'It came out beautiful': Leesburg man becomes homeowner with help of Homes in Partnership

LEEBSURG — For Andre Graham, Wednesday was moving day.

"I love it. It came out beautiful," said a beaming Graham in front of home in Leesburg. "It puts a smile on my face."

Graham is now the proud owner of a new home near downtown Leesburg, but it took a lot of hard work — and help — to get there.

And on Wednesday, all of that hard work came to fruition when Homes in Partnership hosted a ribbon-cutting at Graham's home.

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In late 2018, he started working with Homes in Partnership, a Eustis nonprofit with more than 40 years experience helping people become homeowners. The group helps people with low to moderate incomes get their finances in order through credit counseling.

"We look into credit and income. If there are any credit issues, that's why we have HUD certified housing counselors that work with us. They walk you through with an action plan to get you mortgage ready," said Marta Castellano, housing director for Homes in Partnership.

The group — which owns lots in Lake, Sumter, Marion and Orange counties — offers several models for clients to select. It then shepherds them through the mortgage process and finally oversees the construction of their clients' new house. The group also builds entire subdivisions, such as Mount Dora's Baywood Forest community and Meadowlawn in Wildwood. New subdivisions are planned for Umatilla.

Castellano said clients have to participate in the construction, which helps make it more affordable. They have to help with excavation and prepping the lot. Clients are asked to aid in the drywall work, put up doors and blinds and lots of the detail and finishing work.

"I had to paint," Graham said. "All the paint came from my hands, inside and outside."

Graham, who has two adult sons, says he didn't always think he would ever be a homeowner. He started his journey nearly four years ago after the neighborhood he was living in became a 55+ community. The pandemic slowed the process to a crawl. But now he is the first person in his family to own his own home, and feels a real sense of accomplishment.

"When you fall on hard times sometimes you think it's the end of the world. But you've got to be patient and push through, and that's what I did," he said.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Homes in Partnership hosts ribbon cutting at new Leesburg homeowner's home