Muljat plans Spanish-language home-buying class

A4 • Wednesday, November 7, 2012 • lyndentribune.com
business
Muljat plans Spanish-language home-buying class
Former Head
Start manager
is company’s
newest agent
By Mark Reimers
[email protected]
LYNDEN — A routine
property deal in North Whatcom County opened Jerry
Blankers’ eyes to a startling
truth: Many Hispanics have
what they need to purchase a
home of their own; they just
don’t know it.
Culture and circumstances play a part. According to a
2011 report from the National
Association of Hispanic Real
Estate Professionals, while
Hispanic and Latino families
usually have a positive view
of home ownership, they also
are more likely than the average American to believe that
they don’t have enough information on how to get a home
loan.
The report, titled “The
State of Hispanic Homeownership,” is an extensive
study on trends, attitudes
and movements in the United
States Hispanic and Latino
communities. For example,
the study found that 70 percent of Hispanics view getting
a mortgage as more difficult
than in the past, compared to
54 percent of all Americans.
For Blankers, the managing real estate broker at Muljat
Group North, these statistics
mean that local Hispanic families could benefit from knowing what their ownership options are. So for the first time,
the Lynden-based real estate
office will be hosting Spanish language home-buying
classes, the first of which is
planned for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Lynden Library.
The free seminar is modeled after a similar Englishlanguage one that is regularly
offered by the firm.
However, when Blankers
first realized a class like this
could work, he knew he would
need help. He contacted major agriculture employers like
Curt Maberry Farm and Maberry Packing and was told
that there was some interest.
More importantly, he
offered a job to Daisy Valladares, the former manager
of the Lynden-based Head
Start program. Although the
state-run program was moved
out of Lynden, Valladares has
still helped with the federal
version of the early childhood
education program. That has
left her with many deep connections within the Whatcom
County Hispanic community.
Valladares, although new
to the real estate world, said
she is excited to be serving her
community in a new way.
“I feel very lucky to have
all of these connections,”
Valladares said, noting that
ultimately she still feels very
much like an advocate for the
Hispanic community.
However, Blankers already had some help when it
came to communicating to
local Hispanics. Two other Realtors at the firm are bilingual
and will be assisting with the
Spanish-language
seminar.
They are Lawless TolliverWarren and part-time agent
Ramon Llanos.
Llanos also works as an
engineer for a Ferndale-based
company.
Blankers noted that there
are good reasons to get good
home ownership information
into the hands of Hispanic families. For one, there are many
economic benefits to buying instead of renting as well as positive cultural trends that come
along with ownership.
Tolliver-Warren agreed,
noting that stability is a crucial part of raising a family.
“Ownership offers stabilty,” Tolliver-Warren said.
“Knowing a place to call home
is a foundation for stability for
children. It can also give parents a feeling of being a part of
a community.”
On the other side, Blankers said, it’s plain to see that
the Hispanic community is a
huge untapped market.
Tolliver-Warren
noted
that she has had some families come forward with relatively large down payments,
not realizing that there are
programs that can get them
into homes with just 3 percent
down. That’s in addition to the
USDA loan program that allows for zero percent down if
certain conditions are met.
In addition to the three
Spanish-speaking
Realtors
at the Muljat Group North,
Blankers has also partnered
with Hendor Rodriguez, a
consultant with Wells Fargo,
to speak at the seminar about
the necessary steps to getting
a home mortgage.
For more information
about the home-buying seminar, call the Muljat Group
North office at 360-354-6033.
table discussions and learn
from experts about the latest
in universal design, accessible
architecture, home modifications for mobility, working
with seniors, reverse mortgages, and more.
On Thursday, Nov. 8,
from 1 to 7 p.m., browse the
accessibility trade show and
learn more about the products and services available.
For more information,
contact Linda at 671-4247.
Home-buying,
in Spanish
n 6 p.m., Thursday,
Nov. 8, at the Lynden
Library
n Details: 354-6033
From left, Daisy Valladares and Lawless Tolliver-Warren are two Spanish-speaking
realtors at Muljat Group North. Managing broker Jerry Blankers, right, helped
organize the initial Spanish-language home-buyer class for Thursday at Lynden
Library. (Mark Reimers/Lynden Tribune)
Bazaar sales
business
Accessibility in
construction is
topic at Blaine
BLAINE — The Building
Industry Association of Washington’s 50+ Housing Council
invites interested professionals and homeowners to two
special events being held Nov.
7-8 at The Inn at Semiahmoo.
On Wednesday, Nov. 7,
from 4 to 6 p.m., join round-
Tobey Gelder
ARM
Your Lynden Agent
360-734-1161
The Cornerstone Christian School Community would
like to say THANK YOU to all our Corporate
Sponsors and to the Lynden Community for
supporting our annual golf tournament!
A big thank you to our Title Sponsor:
city
Citizen wants fire
staffing bolstered
www.riceinsurance.com
By Calvin Bratt
[email protected]
LYNDEN ­— Kristen Hansen came to the Lynden City
Council meeting Monday to
remind city leaders that they
promised in 2010 to increase
fire department staffing.
Hansen, whose son Erik is
a Lynden Fire Department volunteer, said she has become
aware of times of back-to-back
calls that overload the system.
She is concerned that Lynden’s response might fall short
in an emergency unless the
force is strengthened.
Hansen was the only person to speak at an opportunity
to comment on the city’s proposed 2013 budget.
Mayor Scott Korthuis responded that the city has a
mutual-aid agreement with
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue,
which operates a fully staffed
station on 19th Street, to help
out on multiple calls, and that
he is proud of the city department for keeping its response
time under 5 minutes average.
“We weigh all this when
we make our budget considerations,” the mayor said.
The council will have a
public hearing Nov. 19 on the
property tax levy aspect of the
budget.
Separately, the council,
after a brief executive session,
approved a four-year wage
package with Public Works
employees. For this year, wages are equal to 2011, although
in 2013 through 2015 they can
be opened to negotiation. Two
workers, one a supervisor, are
exceptions, getting 4 and 2
percent raises now.
Councilor Gary Bode said
the city has had good cooperation from its workers in trying
to hold the line on wages in the
current economy. The annual fall Lynden Community Center Bazaar and Bake Sale produced an
amazing variety of concoctions and creations for people to buy last week Thursday
and Friday. All proceeds go to support the center’s operation. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
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Special thanks to Homestead Golf and
Country Club in Lynden for hosting our event.
Thank you to all our other sponsors:
Cargill Animal Nutrition
Crown Door Corp.
Epl Feed
Ferndale Ready Mix
Freeland & Associates, Inc.
Guide Insurance
Ivory Wealth Management
Jonkman International Inc.
K&S Woodworks
KIK Creative Inc.
Lynden Dental Health Center
Moss Adams
Networx
Nooksack Animal Hospital
Northwest Electric, Inc.
Northwest Farm Credit Services
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