The housing market in Tampa Bay is a seller’s market right now, with not a lot of inventory. Someone who knows that problem all too well is Deb Rogers. A month ago, we met her and her family when they were basically given the opportunity to “test-drive” a home before the bought it.
“My husband and I weren’t quite ready to commit to purchasing,” says Rogers. “We had some things going on with our business that we wanted to make sure were stabilized before we made the commitment. But yet we were in a rental we were sure that we did not want to stay in.”
The Rogers family is one of hundreds across the country who have utilized Home Partners of America. The concept is pretty simple; try out a neighborhood before you buy it by renting to own.
“We have owned and purchased other homes in the past and the process was kind of stressful, but this didn’t seem real, it was so easy,” says Rogers.
Here’s how it works. Home Partners of America is a resident-led service. When families are shopping for a home, they let Home Partners know, and the organization will let the family know if they can purchase it. They also make sure the home is in a neighborhood has to filter into a top rated school district. They then rent those houses to people who want to try out the neighborhood, make sure they like the schools, and make sure they like the house.
A representative for Home Partners of America says they have already helped more than 200 families here in the Tampa Bay area. There is a one-time application fee of $75 per household that must be paid online as part of the application process.
For more information on the company, just visit their website at www.homepartners.com .
