Ventura County Community Development Corp. — From Renter to Homeowner

Ruben, a drafting engineer from Oxnard, realized his dream of becoming a homeowner on August 31, 2019. He began seriously considering homeownership two years ago but when he looked around with his realtor, he felt hopeless. Home prices were shooting up and the lowest mortgages he could find were far out of his budget, no matter how hard he worked. His trajectory changed one day when, on his way to work, he heard about VCCDC’s Homeownership Fair on the radio. After attending the fair he felt a renewed optimism about finding his own home and called in at the VCCDC office. The rest is history…

Within a year of stepping into the doors of VCCDC, Ruben closed escrow on his first home. He participated in the Homebuyer Education Workshop where he received “so much information on how to prepare for homeownership responsibly” and met one-on-one with VCCDC Lending Specialist, Alberto, to delve deep into the resources that might be available to him. With VCCDC’s help, Ruben was able to access $74,000 in down payment assistance to purchase his home and now pays a mortgage of only $1,550 a month – $700 cheaper than the mortgages he was finding before! He loves having his own space and being able to walk around his new neighborhood park in Port Hueneme.

“It’s simple – without VCCDC I would not have been able to make this happen – no way,” Ruben explained, “I’m so happy. I want to tell everyone that even if you don’t think you’re ready to buy a home, just go to VCCDC and they’ll get you started on the right track”.

After just a few weeks of moving in, Ruben could already feel the relief and freedom from the financial stability he’s now found in owning his home.

Congratulations, Ruben!

The work of VCCDC is made possible by organizations and charitable foundations who appreciate our work and want to see it continue. We are very grateful to our grantors for this funding. Their support is critical in helping us continue our mission of empowering families and individuals through education and homeownership.

Jill Shaffer

Director of Fund Development

We are excited to highlight Jill as our Staff of the Month! Jill joins VCCDC as our new Fund Development Director with over 35 years of non-profit leadership experience here in Ventura County. Her passion for helping people is unstoppable and contagious, and we are thrilled to have her expertise on our team.

To give you a chance to get to know her a little, we asked him a few questions…

Q: What’s one of your favorite parts about working at VCCDC so far?

A: This organization is truly a family in every sense of the word. From the welcoming and caring staff to the genuine empathy and inspiration shown to our hard working families looking to realize their dreams of homeownership.

Q: How do you see VCCDC’s mission come to life?

A: Every day I witness elements of our mission to strengthen and sustain vibrant communities by empowering individuals and families to build wealth through education and homeownership. Here are my three favorite phrases that capture the essence of what we do. Build Hope. Empower People. Strengthen Communities.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: As you might have guessed, I’m very family oriented. In my free time I love to spend time with my family (husband, 3 kids, 3 grandkids and each of our own extended families). We love to be outdoors, swimming, cycling, running, watching grandkids play sports and occasionally competing or cheering my husband in triathlons, swim meets or any other event that allows us to travel and see the world. I’m also a voracious reader!

Q: What is your favorite place to eat?

A: My absolute favorite place to eat is Fresh and Fabulous on 5^th Street. Magda is such an incredible chef and more importantly, she is a lovely human being who continuously gives back to our community and supports local nonprofit work. Try it, you’ll love it!

Welcome to the VCCDC team, Jill!

Giving Tuesday was founded by charities and philanthropists to transform how people think about, talk about, and participate in the giving season. It’s a counter to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a chance to focus on people rather than things.

Put December 3 on your calendar and spread the word to family and friends to support VCCDC this #GivingTuesday!

Stay up to date with our latest news and events on our Facebook Page!

Buying a home can be complicated…don’t do it alone! Let VCCDC guide you through the homeownership process with its HUD-approved Homebuyer Workshop. Here’s what you’ll learn:

You can get all this FREE using promo code: VCCDC

Upcoming Workshops

Click on date to register

We are only weeks away from the whirlwind of the holiday season! For many this time of the year means extra expenses and debt that goes well into the new year… The good news is you can stay on track with your budget and start new year on the right financial path!

Join us for a FREE workshop to learn how to:

Learn how you can make your neighborhood a safer place to live! You’ll learn about neighborhood safety practices and how you can partner with law enforcement to prevent crime in your neighborhood.

With Guest Speaker:

Luis McArthur

Commander, Oxnard Police Department

A GOLDEN GUIDESTAR ACHIEVEMENT

This month, VCCDC was recognized for our transparency with a Gold Seal on our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile!

GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. More than 8 million visitors per year and a network of 200+ partners use GuideStar data to grow support for nonprofits. In order to get the Gold Seal, we shared important information with the public using our profile on www.guidestar.org. Now our community members and potential donors can find in-depth information about our goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

We’re shining a spotlight on the difference we help make in the world.

Check out our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile for yourself here.

OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A

HOME IN LA FOR UNDER $186K!

Don’t miss the opportunity to own a newly constructed 2 bedroom unit in Los Angeles for under $186K! The 2 affordable units will be sold to qualified homebuyers whose income does not exceed 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), see chart below. Attend our upcoming mandatory orientation to learn how you can apply! You must attend the orientation in order for your application to be accepted. The units are subject to deed restrictions. Other requirements and restrictions apply.

Date: Monday, November 18th, 2019

Time: Check-in begins at 6:00pm

Location: Elysian Valley Recreation Center –

1811 Ripple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Interested Adults MUST RSVP:

805-273-7800

CONNECT WITH US

Be sure to follow us on our social media to stay up to date with our latest news! Just click on the links below.

Our Mission:

“To strengthen and sustain vibrant communities by empowering and enabling low-to-moderate income individuals and families to build wealth through education and homeownership with a primary focus on serving low-to-moderate income clients”.

All loans subject to approval. Certain conditions & fees apply. This is not an offer to extend credit to any individual who may be entitled to a more complete disclosure per RESPA, TILA, HOEPA or any other more applicable federal, state, or local law or regulation. Rates, terms, fees, products, programs and equity requirements are subject to change without notice. For qualified borrowers only. Down payment assistance available for eligible first time homebuyers, not all applicants will qualify for all sources of down payment. This is not intended as a solicitation if you are currently working with another brokerage. VCCDC is a mortgage broker licensed with the California Dept. of Real Estate #01521885; NMLS #347041