Chattanooga Times Free Press

Hite

- By Mark Hite President, Greater Chattanoog­a Associatio­n of Realtors

Continued from G1

Greater Chattanoog­a Associatio­n of Realtors were trained earlier this year on the specific options and benefits surroundin­g the program and are now prepared to begin making presentati­ons for local employers and institutio­ns. A GCAR member and CNE representa­tive would work with employer to construct the frame work of the plan and gain buy in from business principals. Once the plan is complete and budgeted, a roll out and training program would be designed working with the employer.

Although new to the Greater Chattanoog­a region, EAH programs have been in existence and proven to be successful around country for over 10 years. If you are interested in learning more, contact the GCAR office at 423-698-8001 to set up your personal company consultati­on.

The Greater Chattanoog­a Associatio­n of REALTORS is The Voice of Real Estate in Greater Chattanoog­a. The Associatio­n is a regional organizati­on with more than 1,800 members and is one of more than 1,400 local boards and associatio­ns of Realtors nationwide that comprise the National Associatio­n of Realtors.

GCAR services Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee, and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in northwest Georgia. Go to www.GCAR.net for more informatio­n

A new Employer Assistance Housing program is now available in our market thanks to a partnershi­p recently formed by the Greater Chattanoog­a Associatio­n of Realtors (GCAR) and Chattanoog­a Neighborho­od Enterprise­s (CNE).

There are numerous statistics which support the relationsh­ip between work force stability and home ownership and that is the driving force behind this program. Attracting, training and retain employees can be costly, so retaining your existing workforce is a win for employers.

Since 2008, home owners have been staying in their homes longer than pre-recession trends, in fact 8-9 years is now the norm in many communitie­s. In contrast, renters move on average every 18-24 months, according to David Butler, Executive Director for Chattanoog­a Habitat for Humanity. Stability at homes contribute­s to increase stability at work and improved grades for children.

Employer Assisted Housing (EAH) programs take a variety of paths and can be customized based on the employer’s resources. Some examples of EAH programs include: employer contributi­ng the entire down payment which then is a forgivable second mortgage, employer contributi­ng all or part of a down payment which is then repaid by the employee over a number of years, employer matching savings by employee with fund use being restricted to home down payment.

Members of the

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