One of Jonathon's most successful clients was Monika Mayer. Monika found that renting was inconvenient and difficult. Increases in her monthly rent and trying management companies  

Monika and Denise being interviewed about her story on  WKAR.

made life at home harder than it needed to be. When Monika decided to purchase a home, she was surprised to discover some unanticipated obstacles to her goal of homeownership.  

One of Monika's first challenges was finding knowledgeable, reputable people to work with throughout the process. She recalls that an agent "tried to pressure me into buying sub-standard properties and even offered land contracts". With the help of CFH and the Home Buyer's Club, she was able to quickly and precisely identify who could help and what needed to be accomplished in order to get the keys to the house of her dreams. She speaks with a relieved tone when she talks of finding "a Housing Counselor who worked with me in finding the right lenders and resources that made home ownership a reality". CFH's educational workshops helped Monika learn effective financial management strategies, including how to increase savings and manage debt.  

One of the most important reasons Monika decided to purchase was a more fixed location for her family. When talking about the moving that is common place when renting properties, she said, "My children did not handle these changes well, and I realized that more than anything they needed stability". Often times, children are forced to change schools and extra circular activities when moving makes them infeasible or unpractical. Monika goes on to add, "Owning this home means a lot to us, I picture birthday parties, and my kids happy playing in our yard. I wish everyone could be as lucky as we are". Homeownership can not only improve physical living conditions, but also the personal and social lives of many individuals and families. Monika says she has only one regret about the home buying process, "I only wish I would have been referred to The Center for Financial Health in the beginning". Congratulations, Monica! 

Undoubtedly, one of the most memorable highlights from this year has been the launch of the Lansing Home Buyer's Club. The Home Buyer's Club is supported by a partnership between CFH and the Ingham County Land Bank. It was featured in multiple articles in the Lansing State Journal, including a guest opinion column written by our executive director, Denise Keiser, as well as another editorial featuring Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing.  The Home Buyer's Club is a collection of resources provided to new and potential homebuyers. Ideally, the club is designed to assist those who are looking to buy, but have objectives to accomplish in the medium to long term to purchase a home. To date, 70 individuals have joined the Home Buyer's Club. The Home Buyer's Club furthers CFH's goal of providing a holistic housing counseling experience for residents. A combination of individualized counseling, group education, and a network of continued support, provide that experience to members of our community. However, the Home Buyer's Club is much more than a singular function, it's an opportunity to improve lives and enhance communities.   

Homeownership promotes a stable family environment. Children of homeowners tend to report fewer behavior problems in school, as well as a decreased dropout rate. Homeowners are more likely to be civic minded because, on average, they vote and volunteer more often. For people who are looking to put an active stake in ownership of their community, they are owed the opportunity to access the resources to make their purchase as successful as possible.  

Resources like the Home Buyer Club, shouldn't be extended to just those who are ready to complete the process in its entirety, it should also be inclusive to those who may need an extended amount of time to prepare for their purchase. The Club serves as a benchmark for those who are taking incremental approach to their process of home purchase. Rather than having a potential buyer meander through the trials of the purchase process, buyers can have the confidence of access to a network of professionals to support what their hopes and aspirations are. Home buying is what the buyer needs it to be. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that is appropriate, which is why it's absolutely crucial to connect buyers to a resource which offers assistance geared toward the individual and their particular needs, whatever they may be.

While the end of the year brings many culminating events and celebrations, it also signals the beginning of property tax season. Arguably our busiest time of the year, Property Tax Season allows us to serve a clientele who we most likely wouldn't be able to otherwise. Through a partnership with the Ingham County Treasurer's Office, CFH became the exclusive counseling agency featured on the mailings sent out to tax delinquent homeowners last year.  This also led to an expansion of our efforts to counseling renters who are losing their rental because their landlord has failed to pay the property taxes. This past year, we served nearly 100 clients with property tax related issues and hope to top that number this year.  

We've had numerous successful outcomes with clients, some of which have even been featured in the Lansing State Journal. Many have misconceptions when it comes to individuals who have trouble paying their property taxes. Typically, a client has every intention of fulfilling their property tax obligation, but unanticipated expenses get in the way. This is exactly why earlier this year Step Forward Michigan approved the use of Hardest Hit Funds for property tax assistance. Yet, during a counseling appointment with a client, we are concerned with more than whether or not the client will receive financial assistance from Step Forward Michigan, or any other entity for that matter.  

When a client meets with a housing counselor, the counselor first establishes what the tax forfeiture timeline looks like for the particular county that the client lives in. The counselor then goes over the financial situation of the client. From this, the counselor extrapolates what a sustainable tax repayment plan will be for that client. With this in mind, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that they can actually properly prepare for and pay their taxes long into the future. Our counselors, especially for those who may not have a mortgage, strongly encourage our clients to set up an escrow account for their property taxes. Even further, we recommend setting up automatic deposits into those accounts to ensure that the money is always there for an expense that they will always have as long as they're a homeowner. Our tax clients represent a broader approach that we take for all that come through our doors. This approach is our effort to truly empower our clients, rather than merely assisting them. Allowing our clients to make independent decisions is at the core of our counseling philosophy and we believe it leads to self-sufficiency and success.

CFH continues to lead through innovation and 2014 will be no different. We will be introducing two new, interactive seminars for homeowners next year. Our Post-Purchase workshop will focus on practices that can be adopted by new homeowners to ensure a healthy, safe home that will last long into the future. This includes different ways to conserve energy and practical home maintenance tips. Our Life After Foreclosure class puts a focus on homeowners who have been through foreclosure in the recent past and desire to build a good financial foundation going forward. This workshop will focus on financial planning, rebuilding credit, and multiple ways to prioritize expenses. The ultimate goal of this seminar is for participants to gain added financial security and an opportunity for homeownership again in the future. All workshops require prior registration which can be done over the phone at 517-708-2550, or on our website.    

*All housing statistics: National Association of Realtors, U.S. Economic Outlook: December 2013.   

All of the new accomplishments from this past year would be impossible without the continued help of our supporters. We would like to take a moment to offer our appreciation for those who have believed in the mission of the agency and made this year the best one yet. Most sincerely, thank you.

Michigan Credit Union League  

PNC Foundation

Chase Bank

Fifth Third Bank

Flagstar Bank 

*All housing statistics: National Association of Realtors, U.S. Economic Outlook: December 2013.