ARE YOU READY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

At no time in our history have more people been forced to live beyond their means.  Over the past several years, the reality of home ownership has all but disappeared from sight for millions of American families.

The generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing.

Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care. An estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more then 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing, and a family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States.

So how can you sell houses to people that can’t afford them?  YOU can’t but there are many organizations and federal and local programs that can.  Now your customer has become that most feared entity for all builders, liberals.  I say this with fondest thoughts!!!

There seem to be a lot of these affordable housing projects coming on the market but trying to compete with your own modular factory is becoming harder and harder.  Some of the modular factories even have “Commercial Sales Reps” that will compete with their own builders on these projects.  Guess who wins?  Ahhh, you guessed.

How can you get in on this type of housing?  First, you need to do your research.  The chairpersons or organization committee leaders probably have no idea you even exist.  You have to proactive and start reading the newspapers and going to your housing authorities.  Ask them for help in locating the right people.  What have you got to lose?

Then learn as much as you can about Energy Star and Green Building Systems.  Remember, the Al Gore brigade now runs the clean and green side of government.  If you do not embrace green and energy efficiencies in your homes, you will be left behind. 

You will also have to learn that affordable and cheap are not the same.  Anyone can build cheap! I’ll bet your factory has an aggressive discount program and/or lowered their prices and specifications.  This is not going to get you the affordable housing that is currently being shopped to the builders by the very “Green” affordable housing people. 

The old railroad crossing sign says it best…STOP (doing business as usual), LOOK (at Green and Energy Star homes) and LISTEN (for affordable housing opportunities)