Amie McAlpine
How do you get three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two car garage, and a basement? Amie McAlpine would tell you good place to start is with an orientation at the Portland Housing Center. Amie first came to a Portland Housing Center orientation early in 2005, where she learned about the Portland Housing Center services including the Portland Housing Center’s Individual Development Account program. Two years later she and her fiancé purchased their three bedroom, two bathroom home with a two car garage and a basement. Their home is in the Parkrose neighborhood in Portland. Their new neighborhood is characterized by its long time residents rather than young families. This subtle difference in neighborhood characterization helps the neighborhood to be more affordable.
They purchased their home after completing the IDA program through Portland Housing Center and by saving $2000 over two years while also paying down credit card debt. When they were ready to purchase, they were rewarded with a 3:1 match of their savings from the Portland Housing Center. The difference between having only $2000 saved and $8000, with the extra funds from the IDA, is significant. Amie believes the extra funds from the IDA gave the couple more negotiating power since they did not have to rely on seller contributions to help pay for closing costs. Amie and her fiancé didn’t operate on a budget before getting serious about buying a house. They participated in the Financial Fitness class through Portland Housing Center and Amie explained they are no longer “care free spenders”. They continue to save after having reached their goal of buying a home - even though their housing expense has increased. They are parents of two young children, and they have also started to set money aside for their children’s education.
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