Wanted: qualified applicants for Habitat house

The house is under construction at 58 Duncan Street in Commerce, right behind Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

One of the issues, said Nickol, is that many people do not understand how Habitat for Humanity works. Habitat builds the houses with a combination of donated labor and donated and purchased materials. It then sells the house via a mortgage to a qualified buyer. Because of the free labor and donated materials — and a low-interest mortgage, the cost to the buyer is much lower.

Still, a prospective buyer must have a steady income and decent credit to qualify
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Other qualifications include citizenship or legal residency, monthly income that falls within Habitat’s minimum and maximum limits, which are determined by household size; a willingness to invest “sweat equity” in this or some other Habitat house, the ability to make an affordable down payment and willingness to attend homeowner education classes.

Nickol recommends that interested potential purchasers go online and get a free credit report.

“Running a credit report on themselves before they do an application is not a bad idea,” he said.

Applications are available at Habitat’s Commerce Re-Store, located on Homer Road at the former location of the Bi-Lo.

As for the house, the foundation is completed, and Habitat will start its Saturday work programs in about three weeks, according to Nickol.