LDN - Top Stories

Thursday, Aug. 28

Realtor aids county in
acquiring property

Habitat receives property Send a link to a friend

[AUG. 28, 2003] Both the Logan County Board and the Logan County chapter of Habitat for Humanity saluted local realtor Greg Brinner. Brinner was struck with an idea that he thought would help someone. He frequently sees properties become available that look like a great deal. When he came across the property at 1409 N. Kickapoo St. in Lincoln, he went to the county board and made the suggestion that they buy it.

The board discussed it and agreed to purchase the property and deed it over to someone who could make it habitable again.

The county paid a grand sum of $1 for the property and transferred it to Logan County Habitat for Humanity. The closing took place at the Re/Max office Aug. 21. Present were county board chairman Dale Voyles and board members Bill Sahs, Gloria Luster and Chuck Ruben. Members present from the Habitat board were George Dahmm, Bill Sahs and Leonard Krusemark.

Closing of the HUD property was conducted by Chris Hutson with Alex and Hutson from Rockford and Brinner.

At the closing Voyles said Brinner identified a property, at no personal gain to himself, that could be acquired for a nominal fee and would make a great home for someone.

Brinner said that since becoming a broker for Housing and Urban Development he has occasionally seen these properties become available and had thought that this might be something that could be done. "What realtors are all about is helping people get homes," he said.

Brinner does local board listings. He is the regional HUD representative covering Logan, DeWitt, Mason and part of Tazewell County.

Habitat for Humanity is currently working on a home being built in Mount Pulaski. Volunteers organized by Habitat perform all labor on homes that are built new or refurbished.

Many local and corporate businesses donate supplies. Locally Mitchell-Newhouse Lumber Co. donates building materials, and Wal-Mart provides grant money. Corporate donors include Cutler-Hammer from Lincoln; Larson, which donates storm doors; and the Dow Corporation, which donates Dow Board for exterior walls. Yale donates keyed knobs, deadbolts and passage locks; while Whirlpool donates the stove and refrigerator for the homes. The Habitat organization also does fund-raisers and accepts cash donations.

[Patricia Rankin]

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Applications being accepted

The Logan County chapter of Habitat for Humanity will be performing the necessary improvements to make this a nice home. Habitat is looking for a family that is interested in having this as their home.

Applications for the home are open and available at this time. Past applicants who are interested in applying for this or any home in the future need to reapply. If they have applied in the past, they need to update their application. Only new and reapplying applicants will be considered.