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Real estate agent Jimmy Jones partnered with Chase Bank to host the “Chase Your Dream First-Time Homebuyer Seminar” at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
“Investors look like y’all — they look like everyday people,” said Jones as he opened the seminar. The East Atlanta native was motivated to start the seminar after being a realtor for 13 years, after graduating from Florida A&M University (FAMU). He noticed that most of the people buying homes were first-time buyers.
“We don’t want people out here with misinformation,” he said. “So we wanted to provide a chance for people to build their resources and a team to help them buy their first home.”
Attendees were educated on the steps they could take to own their first home with their current income. The first purchase doesn’t have to be expensive, explained closing partner attorney Karem Maddison of Lueder, Larkin & Hunter.
“You don’t have to buy a house in the middle of the city of Atlanta. There are places an hour away from Atlanta, and there are places 45 minutes away that are affordable,” said Maddison. “You can change your entire next generation if you start by figuring out how to purchase a home. That’s why we’re here — because the tools they’re teaching in there will help people get a piece of something every American has a right to own. And if they do that, they can move themselves from one class to another within a few years.”
Bryant Thomas, a community leader for Chase Bank, concluded the workshop by informing attendees about how to build credit and what lenders look for when approving a mortgage. “The higher the credit score, the greater the chance you get,” said Thomas. He emphasized how even small, consistent payments on monthly credit card statements build a good rapport — not just for your credit score, but also by showing underwriters that you’re reliable when it comes to lending.
The event was an opportunity for future homebuyers like Shantelle Williams to understand what steps to take next. “I think the workshop just added on to the dream I already had of owning a home,” said Williams, who moved to Atlanta four years ago for a fresh start. She said the seminar served as a catalyst to “execute” the goal of homeownership she had already written down.
Jones said he plans to host similar community education events each quarter in the near future.
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