On the Road Across America
A Daily Journal from the Homeownership Express!

Florida Governor Jeb Bush met up with the "Homeownership Express" in Florida's capitol city to deliver some great news to first-time homebuyers in the Sunshine State: $50 million in low interest-rate mortgages to help Florida families make the move into homeownership.

Florida is also making up to $15,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance available to eligible participants. A family's inability to come up with enough cash to meet the up-front costs of buying a home remains the biggest barrier to homeownership.

"Affordable homeownership continues to strengthen Florida families by providing them with a sense of pride and independence," said Governor Bush. "The dollars released today by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation will help hundreds of families realize their dreams."

The Governor was joined by Tallahassee Mayor John Marks, Florida Secretary of Community Affairs Colleen Castille, Florida Housing's Executive Director Orlando Cabrera, and Ginnie Mae President Ron Rosenfeld. Each described the many ways in which homeownership is strengthening Tallahassee's families and the community as a whole.

Toshia Butler - a Tallahassee-area, first-time homeowner who was speaking in public for the very first time - truly captured the spirit of the day when it was her turn in front of the microphone.

With the Homeownership Express and Florida's Capitol building behind her, Toshia spoke movingly about realizing the American Dream of homeownership, echoing the sentiments of many of the new homeowners the Express has met up with during the first two weeks of its cross-country journey.

Toshia became a homeowner with the help of down payment assistance she received from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, as well as homeownership education and flexible mortgage financing options provided through various national, state, and local partners.

Census Bureau statistics show that, although record numbers of Americans own their own homes, a gap persists between the homeownership rates of minorities and non-minorities. By a significant margin, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian American families are less likely to own their own homes. During today's ceremony, Mayor Marks unveiled a Homeownership Month proclamation, rededicating the City of Tallahassee to narrowing the homeownership gap and helping more area residents achieve the American Dream.

Ginnie Mae President Rosenfeld highlighted the Bush Administration's commitment to increasing homeownership, especially among minorities, and discussed some of the exciting efforts underway to help meet the President's goal of creating 5.5 million new minority homeowners by the end of this decade.

Tomorrow: Celebrating Jacksonville's partners in homeownership.

Content Archived: May 3, 2010