Did you know that cops, teachers and firefighters get 50% off their homes?

They already tried to give homes away, and in some cases paid people to take homes [think: Detroit], but unfortunately a lot of those homes are now in foreclosure once again. Why? Because people in these areas can not find jobs. However, if there is one sector that continues to be a "safer bet" for employment, look no further than government jobs -- teachers, cops, and firefighters.

At least for teachers, this is somewhat of an incentive to possibly transfer to a less than desirable area. Teachers in inner city schools tend to get bonuses or a higher percentage, lovingly called "combat pay", but with declining local revenues these bonuses are dwindling.

The truth is, and this pertains to all the jobs included in this program, if you can make the same or close to the same money in a "better" area, with better schools and lower crime, why on Earth would you want to move to a struggling, crime-ridden area, with an even worse housing market than the national average?

This is the incentive to move more qualified individuals into the lesser desirable areas.

Personally, I don't like the entire premise of giving benefits to only certain groups of people -- no matter what group it is. I believe everything should be equal but I am also not so naive as to not realize that a lot of these targeted areas are becoming relative ghost towns and something has to be done.

Bottom line: I would rather offer homes at discounts to working Americans than see a lot of this real estate continue to get bought up by foreign investors.

I also don't think this program is going to have much of an impact on the big picture.

Originally posted by BadNinja68
yes they do pay enough to own a home.
Local Law enforcement here with 5 years exp make over 80k a year.
If you can't buy a home on 80k a year you don't deserve the 80k.

The median expected salary for a typical Police Patrol Officer in the United States is $50,031.

Here

In my state, that's on par or even under with what a Welder makes (Dad's easily 60K a year). Most of our Firemen are volunteer, around their other jobs. Very few are full-time and paid. For those that are paid:

The median expected salary for a typical Fire Fighter in the United States is $41,556.

Here

The median expected salary for a typical Teacher Elementary School in the United States is $51,777.

Here I know for a fact that first year teachers, in our parish, make under 30K a year.

The basic rule of thumb I've been told most of my life is never buy a house worth more than 4 years of what you take home in pay. So, for a cop, a 200K house, a paid fireman, a 166K house, a teacher, a 207K house. IF, andit's a BIG IF, they take home all the wage that's reported in this. If this is before taxes, their actual take-home is lower, especially if it's a couple.

Estimated median house or condo value in 2009: $133,800 (it was $72,200 in 2000)

Vs:

Estimated median household income in 2009: $47,728 ($35,235 in 1999)

and:

Median number of rooms in houses and condos: 5.6

predominately, 3 bedrooms, but we tend to have families with more than 2 kids.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
Of course all funded by the US taxpayers.

How the Program Works

Eligible Single Family homes located in revitalization areas are listed exclusively for sales through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales program.
Ain't that awesome? Cops, firefighters and teachers are super citizens!

Read the fineprint.

For available homes in "revitalization areas" you get 50% off of the price that HUD appraises and lists.

Revitalization Areas: Imagine Detroit suburbs.

Also...These are HUD OWNED properties. Properties that HUD owns via foreclosure or abandonment. They "appraise" a price and then you pay half that price, with the other half of the price given as a loan that is expunged after three years if you stay in the property and keep your job.

Seeing as these properties are likely to remain vacant or abandoned for years to come, this seems like a reasonable way for HUD to move the properties.

AND it is not a TAXPAYER expense, it is a PROFIT, since HUD owns these abandoned and foreclosed properties, they then determine a price and give you half off and sell a property that would be on the books for years otherwise. You have to win a lottery to get a property by the way.

Originally posted by links234
I don't see the downside to this program. Is there supposed to be one?

Mind you, most, if not all, of the homes available under this program are in areas that no one else wants to live in.

Downside? where do you think the Govt's money(half the loan) comes from? Your taxes...

"hud owns them" because they guaranteed or loaned 100% of the original value: 120,000$(?)/home?

I just don't think people should get special treatment, no matter what their job is.

Would you like it if they were given houses at 50% off to politicians? I bet you wouldn't.

And it's funded by US taxpayers. Yeah most of those houses are in bad neighborhoods, but still, for the principle.

One my uncle is a firefighter, he got a house.

One of my other uncle is a cop he got a house. And he bought it at full price... gee how did he manage that?

