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Open House this Weekend for 10 Rehabilitated Homes (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

The homes have been fully rehabilitated with federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant funds and are all available for sale.

Hillsborough County is planning an open house this weekend for 10 rehabilitated homes, eight of which are in the Greater Brandon area.

The homes are priced from the $70,000 to $133,000 and are in Clair-Mel/Palm River, Orient Park, Gibsonton/Riverview and Plant City. However, the actual sales price depends on the appraised value of the home, and with the real estate market still in the doldrums, the price of the homes will likely be lower, said Lanette Glass, foreclosure manager for Hillsborough County’s Affordable Housing Department who oversees the sales.

A video tour of the homes is available online.

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The homes are available for sale to households that make less than 120 percent of area median income. That median income depends on the size of the family.

For example, for a family of four with two adults and two children the combined household income would have to be less than $67,800. A young couple with no children would have to make below $54,240.

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“This is a prime time to be able to buy a home," Glass said. "A few years ago we were worried there wouldn’t be affordable homes.

“The best thing about these homes is that they have all been fixed up so the buyers might not have to worry about plumbing or the roof. The last thing a family needs is to buy a house and then have a $2,000 bill for repairing something.”

All proceeds from the sales go back to the county’s affordable housing program which was established in 2009 with the aim of providing affordable housing and removing neighborhood blight. The county has bought 64 single family homes in the last two years and has sold 18. But with 10 homes currently under contract, Glass believes the market is picking up.

“In the past lenders have been very tight on credit,” Glass said. “We would have families who wanted to buy a home but they couldn’t get loans. The economy was also a factor with people worried about losing their jobs. Buying a house is the last thing you would want to do if you were worried about your job.”

But there have been signs of recovery. While she sold only five houses in the first six months of this year, in the last two months Glass has 10 homes under contract.  

The affordably-priced homes featured in the open house have been fully rehabilitated with federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant funds and are all available for sale. 

Photos and specifics of all of the homes and maps of their locations are available on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program website.

Potential buyers could also receive additional homebuyer assistance, up to $65,000 based on the value of the home. Staff will be on-site at each home to provide details.

Improvements to these homes include repairs to bring the home up to building codes and energy-efficient measures such as programmable thermostats, extra insulation, double EE windows, energy-efficient air conditioning units and water heaters, low-flush toilets, caulking and sealing of the homes. 

The homes also have also been updated with new paint, carpet and appliances. Some homes also include standard maintenance, such as newly pumped-out septic tanks and cleaned-out sewer lines.

The open house is sponsored by the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services and its six non-profit housing partners: Florida Home Partnership Inc., Plant City Community Development Corporation Inc., Tampa Housing Authority, East Tampa Business and Civic Association Inc., Corp to Develop Communities of Tampa Inc., University Area Community Development Corporation Inc.

The open houses are slated for Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The homes are located at:

Clair-Mel/Palm River

Plant City

1904 E. Ohio St.

1322 Church St.

For more information on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Tour of Homes, visit the website or call 813-274-6645 or 813-274-6649.

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