Teacher Next Door Blog

Buying a home could be a very overwhelming experience if you do not have the right people on your side.  Mrs. McLean's expertise on the home purchasing process definitely alleviated this burden for me and my family.  I knew she was going to be the right person to work with from the very first time we viewed a property together.  She understood my overwhelming life as a teacher and made accommodations without hesitation to work around my schedule.  Mrs. McLean is very knowledgeable and understood what my family needed from the beginning.  She always knew what to say when times got difficult and gave a generous part of her commission to help with closing costs!  The house she found, it’s the perfect home for us! 

Graciela Cruz,
Primary Teacher
Bryan Elementary
Plant City, FL           

Teacher Next Door would like to thank Cheri Aumond-McLean for her 7 years and counting with Teacher Next Door.  Cheri is a member of the TND Board of Directors and is one of the most kind, generous and thoughtful people we know.  Each year Cheri donates countless hours to our communities along with a generous portion of her personal income to help teachers, students and other families.  She volunteers in the Tampa Bay New Teacher Orientation and the annual Teacher Next Door Supply Our Schools Drive, (SoS) just to name a few.  Thank you, Cheri!  We are blessed to have you in our Teacher Next Door family.

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:

• 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 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 2014 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 in 2007. “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.

While it’s true that home ownership will not solve every problem, we are proud to do our part to help families across America realize their dream of becoming homeowners. 

Housing GRANTS and down payment assistance is currently available for teachers, school employees, nurses and healthcare workers, law enforcement, firefighters, government employees and military families.  For a complete list of available programs you may visit    www.teachernextdoor.us/Home.Buying.Programs.


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Research contributed by Garrett Helminski.

If you are a nurse or other professional working in the healthcare industry, you are eligible for the Nurse Next Door National Home Buying Program.   There is no fee for using the program and the benefits are substantial.

Home Loans: For the mortgage loan, a Nurse Next Door Certified Program Specialist will discuss your individual situation and help you determine which home loan program will benefit you the most.  All loan types are available in connection with the Nurse Next Door Program, including conventional, FHA, VA and USDA.  In addition, you may qualify for special programs such as Fannie Mae’s HomeReady  or Freddie Mac’s HomePossible or HomeOne programs.

Grants: Housing GRANTS up to $6,000.00 are currently available to nurses and healthcare employees.  Depending on the area, these grants may include government grants and/or the Nurse Next Door Grant.  Some of the state specific programs may include Arizona Home in Five, Georgia Dream, Florida First and others. 

Down Payment Assistance: Nurse Next Door works with over thirty different down payment assistance programs, including national programs such as Chenoa and Unison.  Currently, down payment assistance amounts may be up to $10,681.00, depending on your location and individual circumstance.

First Time Home Buyers: The Nurse Next Door Program is not limited to first time home buyers.  However, nurses and healthcare employees who are first time home buyers may also benefit from Nurse Next Door’s First Time Home Buyers Program.

Other Benefits: Nurses and healthcare employees may purchase any home on the market through Nurse Next Door and there are no 3-year residency requirements.  There are no application or up-front fees and the Simple Docs Program, available in most states, may reduce or eliminate the need for you to gather many of the verification documents typically associated with a mortgage loan.   

For more information on the Nurse Next Door Program you may visit www.NurseNextDoorProgram.us or www.teachernextdoor.us/Nurse.   

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