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How to buy government-owned housing

Programs available to buy, rebuild homes

Programs available to buy, rebuild homes.

By: Casey Geraldo

Posted at 4:22 PM, Jan 11, 2017

and last updated 2017-01-11 19:06:50-05

Many people showed up to buy $1 homes from the City of Milwaukee Monday.

Unfortunately, those homes were only available to developers who could build five or more homes to refurbish. Still, the City of Milwaukee hopes those people will take advantage of their other programs to encourage people to own homes in Milwaukee.

"Once they get into a house, they make it their own, over time they fix it up, they become part of the neighborhood fabric," said Martha Brown, the deputy commissioner for the Milwaukee Department of City Development.

The City offers programs ranging from a $500 grant to new home buyers to fix up their home's curb appeal, to a $20,000 forgivable matching loan for renovations on a home.

Brown said the process to owning a city-owned home starts at one of three community organizations to prepare for home ownership.

ACTS Housing, HRI Housing Resources, Inc. and UCC United Community Center provide perspective homeowners assistance in preparing their finances, understanding the obligations of having a home and working with financial institutions to get financing. The city feels those groups help create better neighbors in new owners moving into homes.

If you're interested in using city, state or federal programs to buy your house, you can learn more at the resources below:

MLWAUKEE NEIGHBORHOOD LOAN PROGRAMS

LOANS FOR ANYWHERE IN MILWAUKEE

TO BUY A CITY HOUSE

BUY A FULLY RENOVATED CITY HOME IN HARAMBEE NEIGHBORHOOD

WISCONSIN HOUSING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PROGRAMS

HOME BUYER EDUCATION

FIRST-TIME BUYERS