Kelly
Grant recipient and homeowner
Own It Building Black Wealth is an AMAZING program. The program teaches the importance of budgeting and why planning can lead to building wealth. A plan to save, a plan to increase your credit score and, of course, a plan to build wealth through homeownership. The program also explains why the building of generational wealth through homeownership has eluded Black families for so long.
Own It also prepares you for the home buying experience by letting you know what is needed so that you can be prepared. The COVID pandemic and my battle with breast cancer the same year really took a toll on me and my finances. I didn’t think I would be able to buy a home after working so hard towards that goal for many years. The Own It grant made it all possible!
I’m so grateful for the experience I have had with Own It and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to start building generational wealth through homeownership!!
Jodi P.
Grant recipient and homeowner
I am incredibly grateful for the OWN IT program. My journey was 9 months of peaks and valleys, with the OWN IT team supporting me along the way.
The two most impactful parts for me were the homeownership course and the grant. The 4-week homeownership education course provided an introduction of what to expect into this process. It provided vocabulary and information about the steps in the process that were new to me and I would refer back to in my journey. OWN IT, in some ways, provided an introduction to speaking the language of home buying. This helped with not being so overwhelmed.
Additionally, the $15,000 grant afforded me the ability to provide a stronger offer, in an incredibly difficult market to complete in. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to purchase my first home in this market. I am excited to see how OWN IT continues to lead the way in addressing the gaps in Black homeownership in our area.
Patty A. and Anthony H.
Grant recipients and homeowners
We want to thank OWN IT and all of the great speakers and leaders. They made it easy to understand what being a homeowner truly is and what to expect. It was a push that we needed and we are super grateful for this opportunity from OWN IT and One City Schools. We can’t wait for this new chapter in life in OUR own home.
Gloria J.
Grant recipient and homeowner
I want to start by saying, thank you. Thank you for giving me the ability to believe in myself and believe that I could start this journey into becoming a homeowner. When I got my pre-approval I was in tears as I had been denied twice before and was scared I would be denied again. The OWN IT classes showed me how to increase my chances of getting approved and gave me hope. Your team has been a blessing in my life. Thank you.
Raghiatou B.
Grant recipient and homeowner
Thank you everyone for this great opportunity! As a single mom of two, this grant means a lot to me and my family. This program has taught me so much about building and maintaining wealth. I learned about how important it is to have an emergency fund saved up for rainy days, how to set ‘SMART’ goals, how to be a wise spender, which valuables are more of an asset, how to build my credit, and more. I am also looking forward to learning more about building equity and all it takes to be a homeowner in the monthly cohorts! I can’t wait to become a new homeowner this summer for the first time ever!
Kelsey G.
Grant recipient and homeowner
My closing was a couple months ago, and it hasn’t felt real since then because I haven’t been actually in the house. Today, getting the keys, it feels more real and really exciting to have my own home.
I for sure would have had to renew my lease on my apartment for at least another two years while I was saving up money for a down payment. Before I found out about the OWN IT program, I had sorta projected out how long it was going to take me to save about the same amount of money — my plan was to save about $16,000 and to get started with the process — and I had thought it was going to take probably about four years to be able to get there.
Just hearing about all the different people that were involved that I was going to have to find — like finding a lender, a realtor, and really knowing where to go to get started with that process or who to talk to — and just being really intimidated by that process. That’s how I was feeling before the OWN IT program.
