Dana owns this home. Dana told this story in 2016, while still renting it, and later bought it. The words below are Dana’s own and they are printed as they were.
"I just got sick of landlords wanting extra money other than rent. My ideal housing situation is owning my own home, not having to pay anyone else's mortgage and taxes for them."
- Dana | Strong Blocks Rent to Own Milwaukee Resident
I grew up in Milwaukee, 15th and Burleigh, I have the best family in the world we all stay very close together in the same area, they are all homeowners. I began to consider home ownership maybe 2 years ago, I just got sick of landlords wanting money for extra things other than rent. I did home ownership counseling in the past and I liked it.
My ideal housing situation is owning my own home, not having to pay anyone else’s mortgage and taxes for them. My worst housing situation was a place I lived and had a slumlord where the upstairs toilet was leaking into my bedroom, onto my bed, and it finally poured down and ruined my mattress and the landlord wouldn't pay for the mattress or take anything off the rent. Also, before I left the water wasn't working, it was just dripping, and they wouldn’t fix it.
"My ideal housing situation is owning my own home, not having to pay anyone else’s mortgage and taxes for them."
I was looking on Craigslist and I saw a Strong Blocks rent to own property, and so I looked into the Strong Blocks Rent to Own 21-month Program. Where I was living at the time I was paying $1,100 in rent and I realized I could be paying my own mortgage. Where I was living, I was in a lease and couldn't leave just yet.
I discussed the opportunity with my Mom and Dad to see how they felt about about it. They had concerns they brought to my attention, that a lot of private owners of rent to own properties are known to be unreliable and fall through on their promises. But knowing Strong Blocks was a business and not a private owner was important to my parents. If they wouldn’t have felt comfortable with it, I would have seriously considered that.
I ultimately decided to choose the program when I found out I was able to pick out a house that I really liked and I felt was for me. I picked this house after I researched the neighborhood. I drove by everyday: morning and night, and I thought it was a good neighborhood and it still is so far.
The qualification process went really well and was really fast for me. I got approved the next day, and I also thought it was going to take more time to find a home. I would recommend the program to others.
- Dana | Strong Blocks Rent to Own Resident
Dana rented this home, then bought it. That is the whole point of the program: you move in as a renter and you leave as the owner.
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