Posted on by

Single mom is now a first-time homeowner with a local boost

Single mom is now a first-time homeowner with a local boost

The ribbon cutting on Sharmain Shamley’s new home provided some hope during a difficult time.

WEBSTER – This week some good news broke through the gloomy deluge of Milton updates and pictures and brightened the mood in Sumter County.

Especially for Sharmain Shamley, a single mother who now has a new home in Webster in the new Live Oak subdivision with the help of the Sumter County government and the nonprofit Homes In Partnership.

A ribbon cutting marked the milestone for the mother of the first home buyer and her daughters Zahyriya Smith, 16, and Arianna Smith, 21.

Shamley, who grew up in Orlando and works in Ocoee, had the opportunity to move to The Villages and Wildwood, but felt the Webster neighborhood seemed safest for her daughters.

Zahriyah, a junior, will continue to attend East Ridge High School in the Clermont area, Shamley said, because she does well there and it is a good school.

“It seemed pretty quiet out here,” Shamley said of the Webster neighborhood. “I went out during the day and at night I didn’t see much traffic and I said to myself, ‘Me and my girls deserve a fresh start, something new. So why not? If I can approve of that, why not build from scratch? That’s why I chose to live here.

The homeowner added that she has some interior design ideas in mind and is looking forward to going shopping to purchase new furniture and appliances for her home.

Earlier this week, county housing officials, as well as representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the nonprofit organization, met to make the new home official for Shamley and her family.

The news comes at an otherwise difficult time in Sumter as the Withlacoochee River continues to rise, affecting drivers and homeowners in western parts of the county.

Some flooding in her new Webster neighborhood also left Shamley a little worried.

With $20,000 from the Sumter County government, support from Homes in Partnership (homesip.org) and other sources, Shamley received help with the upfront costs of purchasing the home and has a zero percent mortgage going forward.

The department head at Orlando Health Central Hospital initially tried to find down payment assistance programs in Orange County. She also reached out to an organization in Lake County who referred her to Homes in Partnership.

“At the time, given the high interest rates compared to what I qualified for, there was really nothing I could afford without a cosigner,” she said.

Living in Webster will be a bit of an adjustment, but Shamley says her daughters are getting used to it and are enjoying it there.

“It’s a 45-minute drive to work, but it’s a direct route,” Shamley said of her drive from Webster to Ocoee, adding that her manager approved her to work remotely from home two days a week.

Homes in Partnership/Sumter County’s first-time buyer program required a credit score of at least 640, and Shamley says the background and credit check process went smoothly and wasn’t stressful at all.

Her only complaint was confusion over what she had to pay for after the closing, including a mailbox and a garage door opener, which surprised her.

Gloria Nelson, director of Homes In Partnership, praised the family and the implementation of the project in selecting a home to help build.

“This house is truly a labor of love,” Nelson said. “This house represents much more than just property.” It is a foundation for the future of Shamley’s daughters.

When we visit Homes In Partnership Inc.’s website, we learn that the organization claims to provide homeownership opportunities to very low- to moderate-income citizens “to achieve the American dream of homeownership.”

Homes in Partnership continues to help families purchase homes in the Webster community of Live Oak, near I-75 and the Florida Turnpike. The 66-lot community has lots for 3- and 4-bedroom single-family homes.

The organization has worked with Sumter County to assist prospective homeowners and residents with down payment and closing costs for first-time home buyers, emergency home repairs, rent and home replacement. Visit sumtercountyfl.gov/87/Housing to learn more.

For more information about housing assistance programs, contact Sumter County Housing Services at 352-689-4400.