BRYAN, Texas — Back in March, 15 ABC told you about the ‘Help a Hero Home’ program; helping first responders and local community heroes buy a home for the first time, and early Monday the program did just that.
“Homeownership has always been a dream of ours and because of the limited amount of money as a teacher that I make, our finances are limited.” Said Kelli Gotowka.
Early Monday, Michael and Kelli Gotowka finished signing paperwork to finally be handed the keys to their family’s new home as the first recipients of the ‘Help a Hero Home’ program.
For 13 years Kelli Gotowka has been a teacher and said this program has helped their dream come true when it felt so far.
“Being able to find a program where we could get that assistance was essential to make sure we would be able to afford a new house.” Said Gotowka.
Husband, Dr. Michael Gotowka says while it took years to become a doctor, it hurt financially at times, especially when he just wanted to give his family a home.
“It was just hard with our finances, with having a child with certain needs and once we got that figured out, we were able to move into a position to get a house and thankfully Jeff [Mills] and his program were able to make that possible.” Explained Gotowka.
Jeff Mills is a local realtor and veteran who started the ‘Help a Hero Home’ program as a way to help other veterans and those who help the community into their first home.
“I’m so glad the program is taking off, we have a couple more of these coming up. It’s great to see people taking advantage of this and for us to give back.” Explained Mills.
Jenny Donaho partners with Mills, helping put their clients in a home that is right for them. Donaho said just how much of a discount they contributed.
“Jeff [Mills] was able to give the client a credit of $1,650 and then as the lender, I came in and gave them $500 towards their closing cost, so it was a total of $2,150.
Help a hero home is open to all first responders, from nurses and teachers to police officers and firemen how to take advantage of help with a down payment, government grants, and tax credits, here in the Brazos valley and across Texas.
More information on the Help a Hero Home program can be found HERE: https://helpaherohome.com/