Open house set for affordable home ownership opportunity

An open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4 for first-time homebuyers interested in taking advantage of the latest affordable home ownership opportunity in the Town of Amherst.

The property - a renovated two-bedroom, one-bath brick ranch at 186 Woodcrest Drive - is being made available through the cooperative efforts of Amherst's Community Development Program, the Amherst/Cheektowaga/Tonawanda HOME Consortium, the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation and nonprofit New Opportunities Community Housing Development Corp.

The bathroom and kitchen were both remodeled, the house is freshly painted throughout with new carpeting and interior trim, and it offers a full basement with a new furnace and hot water tank. Other major improvements include new roofs on both the house and the newly sided 1.5-car garage, new doors and energy-efficient, double pane windows, and new electrical fixtures, switches and outlets.

With the potential for as much as $35,000 in purchase price, closing cost and mortgage rate buydown assistance to offset the home's $90,000 selling price, a qualifying purchaser able to secure a $60,000 mortgage could pay as little as $600 a month. Interested, mortgage prequalified prospective buyers must attend the Nov. 4 open house, at which applications will be distributed.

Applicants selected in random order from among those who meet the program's requirements will be offered the opportunity to arrange purchase financing through the institution of their choice. More information about the property is available by calling 884-2358, ext. 335.