Local experts help residents with home-buying process
Peachtree – More than 20 local residents gathered on Sept. 8 to learn how to become a homeowner.
The first free home-buying seminar was held at 315 Family Church Road after being rescheduled. Local experts Steven Aft, Gina Sanders, Taylor Gremli, Dr. Sue Ledford and Jeana Conley shared information related to insurance, finances, real estate, the local housing continuum and personalized advice to future local homeowners.
Conley, a retired educator, created a workbook attendees could use regardless of where they were in the home-buying process; “If they follow their path in time, they will make progress.” Those who were unable to attend can request this workbook from Ledford or Mary Jo Dyre.
Each expert had their own area of focus for the seminar. They worked together throughout the presentation to help answer attendees’ questions.
“We had specialists covering a wide range of fields involved in home buying, and we all had our niche, but we played off each other to create a holistic experience,” Aft said. “The dedication and collaboration between experts flowed naturally to answer more complex questions.”
The panel of experts was impressed with the attendance. Since then, they have already had attendees reach out already about moving forward with the home-buying process.
“We couldn’t believe the amount of engagement we got. People really opened up with their questions to get answers that were personalized to them,” Dyre said.
One of the main goals of the seminar was to help community members understand the reality of home buying and individuality.
“For some, it’s a one-year plan; for others, it’s a five-year plan,” Dyre said. “Everyone’s situation is different, but they can all reach their goal of being a homeowner.”
The goal is to make this
an annual event, but there is potential for two seminars per year if the interest is there.
“The audience was so receptive, and after the seminar ended, we knew this couldn’t be a one-time event. We’re going to regroup and be ready to move forward. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it to help the community,” Dyre said.
Clay and Graham counties have also expressed interest in hosting similar seminars featuring local experts from each of their counties.
“We would love to incorporate other industry specialists to cover more aspects of the home-buying process,” Dyre said.
Having local experts for the seminar was crucial because home-buying requirements and markets look different for each area. If the experts aren’t local, the advice would be less beneficial to attendees.
“There’s plenty of room at the table for everyone to help this community,” Dyre said.
Details: Email Dyre at m.j.dyre.vafaut@statefarm.com for general inquiries or Ledford at sue.ledford@foursq.org with specific inquiries.