February 2016 Newsletter
TSAHC Recognizes Top 2015 Lenders

2015 was another great year for TSAHC.  In partnership with a network of exceptional lenders in Texas, TSAHC helped 1,838 Texas families purchase a home. TSAHC's programs provided $232 million in mortgage loans and $9.6 million in down payment assistance grants to home buyers in 2015.

Overall Top Loan Officers

TSAHC recently honored the top three loan officers helping families purchase homes with our home buyer programs:

 
Kim Lewis with Mortgage Financial Services, LLC assisted 32 home buyers in 2015, originating more than $4 million in mortgage loans.  Ms. Lewis has been the top TSAHC lender seven years in a row. 





 
Gabriela Rodriguez with First Community Mortgage assisted 28 home buyers in 2015, originating more than $3.1 million in mortgage loans. This is the third year in a row that Ms. Rodriguez has been recognized as a top TSAHC lender.
       
 





 
Ginger Smith
with NTFN, Inc. dba Premier Nationwide Lending assisted 18 home buyers in 2015, originating more than $2.5 million in mortgage loans. This is Ms. Smith's first year to receive an award as a top TSAHC lender.    
 






Overall Top Mortgage Companies


TSAHC would also like to acknowledge the top mortgage companies who participated in TSAHC's home buyer programs in 2015:

 
 Assisted 184 home buyers, totaling $23.4 million mortgage loans


 
 
Assisted 196 home buyers, totaling $22.8 million in mortgage loans



 
 Assisted 148 home buyers, totaling $21.7 million in mortgage loans



 
 Assisted 157 home buyers, totaling $20.2 million in mortgage loans

    
TSAHC Wraps Up Series of Check Presentations  
for Texas Foundations Fund Grants

TSAHC completed a series of check presentations in February
2016 with our nonprofit
partners to highlight the good work they accomplish with their Texas Foundati ons Fund grants.

TSAHC held check presentation events at Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County; Tarrant County Samaritan Housing; My Father's House Lubbock; Motivation, Education & Training, Inc.,
Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living, Avenue CDC, and Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity.

You can read about the check presentations and view pictures by clicking below.

Public Comment Needed: 2016 Texas Foundations Fund

A person drawing and pointing at a We Want Your Feedback Chalk Illustration
In anticipation of the upcoming funding cycle, the 2016 Texas Foundations Fund Draft Guidelines are now available for public comment. 

The deadline to submit comments to Katie Claflin, kclaflin@tsahc.org, is March 11, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. 


Expanded Eligibility for  
Affordable Communities of Texas-Veteran Homes

TSAHC currently has five ACT-Veteran homes  that are available at a discounted rate of 25%
off the listing price to veterans who are disabled and/or low-to-moderate income. The discount now also applies to first responders who are disabled and/or low-to-moderate income. Additionally, two of the homes are available without a discount to individuals and families who earn 80% or below the median family income.

TSAHC encourages REALTORS® and housing partners to check out our expanded eligibility requirements and help us identify qualified home buyers for these wonderful homes!     

TSAHC 2016 Annual Action Plan

The TSAHC Board of Directors approved TSAHC's 2016 Annual Action Plan at their meeting on February 11, 2016. The plan is prepared in accordance with Texas Government Code, Section 2306.566, which requires TSAHC to develop a plan to address the state's housing needs. We invite you to read that plan included in the Plans & Reports section of our web site. 

Below are February 2016 excerpts from On The House , a blog TSAHC launched in 2014 on affordable housing topics. We invite you to drop by On The House as we explore important issues, provide an inside look into our programs, and share other valuable resources.

Texas Foundations Fund: Repairing Homes and Building Hope  
   
Last week, TSAHC's Board of Directors approved publishing a draft of the 2016 TexasFoundations Fund Guidelines for public comment. The public comment period gives potential applicants and other stakeholders the opportunity to review our eligibility requirements and provide comment to improve the program before the application round opens in April.  

Benefits of Energy Efficiency Shrink as Homes Get Bigger  
   
energy_saving_bulb.jpg
Advances in technology have helped reduce the amount of energy homes use per square foot. However, many Americans aren't seeing much savings on their utility bills. This is because while the energy consumption per square foot goes down, the overall square footage of American homes has gone up.