Owning a home had always been in Moe Outley’s long term plan for his family, he just wasn’t sure how or when it would happen. After attending a number of open houses with his wife Tia, they decided to get serious and approach their bank to find out about a loan. Their bank recommended they take advantage of Home HeadQuarters’ home purchase programs.  

Moe describes his experience as a first-time homebuyer as “less than a roller coaster and more like a speedster.” Just completing Home HeadQuarters’ Nationally-Certified Homebuyer Education course in November, the family raced full speed ahead and purchased their first home in the Skunk City neighborhood, closing on the house the first week of March.

Before purchasing their new home, the Outley’s had rented a townhome that was becoming too small for their family of five. They had one bathroom to share, very little space outside for the kids to play and their rent was about to go up. With their new home, the family has upgraded to two bathrooms, a full yard, with plans for a basketball court, and they are paying less for their mortgage than their monthly rent.

The Outley’s found everything about the class helpful, “Home HeadQuarters was on point, they didn’t pull any punches,” said Moe. The family’s new home is one of Home HeadQuarters’ fully rehabbed, move-in ready homes that they were able to purchase with a Skunk City Community Initiatives Program purchase/rehab grant, made possible through the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County, as well as Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance through Home HeadQuarters. These funds helped to significantly reduce what the Outley’s needed to bring to the table for closing. Loan and grant programs are still available in the Skunk City neighborhood for owners and investors (click here for a target area map and more information).

As new homeowners the family is excited to invest in their property and already have a “to do” list, like using some of their Community Initiatives grant money for additional landscaping.  Their advice for folks currently looking for a new home is to remember, “Like anything in life, buying a home is a process and you need to be willing to go through some inclines,” or even prepare yourself for a very quick ride.

BEFORE	AFTER