Fulton County, Cobb County and APD Solutions Collaborate to Provide Homeownership to Displaced Cobb Resident

Tonia Brower is literally “Home for the Holidays,” since closing on her new South Fulton home.  She purchased a formerly foreclosed home on Thursday, December 13, 2012, after it was completely rehabbed like new using funding through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP).  The home is move-in ready with new appliances, fixtures and is overall a beautiful home. The closing was the result of a cooperative effort among Fulton County, its Development Partner APD Solutions and Cobb County to help Brower to obtain the home after her rental home in Cobb was claimed under eminent domain for road improvements.

Brower allowed Fulton County and APD Solutions to publicize the purchase of her home on Friday, December 21, 2012, to encourage others to seek homeownership despite challenges and to help inform citizens on the availability of NSP homes for purchase by qualified buyers in need of affordable housing.

The cooperative effort included the following actions:

• Cobb County provided $24,822 in relocation funds while Fulton County’s Department of Housing and Human Services NSP program provided $1,141.81 for closing costs and an $8,400.00 subsidy to complete the purchase.
• APD Solutions acquired the foreclosed property, oversaw the construction activities, marketed and maintained the home. Additionally, as program manager, the APDS Buyer Services team will work with Brower for the next 6 years to ensure she is sustaining homeownership through monthly contact.

Brower must maintain the home as her primary residence for six years and participate in a Post-Purchase Home Buyer Education Class after one year of occupancy with an HUD approved agency and Post Counseling with Fulton County’s Housing Counselor after 6 months of occupancy to ensure that she has the knowledge to maintain financial stability. Brower is excited about the Home Buyer Education Class and she has offered to attend the classes once monthly to educate other buyers on the value of Buyer Education.

Brower says that when she learned of the opportunity to purchase the home, she was excited and grateful.  As Brower put it, “I felt that I had just been blessed because I always wanted to own my own home.”

 Brower found the home while searching the internet for a new residence after Cobb officials informed her of the planned road improvements.  Brower says that they gave her a choice of finding new rental accommodations or using the money to purchase a new home. When Brower found the home, she contacted the realtor to determine if it qualified for down payment assistance, and it did.
NSP attempts to stabilize neighborhoods that have declined because of numerous foreclosures through the acquisition and rehabilitation of foreclosed, abandoned or vacant residential and multi-family properties.  All dwellings are purchased at a discount and sold to buyers at a reasonable market rate.

For more information about NSP, contact Lolita Collins at 404-612-8067 or email Lolita.Collins@fultoncountyga.gov or APD Solutions at 404-921-3131 or email at info@apdsolutions.com.