For residents
Almost everything you need is in the resident portal.
Pay rent, request a repair, find your lease.
Emergencies. No heat, water coming into the house, no power, or anything unsafe: call 414-236-4113 right away. Then put in a maintenance request in the portal too. The call gets us moving tonight. The request is what makes sure it is tracked and does not fall through a crack.
The portal is faster than calling. Add a photo if you can. It helps us send the right person with the right part the first time. Give us permission to enter, or approve them to do the work, so nobody has to make a second trip.
Tell us early. A small leak is a cheap fix. The same leak in six months is a floor.
Working toward buying your home
The things that matter most between now and closing are the boring ones.
- Pay your rent on time, every month. Set up auto pay in the portal.
- Pay down your debts. Smallest balance first, then roll that payment into the next one.
- Clear up old collections and charge offs.
- Do not take on new debt. No new accounts, no new cards.
- Keep your gas, electric, and other bills current.
- Keep saving. You will need money for closing costs beyond your option fee.
- Answer your lender within 24 hours. They can take as long as they like. You and we cannot. A file that goes quiet goes stale, and stale files get reworked from the start.
Notice what is not on that list: a magic credit score number. We look at what you owe and whether you pay what you owe. That is what lenders look at too.
Go through your buying plan with us. A free session to look at where you are, what is left, and what to work on next. For current Strong Blocks residents.
Refer a neighbor and you both get $50
For current Strong Blocks residents and alumni. If you send someone to us and they move into a Strong Blocks home, you get $50 and they get $50.
They need to give us your name when they apply, so we know who sent them.
The easiest thing you can do is forward one of our emails about a new home to somebody who is renting and wants to own. You know who they are. You were them.
If you already bought your home, this still works for you. Sign up for Home Alerts to keep hearing when homes open up so you can pass them along.
Repairs, damage, and upgrades are different
Tell us early so a small problem stays small
Homes need normal repairs. Tell us when something breaks or wears out so we can take care of it. If something is damaged, or gets worse because we were not told, your lease may make some or all of that cost yours. The same can apply when yard or snow work is your responsibility and we have to send someone. We would rather know early and help you avoid a charge.
Your lease and addendums have the final rules for your home.
Upgrades are different from repairs
Fixing what is broken is a repair. Adding something that was not there, such as an extra outlet, a fence, or a garage, is an upgrade. Talk with us before starting one. Depending on the work and your agreement, you may have to pay for it or it may change the numbers in your rent-to-own agreement.
Every dollar you spend improving a house you do not own yet is a dollar not going toward buying it. Once you own it, do whatever you want.