Skip to main content

An Intergalactic Lack of Knowledge

This past week, word had reached my ears that the federal money available for homebuyers in a certain grant program would run out by April 1st of this year – despite the date, I’m fairly certain it’s not intended as some cosmic April Fool’s Day joke.  At any rate, a real estate agent that I’ve worked with for many years felt it would be a good idea to make a big deal of this and put together some Facebook and Instagram posts letting potential homebuyers know that time is running out.  No argument here.  Anyone who’s sort of been sitting on the fence about buying a home could use a little nudge, and this might be just what they need. 

After I had created the posts and put them out there, I started to think about what will happen once this federal grant does run out.  What will potential homebuyers do who need help coming up with a down payment?  And you know what the next thing was that popped into my head when I asked myself that question?  A scene from the movie “Men in Black”.  I’m sure you know which scene. 

Agent J (Will Smith), in pursuit of the guy in the Edgar suit (Vincent D’Onofrio), has fired his laser gun in an attempt to stop the guy in the Edgar suit.  Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) quickly pulls J aside and admonishes him: “We do not discharge our weapons in view of the public!”  J, frustrated by being stopped in his pursuit, complains that in times like this, the rules need to be thrown out the window, and K responds with, “There's ALWAYS an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Corillian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little planet, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!”

So, I now return to the question: What will homebuyers do when this federal grant program runs out?  And to answer it, I invoke the wisdom of Agent K: There’s ALWAYS a federal grant program or a state-sponsored incentive to help homebuyers – and there always will be in one way, shape, or form.  Of course, rather than keeping the public FROM knowing about them, we need to shout this from the rooftops so we can all get on with our happy lives. 


According to an annual survey conducted by NeighborWorks America, 71% of Americans were unaware/not sure about down-payment-assistance programs.  The same survey revealed that 77% of those with student debt said they had never heard or were unfamiliar with loan counseling programs from nonprofits.  In other words, if all these folks hear about is one federal grant program, and it’s about to run out, it’s likely a high percentage are just going to give up and keep renting.  So, while we keep the Arquillian Battle Cruisers, Corillian Death Rays, and intergalactic plagues in check, let’s help homebuyers know they have options – and always will!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Naked Truth About Home Buying

It’s highly likely I’ve already written about this, but I’ll try to make it entertaining at least.   There’s a guy who works in ou r office who suffers from kidney stones – and from what he’s described, “suffers” might even be a little too tame a word for it.   As an aside, though, when you ask him how painful the experience is, he gets an odd smile and says, “It’s the most intense pain I’ve ever experienced, but it’s hard to describe.   I’ve heard a lot of people compare it to the pain a woman experiences while giving birth.   To that, I must say, those people are big, fat liars!   I’ve been in the presence of a woman giving birth, twice, and her pain has to be 100 times worse.   They’re passing the equivalent of a Buick.   I’m passing a pumpkin seed.”   He’s always been a colorful fellow. He’s had this wonderful condition for over a decade now, and the stones make their appearance about every 18 months or so.   Up until recently, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Numbers Don't Lie, But Wherein Lies the Truth? (Posted November 21, 2016)

Said with enough conviction, you can make almost anything sound true.   Preface the fabrication with “according to a recent bi-partisan government study,” and you’re three quarters of the way to selling the lie to a lot of people.   Seriously, try this. The next time you’re at a dinner party or having coffee with friends, pepper this little tidbit into the conversation: “I read something really interesting the other day.   According to a recent bi-partisan government study – I think it took them three years to get it all done – middle-aged men who drive either a Toyota Camry or a Honda Odyssey have more testosterone than younger men who drive either a Ford F150 or a Dodge Charger.”   You’ll get some raised eyebrows and looks of mild disbelief, but don’t let that deter you.   Just lift up your hands, palms outward, and say, “I just think it’s interesting, and it makes sense when you think about it” – and then change the subject to something completely u...
Post a Comment
Read more

Time for a New York-Style Housing Fix

Previously, I’ve written about a man who works in our office who lived in New York City back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s – let me assure you that while that does seem like a very long time ago, it’s not nearly as far bac k as when the wheel was invented and humankind learned to harness the power of fire. If you’ve been to New York City recently and blissfully walked around Harlem to get chicken and waffles at Sylvia’s on Malcolm X Boulevard between 126 th and 127 th Streets or stopped in at Keybar on 13 th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A to wedge yourself into a cozy corner next to their notable fireplace, you wouldn’t get a sense that these areas were once . . . not as welcoming and glitzy as you now see them. Our office mate has told some fairly interesting stories of living in those and other areas of New York City that give a much different sense.   In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, no matter how many great things you heard about Sylvia’s food, 127 th Str...
Post a Comment
Read more