Rehabs offer home ownership - for those with patience

By Barrett Newkirk The Enquirer

The journey was no sleigh ride, but David and Kristen Walker were happy to make it into their new home just before the holidays.
Last December, the house was one of the hundreds of foreclosed, vacant and deteriorating homes in Battle Creek. After a $121,000 government-funded makeover, there's now purple tinsel on the front railing and a Christmas tree in the window.
The Walkers were one of the first families to move into a new home thanks to the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which gave Battle Creek $10 million to remodel more than 60 homes and demolish hundreds more. So far, three homes have been sold, including the brick three-bedroom on College Street that the Walkers moved into on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
The couple had never owned a home before and had been living with Kristen's mother since moving from Arizona in March.
"We're excited to sleep in our own bed," said David Walker, who has gotten steady work at Denso through a temp agency. His wife is a medical assistant.
Getting into the home took about four months, longer than the couple anticipated. Lots of government requirements meant closing dates got pushed back and paperwork had to be redone, according to David Walker. That was in addition to all the regular work that goes into buying a home and the day-long home ownership class at Neighborhoods Inc. Battle Creek that's required by the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
"We were expecting to be guinea pigs to some extent," he said.
Even after they closed on the house, the headaches continued. According to Walker, a two-day delay in getting utilities going kept them from moving in and caused cracks to form in some walls. Then a tree from a neighboring property fell on the brand-new garage, and now there appears to be a draft coming in from under the front door, even though the home is supposed to have a high energy efficiency rating.
Even with the hassles, Walker was grateful for the program. They purchased the home for $66,000, and if they stay there for five years, the government pays 20 percent of their mortgage. Walker said his monthly mortgage payment is around $500.
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