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Tis the Season for Giving!

December 19, 2011
By skogman
 

Skogman Realty agents have definitely been in the giving spirit this season – helping those less fortunate and unable to purchase gifts for their families this Christmas Season.  For the fourth consecutive year, we had a Four Oaks Giving Tree in the Downtown Office which was decorated with 50 ornaments – one per child.  Each ornament had an item on it from the children’s Christmas wish list.   Agents selected an ornament from the tree and purchased the gift for kids so they would have something to open this Christmas.  Thank you to all of the Skogman Realty agents and employees who participated.

Delivering our presents to Four Oaks

At the same time, Agents in our Hiawatha office had decided that they wanted to touch as many people as they could, as many times as possible throughout the year. With that in mind, they adopted 76 kids from the Head Start program through HACAP at their Circle Facility. This is HACAP’s largest facility located at 5560 6th Street, SW. Each of the 76 kids received a Christmas stocking filled with: a hat, mittens, socks, granola bar, crackers, cereal, bubbles, coloring book, colors, a small toy and a stuffed animal.  All were served mini muffins and juice while they visited with Santa.

They were also told that several kids sleep on the floor and probably would not be receiving gifts from Santa this year. One little boy was wearing his mom’s coat, because he didn’t have one. Therefore he could not go outside on colder days – this story really touched our agents and they decided to adopt three families, a total of 7 children – ages 2-5. Each child received a hat, coat, snow pants, boots, mittens, jeans, shirt, sweat shirt, and two toys. They also included a sleeping bag, blanket and pillow (with pillowcase).  These gifts were not given out with the rest of the stuff, but rather left them for their Santa parents to put under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

We are truly inspired by the good deeds our agents do on a daily basis and these are just the two most recent instances.  On any given day in our company you are sure to fine an agent or office doing good for the community – whether it be Food Pantry Palooza – collecting food for local food pantry’s, or raising money for a local family whose young child needed a heart transplant.  We couldn’t be more proud of our employees and agents!

Items ready to be packed up.

Items ready to be packaged for the kids at HACAP

Santa distributing his gifts

 
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Single Family New Construction Program – Round 3


By skogman
 

Single Family New construction

Over the past couple of years the cities of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have received funds from the Iowa Department of Economic Development to help replace homes lost in the flood of 2008.  The Single Family New Construction Program is in its 3rd phase and offers down payment assistance of up to 25% of the purchase price to qualified buyers.  In order to qualify, buyers must meet income requirements based on the number of people in a household.

Iowa City Income Requirements

80% of Median Income:

1 Person household – $43,600          2 Person Household – $49,800

3 Person household – $56,050         4 Person Household – $62,250

100% of Median Income:

1 Person household – $54,500         2 Person Household – 62,300

3 Person household – $70,100        4 Person Household – $77,800

Cedar Rapids Income Requirements

80% of Median Income:

1 Person household – $38,300          2 Person household – $43,800

3 Person household – $49,250          4 Person Household – $55,700

100% of Median Income:

1 Person household – $47,900          2 Person household – $54,800

3 Person household – $61,600          4 Person household – $68,400

Iowa City received funding to build 31 homes in Round 3 and less than 5 are available as of Mid December according to the City website.  Cedar Rapids received more funding and in turn was able to build more than 100 homes – all of which are to be built in the flood affected neighborhoods outside the 100 year flood plain.

Skogman Homes was granted 27 homes in Round 3, also called ROOT’s – Rebuilding Ownerships Opportunities Together.  Of the 27 homes there are 14 left as of mid December.  Homes range in price from $113,600 to $140,000 and are not to exceed $150,000.  Visit Skogmanhomes.com to see a complete list of available lots and floor plans that qualify for ROOT’s.

For more information about the program visit the City websites:

Cedar Rapids

Iowa City