So, mortgage rates today are still at an affordable level for most buyers and are far below some of the double-digit rates of the past.

Should I Wait to Buy a Home?

It may be tempting to want to wait for home prices or interest rates to drop, but that could prove to be a costly mistake. The fed has promised to boost interest rates again. And according to Steve Parks, National Director of Next Door Programs, “Even though home prices have stabilized, there’s no cliff dive on the horizon. The underlying fundamentals of the market ate still strong.”

“Even though home prices have stabilized, there’s no cliff dive on the horizon. The underlying fundamentals of the market ate still strong.”

The good news is, with the recent change in market conditions, many cash investors, including Zillow, have stopped, or slowed their home buying spree. Inventory has started to increase and there are less instances of purchase offers turning into bidding wars. In fact, Zillow recently announced plans to sell 7,000 homes, and according to Bloomberg, as many as two-thirds were being sold for less than the company paid for them.

So, despite some of the gloomy headlines, there are some tremendous opportunities in this market, and this may be an excellent time to buy. Purchasing a home now, could set you up for success in the future.

What Assistance is Available?

Available in all fifty states and DC, Teacher Next Door and Next Door Programs is the largest national home buying program in the United States, with access to over thirty-five different grant and down payment assistance programs. 

GRANTS

Next Door Programs offers grants of up to $8,000.00. Grants never have to be repaid and may be comprised of any combination of state, Federal and privately funded programs.

Down Payment Assistance

Through Next Door Programs, you could qualify for down payment assistance of up to $10,681.00. Like the grants, the down payment assistance programs may be comprised of any combination of state, Federal and privately funded programs. Most down payment assistance programs require some form of repayment, although some state programs may offer a forgivable loan, after a certain period. (Three years in some cases.) 

Examples:

Through the program, you may be able to qualify for a state-specific government program, such as Arizona Home in Five, California CalPLUS, Colorado FirstStep, Iowa IFA, Nevada NHD Home is Possible, Ohio Your Choice, Texas 5-Star Advantage or Utah UHC. Next Door Programs also utilizes national programs, such as Chenoa Fund, Home Ready and others. When you apply, a Next Door Certified Program Specialist will help you determine which loan and assistance programs will help you receive the maximum benefits and which programs may be combined.

Summary 

While it’s true that home ownership will not solve every problem, home ownership still matters, possibly now more than ever. And with increasing inventory, fewer multiple-offer situations, and a wide variety of home buyer assistance programs, now may be an excellent time to buy. Next Door Programs is proud to help families across the United States realize their dream of becoming homeowners.

Next Door Programs:

Congratulations to the Huynh Family on your beautiful new home in Georgia! Anh is a nurse in the Jonesboro area, and was able to take advantage of the Nurse Next Door Grant and other program benefits. Thank you for being a nurse.  We are happy to be part of your journey!

Nurse Next Door Reviews

Most recent reviews of the Public Servant Next Door National Home Buying Program:

Diligent and Consistent!

Public Servant Next Door Realtor: Nicholas Hugley
Public Servant Next Door Loan Officer: Drew DiMessa

"Drew worked hard to help us. He was diligent & a consistent communicator. He kept us constantly updated, informed, & assisted us whenever we needed help. He was readily available to answer any questions we had & was able to break them down, so it was easier to comprehend. He alleviated much of the hardships that come with the process & was an invaluable resource.”
Michael Pena
Houston, TX

Amazing!

Public Servant Next Door Realtor: Charlotta Henley
Public Servant  Next Door Loan Officer: Philip Prince

"Dani really helped with the process and did amazing with keeping things in check! They helped make it less stressful!”
Eleni Georgiou 
Toms River, NJ

Nurse Next Door Reviews July 2023

Wonderful to Work With!

Nurse Next Door Realtor: Eric Torres
Nurse Next Door Loan Officer: Kendall Grady

"Kendall was wonderful to work with. He was patient, kind, and always understanding. He took the time to explain each step of the loan process. We appreciate everything he did to make our dream home a reality."
Rae Portwine
Dallas, TX

Great Experience!

Nurse Next Door Realtor: Kathleen Booker
Nurse Next Door Loan Officer: Bryan Friedman

"It was a great experience working with Bryan and his team. He was very responsive and made the process smooth. Also, he made all the information clear and easy to understand. I would highly recommend him!"
Ada Blanchard
Houston, TX

More Nurse Next Door Reviews

Congratulations to the Guggino Family, on your beautiful new home in California! Thank you for the 5-star review! We were excited to be part of your journey!

Patrick teaches in the Long Beach area, and was able to take advantage of the Teacher Next Door grants and benefits. Here is what they had to say about their experience with the program.

Always Upfront!

Teacher Next Door Realtor: Kelly Hughes
Teacher Next Door Loan Officer: Brian Cohrt

"Brian worked with us from the beginning with the Teacher Next Door program. He was always upfront about anything, good or bad, but would always try to see a way through any issue that arose. He was in constant communication with us about the status of things or if he needed anything. And on top of all of his technical knowledge on how to negotiate the mortgage landscape, he is just an incredibly nice guy.”
Patrick Guggino
Long Beach, CA

More Teacher Next Door Reviews