News

Being confined at home to ease the curve didn’t mean holding us from working toward our clients’ dreams.

During these past months, Carlos, our lending manager, kept in close contact with many families who wanted to see their dream to have a home come true. Daniel and Mariellys were looking to buy their first home. He is a veteran who served in the Armed Forces and was interested in available VA loans.

Seeing prospect houses, exchanging the necessary documentation, but above all, keeping the communication open, when no one could leave their homes, was not easy, and as Daniel says, many times both parties have almost had to reinvent the wheel (at least the wheel that drives the relationship between first-time buyers and the lending agent, in this case, Carlos from NHSSF). But the effort and long working hours are always worth it.

After many weeks of hard work and dedication, Daniel and Mariellys signed the purchase of their first home, with a 100% Veterans mortgage loan. A week after we celebrated their achievement through our social media platforms, Daniel sent us this kind review:

“First and foremost, I wanted to say “Thank you” for making our dream happen as being first-time home buyers. My wife and I are extremely happy and blessed. I know it was definitively a challenge working from home through this COVID-19 global pandemic and having to reinvent the wheel. From start to finish, you were there to answer the many questions we had on all communication platforms. You did a tremendous job of making sure we got the best loan possible. You worked many late nights to service us and we appreciate that. As a veteran, I am happy to be able to benefit from using my VA loan. I will definitely keep you in mind with any future questions we may have and as a referral as well. We wish you well and more success in the future.” 

Thank you, Daniel and Mariellys, and we are looking forward to serving you in the future!

NHSSF Lending Department (NMLS# 291479) offers a comprehensive set of lending options included as an integral part of our one-stop-shop. Our experienced lending team is here to help you:

• Make informed, unbiased decisions
• Purchase a home you can afford and keep
• Provide loans that are safe and competitive

For inquiries, please contact us at 305-751-5511 or send an email to info@nhssf.org.

AVAILABLE TO BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID-19

Open for a week, starting today!

A variety of funders have partnered with LISC to offer $10,000 grants to businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19 across the country. These are grants that do not need to be paid back.

THE CURRENT ROUND OF FUNDING OPENED TODAY AND APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY AUGUST 3 AT 11:59 PM EST.

These grants are specifically looking to fund underserved communities, including entrepreneurs of color, women- and veteran-owned businesses that often lack access to flexible, affordable capital.

For additional information and application, visit: https://www.lisc.org/covid-19/small-business-assistance/small-business-relief-grants/

On March 27, we published and shared a survey on our website. We wanted to “knock on the door” of our neighbors to ask them how the pandemic was impacting them. The responses obtained were crucial, not only to understand the consequences of the health crisis and economic downturn across South Florida communities but, more importantly, these responses helped us to design new educational programs and counseling services to assist families and residents in navigating through the pandemic in the best possible way.

The first takeaway from the survey was no surprise: The lack of savings and a poorly managed debt history continues to be one of the main obstacles to financial stability among low- and moderate-income residents. We need financial education, not only to restructure family budgets after they are hit by an unforeseen situation (such as loss of income, unemployment or illness) but to lay a solid foundation on which to build wealth and economic opportunities. Our Financial Fitness and Are You Financially Ready for COVID-19?  workshops address precisely these problems and offer educational tools to improve the financial health of the participants.

Another important takeout from the survey is the extremely precarious situation in which renters live in South Florida and even more so among the African-American and Hispanic communities. Past and recent studies[1] show that 64% of African-American and Hispanic renter households are cost-burdened (their annual income is well below $ 35,000 and their housing expense is more than 30% of their income). The survey only confirms this data: 45% of those surveyed said their main concern has been falling behind on their rent and their fear of eviction. Based on these results, we activated an Emergency Assistance Program for Broward Residents, we are partially administering the ERAP (Emergency Rental Assistance) Program on behalf of the City of Miami, and we also offer the Rental Workshop to respond to questions and challenges renters currently face.

One of the four pillars on which we sustain our mission and pursuit of goals is that data and data analysis inform our ideas, actions, products, and services. The survey -that you can read in full here– is in line with that vision and is part of our efforts to continue striving shoulder to shoulder with the most vulnerable communities and families across South Florida.

If you want to support our commitment, you can DONATE and show us your love on our social channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), following us, and sharing our posts with your friends and family.

[1] See “Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Framework” published by Miami for All on July 2, 2020: https://indd.adobe.com/view/c227b935-d161-477a-bcc2-29aaf84859d0