First time i've heard of this. The ones i work with (LE) have good houses in good neighborhoods. So if all this program is offering is run down houses in the "ghetto" that would explain why I really havent heard anyone using this program to purchase a house. You dont want to be a police officer in the middle of neighborhood where the guy you arrested lives next door

I actually had a friend who took advantage of this program. She bought a house for a decent discount, as it has to be a house on their approved list. The house needed tons of work and was in a VERY bad neighborhood. In all, it wasn't worth it and she has since moved on after doing the 36-month requirement. She can't even rent the house out now and it sits vacant.

It is a good program with strict terms and the houses are pretty cruddy usually in a really ghetto area. Although there are some exceptions.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
I just don't think people should get special treatment, no matter what their job is.

The military is the worse, as members in the military get discounts, benefits, scholarships, grants, EVERYWHERE in addition to having many of their health and housing needs met. When you factor all that in they are getting compensated VERY GENEROUSLY and for a job that for most is relatively easy and safe.

Now the ones that actually go on the front lines and are deployed to war zones then I have no problem with them getting special perks for their real world service.

Yep this is a lot of crap just hit me to those jobs are footed by property taxes and with the rise of people losing their homes which pay for those jobs and services here comes to the government to save the day again with that so called "jobs" bill.

They sure do love to sweeten the pot with union jobs.

If the mentioned people get 50% off. How about this:

1. All military veterans get 50% off too.
2. All service-connected disabled military veterans get 90% off....heck disabled vets should just be given a house for free, but then the whole appreciation and 'skin in the game' apect..

Im not talking about just the HUD houses...any house for sale in the US should be 90% off to disabled veterans...

Imagine the outcry if there were as many homeless ex-cops as there are former military...

Originally posted by links234
I don't see the downside to this program. Is there supposed to be one?

Mind you, most, if not all, of the homes available under this program are in areas that no one else wants to live in.

Agreed, and most other people that actually want to live in these areas would be the type that will default on the loan within a year or two, or let the house deteriorate to the point that it is uninhabitable. This is an attempt to revitalize blighted neighborhoods and populate them with responsible homeowners who will make the loan payments and take care of the homes. The discount is the incentive to move into an otherwise undesirable area. My father runs programs for local government with similar end goals, using different means. I can tell you that it does actually work sometimes, but quite often, it ends up failing. The stories he could tell you would make you sick because it's all done with tax money. Btw, my dad is pretty conservative and doesn't necessarily approve of many of the things he is forced to do, but the laws and rules usually don't allow for much personal discretion.

reply to post by Vitchilo

I hate threads like this. Either the OP never bothers to read everything or he's intentionally trolling.

The title of this thread is
HIGHLY MISLEADING!

Yes firefighters, police, emt and even teachers can get a discount on a home. However that does not apply to all homes. Only specific homes in revitalization areas are eligible.

Eligible Single Family homes located in revitalization areas are listed exclusively for sales through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales program. Properties are available for purchase through the program for five days.

What's a revitalization area? More Info

Well you can go here and search but typically it's in low to moderate income neighborhoods. Typically in places where you may not want to live to begin with.

Doing a search in florida I don't see any revitalization areas. So if you're a cop, firefighter, emt or teacher you're sol.

You make it sound like it's a 50% off free for all for any of the above when it's plainly not the case.

Let's put aside my feelings about police for a minute.

I don't know if this has been addressed, but these homes are NOT in nice, middle class neighborhoods. It says right in the snippet from the OP that they are "revitalization zones". These are run down, bad areas. I used to live in Richmond, VA and they offer an even better incentive than this one to police who will move into those areas in Richmond and Petersburg.

I think the idea is that police, firefighters and teachers, while obviously civil service jobs, also tend to attract the type of person who will take pride in their home and essentially set an example for the neighborhood. Again, this is the "ideal", in reality it probably won't work out perfectly because some people will find a way to cheat the system, but that's just the way it is.

I think this is a good use of tax dollars and I support it, for the most part. I just hope there will be good oversight instead of just assuming that these people will "do the right thing".

Edit- Apparently, the poster above me did address this topic...I just read the first page, then responded.

I think what a lot of people are missing on this is these are homes in "revitalization areas". You know what that means right? Slums. Get 50% off a home in the slums and you have to live there dodging bullets for three years.

The three posts above me are dead on. Many people outside of the listed occupations qualify for similar or even better programs if you meet income requirements. This is not an attempt to give certain people cheap housing just because.

I'm going to Flag and Star your post.

I could be wrong but I think your thread is the first I came across that is actually trying to address these type of real economic issues. Not the whole Occupy Wall Street fiasco again and again like a beaten dead horse.

