29 Jun Long-time Renter Buys First Home
Strong diversity makes Belair-Edison a special place to live.
Trails in Herring Run Park and Azalea bushes that brighten up the neighborhood every spring convinced Lelia Kimbrough that she was already living in the neighborhood she wanted to make her permanent home.
Lelia didn’t have far to go when she bought her newly remodeled home on the same block of the house she rented when she first moved to the neighborhood many years ago. She purchased the home from St. Ambrose Housing in August 2016 and loves the neighborhood for its diversity and openness.
She commented on how the neighborhood’s diversity really makes Belair-Edison a special place to live, “I like the mix of people and ideas and plans. You get a variety of houses and it’s local, but close to transportation too.”
For Lelia, the homebuying process was straight forward. She completed her home buyer education course with Druid Heights CDC and was very mindful of being prepared with all of the necessary paperwork every step of the way.
Lelia received closing cost assistance and grants from both local and national sources. She qualified for a Vacants to Value grant, a grant from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, as well as closing cost assistance from the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA).
“Once I decided on the property, everything just flowed,” Lelia said.
In her short time as a homeowner, she’s already participated in block events and clean-ups, and shared gardening supplies with her neighbor. She enjoys meeting new neighbors and sometimes gets help with bringing her groceries in from the neighborhood kids.
Lelia will be the first to tell you that Belair-Edison is a strong community with a good spirit, but that its success depends on everyone working together and contributing to making the neighborhood a great place to live.
Lelia shares her home with her two sons and 3 Yorkies. Her oldest son plays football at a college in Scranton and lives with her part-time, while her youngest son is 14 years old.
Story courtesy of At. Ambrose Housing