AHFA Board Member, Birmingham public servant and real estate professional Anthony Barnes passed away October 13. Barnes was a former chairman of the Birmingham Water Works Board and founded Barnes & Associates, serving as president and CEO. 

 

"He was a public servant," said longtime friend former Birmingham Mayor Richard Arrington. "He dedicated a lot of his time and energy to that. He made good contributions and provided outstanding leadership." Barnes was appointed to the AHFA board in January 2009 by former Lieutenant Governor Jim Folsom. He is survived by his wife, Mildred, three daughters, a stepson, and six grandchildren.

"When I'm not working my normal job, I'm showing and working with my horses. They are my world," says Gidget Maxwell. That's why privacy, space for her horses to run around and easy access to the horses were some of the things Maxwell was looking for in her home. She got her wish in June 2015 when she moved into her new home in New Market. 

 

Maxwell purchased her home with the help of a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) offered by the Alabama Housing Finance Authority. An MCC reduces the amount of federal income tax homebuyers must pay, which in turn frees up income to qualify for a mortgage. Borrowers can claim a tax credit up to 50 percent of the mortgage interest paid per year, capped at $2,000 annually. It is a dollar-for-dollar reduction against a borrower's federal tax liability. She says, "I needed to stay within a certain number for my monthly payment and an MCC made that possible."