A single dad, Danny, was raising his daughter Lily himself and dreamed of providing a more stable environment for her. But he knew he had some work to do regarding his finances before he could make that dream come true. He never gave up. Finally, Danny found his dream home, a 2- bedroom, 1-bath residence with a big yard and lots of light coming in from the windows. He loves that he doesn’t have to move anymore, and that Lily can attend the same school without having to make a change. He loves the area and enjoys seeing the neighbors outside and kids playing.

With Mom Lisa at his side, Danny attended Neighborhood Home Solutions Zoom classes from the privacy of his home. HUD Certified Counselor and Education Facilitator, Cindy Marks, was impressed with Danny’s dedication to his educational component. Participating in the Homebuyer Education Class, Danny gained an essential understanding of the home buying process and learned the importance of a sound budget and good credit through attendance in the Financial Fitness Class. With his mother’s help, Danny gathered the necessary documents together so that he was able to meet with his HUD Certified NHS counselor, Diane Sardone. With Lisa’s helping hand, Danny and Diane were able to develop a Home Ownership Action Plan, which outlined the essential steps to financially prepare for homeownership.

They say it takes a village and that was certainly the case for Danny. He found the guest speakers at the classes particularly helpful, choosing both his realtor (Leona Belhassen – Forever Florida Real Estate) and lender (Robyn Fiel – Synovus Bank) from among them.
Weathering two back-to-back hurricanes, Danny’s first year as a homeowner has certainly been challenging. But his ability to host Thanksgiving Dinner in his own home this year made it all worthwhile.

If you ask Danny why he wanted to become a homeowner, he will say “Buying a home means I am here for good. I now have the forever home I’ve always wanted.”