After teaching in a rural community for a year, Janna decided to move back to her hometown of Sioux Falls. While surfing the Internet looking for rental housing she noticed a reference to "teacher" on HUD's web site. When she first read that a home eligible under the Teacher Next Door (TND) program could be purchased at a 50% discount, she thought, "What's the catch?" After reading more about the program and not wanting to pass up a great opportunity, she decided to find out more.

Janna's home before improvements.

Janna found a house that was built in 1946 that still had the original kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures. The house also needed a lot of indoor and outdoor cosmetic improvements, but the price was right. She decided to make an offer, the offer was accepted, and she was on her way to becoming a homeowner.

With determination, hard work and support from her family, she began to turn her new house into a home. Janna added new floor coverings, updated the kitchen and bathroom, applied a fresh coat of paint inside and out, and had new garage doors installed. She cleaned up of the yard and the once unsightly house is now a pleasant and attractive home.

Janna's new home.

Janna financed the purchase of her home and the improvements through the South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA) first-time homebuyer program. Her monthly payments are less than what she would have paid for rent. It was definitely too good of a deal to pass up.

Learn more about Homeownership in South Dakota, the Teacher Next Door and the Officer Next Door Programs on the following web pages.

• Homebuyer programs in South Dakota (www.hud.gov/southdakota)
• South Dakota Housing Development Authority's homebuyer programs (http://www.sdhda.org/Homebuyer/ho.htm)
• HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door Program (www.hud.gov)