These types of "Special Incentives" along with a whole load of other cockamamie horsepile that the government have provided themselves in the past is one of the "main" reasons why U.S. is in shambles right now.

50% off their home? Pffftt...

I'll see your 50% and raise you with a BMW for every motor cycle patrol officer in California.

That's right, you heard me.

I've traveled in between Northern and Southern Cali very often. Have customers up in Fremont and San Jose, then my office is situation in SoCal. I've must seen dozens and dozens of motor cycle patrol officers through out the years and every one that I saw drove a BMW motorcycle.

Those could cost anywhere between $50k to $70k for a police mod/outfitted version. Now picture that dollar amount and factor in all the motor cycle officers in California.... It's a lot of money... wasted money I might add.

Also, in my line of business, our most favorite type of customers are the ones who lands on a Government, Military or Education contracts. It's the time to celebrate and pop the champagne bottle then spend the cash...

Because when you win the bid and you get Government budget, then you're real limits are what the budget allows you, not what how much you can save.

For example, if a customer of ours wins a Government contract, then they will get the budget to obtain all the necessary parts, goods and services to complete said project.

Which means, the Government just dumps you with a chunk of cash (budget), as long as you stay within that budget and within safety regulations, they don't give a rats ass how much you spend on an overpriced item.

i.e. The actual price of an apple could cost $0.50/ea but since Government has a certain budget to acquire a certain amount of apples, might as well just be selling these apples at $1.00/each. Because as long as the apple doesn't cost over $1.50/each, the customer is not going to sweat you about it.

In a sense, there is no control. There is no comparison in best pricing and best services offered.

When the Government issues a check, you just try your best to spend all of that amount on that check lol...

We all know where it leads us when you can't control a nation's spending on the micro scale level...

reply to post by truthseeker84


I just did a quick search, a 2012 BMW motorcycle costs a little under 25K and I promise that the police mods aren't going to push the price to what you said. I remember hearing on the news recently that my local police dept. was buying 5 or 6 new patrol cars for $300K. Besides that, do the math- 2 tickets per written per day @ $100 a pop will pay for that motorcycle in one year. Motorcycles also cost less to maintain and operate than cars, just on fuel prices alone. Back on topic, this program is about getting "good" people to move into "bad" areas to help clean them up, not giving away housing to people that can easily afford it on their own. I do agree though, that gov't contracts are exploited, but that's getting more into the politics of it.

reply to post by DJM8507


Perhaps in todays military, but I remember very well that before my husband retirement in 98 with twenty years all we got was housing allowances that were not enought to live outside the military base, still he only got a bonuse when he enlisted back in 78 for the first time, and none after that, because he came in 78 into the military he doesn't got the grant for studies either.

After twenty years all we got is a retirement that is not enough to pay for a house and property taxes and we still pay for our tricare benefits because is not free, also we pay taxes on retirement in our state.

Yes, he is also a war vet, perhaps the todays military after 98 have it better.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by DJM8507

 

Perhaps in todays military, but I remember very well that before my husband retirement in 98 with twenty years all we got was housing allowances that were not enought to live outside the military base, still he only got a bonuse when he enlisted back in 78 for the first time, and none after that, because he came in 78 into the military he doesn't got the grant for studies either.

After twenty years all we got is a retirement that is not enough to pay for a house and property taxes and we still pay for our tricare benefits because is not free, also we pay taxes on retirement in our state.

Yes, he is also a war vet, perhaps the todays military after 98 have it better.

Agreed, times have really changed. My grandfather and uncle are in the same situation as your husband. They both are still working past retirement because what little they receive from the government barely covers the essentials. I can't imagine how civilians survive, but I guess I will soon find out, as I am a civilian myself, but I don't think I will EVER be able to retire. Working through sickness and poverty until the day I die and create even more debt for my loved ones.

Most police officers wouldn't even go into these qualified neighborhoods on their days off, because they are walking targets. Think that is an exaggeration? It isn't. Even in the suburbs and small towns will low crime rates, police are targets. They have their homes and vehicles vandalized at night (in decent neighborhoods) and have to always carry a gun because they never know when they or their families might be victimized by someone they have arrested.

To expect an officer to actually move INTO one of these areas? Ridiculous. To want your teachers and FF/paramedics to move there? Again, it is very unlikely to happen. If it does, as the above poster gave a first-hand account, they end up losing money from it.

It is nothing more than propaganda.

The OP's point here was to just try and bash cops, like always. No substance.