Hugh Russell
While Hugh Russell's dream has always been to own his own restaurant, his first priority was to own his own home. HART's HOME Program helped him achieve both. Russell, who came to the U.S. from Jamaica in 1989, was at Hartford's City Hall about 7 years ago when he saw a brochure for HART's HOME Program. He was drawn to the program, he says, by the fact that it provided thorough information and education about the entire process of becoming-and then being-a homeowner.
"I wanted to know as much as I could, everything," he said, so that he could ensure that he was making smart decisions. "I wanted to buy a multi-family home so that I could have rental income, an investment...I chose the HART HOME Program because the ad I saw stressed preparation. I was looking for knowledge, education so that I would know what I was getting into. The program covered everything…how to deal with tenants…how to take care of your credit. These things really helped me."
Russell successfully completed HART's HOME Program and bought his first home that same year: a multi-family in the south end of Hartford. "I did a lot of work and maintenance on the house myself," he noted, adding that he learned as he went along and attended free "how to" workshops as often as he could.
About 5 years later, in 2005, Russell felt that after 14 years at the Wadsworth Athenaeum restaurant it was time to leave his position as the Service Director and search for something new. He opened a catering business while he worked toward the goal of owning his own restaurant. The opportunity presented itself when a catering client told him about an available property in downtown Hartford. Russell decided to go for it. In order to secure the start up money he needed to open his restaurant, he decided to sell his house.
"I had taken good care of the house, so I had built up equity," said Russell. "I was able to make a profit by selling it and use that money to finance the opening of my restaurant." In getting ready to open his restaurant, all the "handy man" experience that Russell had gained by working on his home proved helpful. To save money in preparing the restaurant for opening, he did much of the painting and other interior work himself. The influence of the museum is also evident: many of the items that he used to decorate the restaurant are things that he found or bought at tag sales and restored and refinished himself. Russell's hard work and perseverance paid off on July 10, 2005 when he opened The Russell restaurant on the corner of Pratt and Trumbull Streets in downtown Hartford-right across the street from the new Civic Center.
Janice Perez: In Her Own Words
My name is Janice Perez. I am 23 years old and a homeowner! In fact, I have been a homeowner since 2008. The road to purchasing my first home has been a learning process that began with HART’s Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME) Program.
Soon after I graduated from college I felt the need to be on my own and move out of my mother’s house. Most people in my situation and age group move into a one bedroom apartment - but that wasn’t right for me. They all seemed overpriced and, besides, an apartment would never truly belong to me! The whole idea of renting just seemed pointless. Homeownership seemed wiser, because I would be putting money toward something that would actually belong to me, and I could build equity toward my future.
When I decided to purchase a house, my main concern was how to go about the process. After a little research I came across HART’s HOME Program. I signed up and attended the four-session, eight-hour course. Attending the course was the most beneficial thing I could have done! The evening schedule was convenient for me, but best of all, the content was extremely helpful. Within those four sessions, I learned the importance of having good credit and how to achieve it. I also learned about the process of purchasing a home and gained a better understanding of some of the terminology I would encounter during that process. What I enjoyed most about the program was that each segment was taught by an expert within their field - law, real estate, banking, etc.
Once I completed the HOME Program, I felt a great deal of confidence in my decision and ability to purchase a home. Shortly after that, I found the right house for me. Before I knew it, I was at the closing signing all the necessary paperwork. Until this day, I can honestly say there is no better feeling than when one is handed the keys to their very own, first home. I will always be grateful to the HART HOME Counselors and their HOME Program.
