RISMEDIA, March 16, 2009-Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is supplementing the federal government’s home buying stimulus program with a stimulus plan of their own – the Howard Hanna Assurance program.
The company is looking to jumpstart sales in the region and will offer a revamped one-stop shop program that includes offering to take over the leases of renters if they buy a home through the company. The initial marketing campaign begins this weekend.
Hanna’s Apartment Dwellers Trade-in program is looking for renters who find homes to buy but are unable to get out of a long-term lease. Hanna will first work with the landlord to see if someone else can take over the remainder of the contract.
”Ideally, we want to find someone to sub-lease the space,” Hanna said. ”If we can’t find a person, we take over the lease. It’s a calculated risk.”
The Howard Hanna Assurance program grew out of internal brainstorming in recent months on how to help people overcome such things as job-security fears created by the recession so that they will buy a home, Hanna said. ”We’re trying to work out all of the objections people are having,” he added. ”We’re trying to be creative and innovative.”
“The negative media about real estate markets has made buyers timid. Most people are listening to ‘national’ reports. Real estate is local – like the weather. We all just don’t listen to one weather forecast,” said Hanna.
Howard Hanna believes in the strength of their markets and their company provides a wide range of value-added consumer incentives to instill confidence in the minds of buyers, as well as heighten realization that now is a great time to buy.
The program also is a way for the company to differentiate itself from competitors, he said.
“While we’ve seen an increase in open house traffic and visits to our website, driven by the historically low mortgage rates, a large supply of affordable housing and the new $8,000 federal tax incentive for first-time buyers – but we see people not pulling the trigger on sales,” said Helen Hanna Casey, President of the family firm.
“Only through Howard Hanna Assurance can buyers get additional value along with the tax credit,” said Hanna Casey. “We offer a whole value package – all of the strengths of Howard Hanna to our buyers – and to our sellers.”
For more information, visit howardhanna.com.
