Housing

Minneapolis mom hurdles final homebuying barrier with a hand from a determined mortgage consultant and a closing cost credit.

After feeling the crunch of sky-high rental rates, Buwa Binitie founded Dantes Partners to bring “luxury affordable” housing to Washington, D.C.

Wells Fargo and NeighborhoodLIFT^® partner Avenue have committed nearly $15 million to boosting homeownership in Houston.

For National Homeownership Month, a discussion with the head of Wells Fargo Home Lending Kristy Fercho.

Nonprofits MANNA and Building Bridges Across the River/11th Street Bridge Park are preparing Washington, D.C., residents for homeownership and providing access to affordable homes through the Ward 8 Homebuyers Club, thanks to support from Wells Fargo.

Viewpoints: As housing costs continue to rise, low-income families of color need more access to affordable housing and a pathway to homeownership, writes Donald Gilmore, executive director of Community Housing Development Corporation.

Out of work, hospitalized, and separated from family, Feliton Gauthier was able to get back on his feet financially, with help from a nonprofit housing agency and Wells Fargo.

Hispanics led the U.S. out of the Great Recession, but may face stronger headwinds in the COVID-19 crisis. Wells Fargo advances its commitment to Hispanic homeownership.

City leaders and nonprofits in Portland, Oregon, are boosting Black homeownership through down payment aid and other incentives, supported in part by Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT.

In honor of National Good Neighbor Day on Sept. 28, read stories of how Wells Fargo has helped bring neighbors and their communities together.

Six housing innovators received $2.5 million awards to create housing affordability solutions across the U.S.

Wells Fargo Foundation donates $1.8 million to support housing initiatives led by six CDFIs in the country’s poorest communities.

The crisis of housing affordability in the United States is much more than a problem of demand exceeding supply. The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge will help close the affordable housing gap by elevating and transforming housing affordability innovations into real solutions. Judges who are experts in the industry will choose top competitors who bring standout affordable housing innovations promising new ways to meet the urgent need for affordable housing in communities across the United States.

Without financing, good ideas to address housing affordability often never get off the ground. Because of a number of complexities, it can sometimes be more expensive to build affordable housing than it is to build market rate properties. In this episode, judges and administrators of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge discuss problems and opportunities associated with financing.

With land scarcity, zoning challenges, and ever increasing costs, the building of new affordable housing is a complex undertaking. In this episode, judges and administrators of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge discuss the complexities and opportunities present in the construction of safe, clean, affordable housing, as well as the potential of green building as a factor in affordability solutions.

Helping people sustain safe, affordable housing that they can utilize as a fundamental building block for health and economic well-being is key to closing opportunity gaps and eradicating generations of systemic racial disparity. Resident support services are an area of focus for the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge because they help provide infrastructure for resident well-being and economic mobility, and they contribute to healthy communities. In this episode, judges and administrators of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge discuss problems and opportunities.

The need for affordable, well-designed homes continues to exceed supply in the United States. Wells Fargo has launched the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners to close the affordable housing gap by elevating and transforming housing affordability innovations into real solutions. The Challenge will award six grants of more than $2 million each to innovators across the U.S. in the areas of construction, finance, and resident support services to bring their ideas to reality. In this special series, Wells Fargo brings together the Challenge’s judges and administrators — thought leaders from across the industry — to discuss the housing affordability quagmire, the priorities of the competition, and the areas of opportunity for innovation in creating impactful solutions.

Despite the pandemic, Anne Fenkner celebrates completing her final mortgage payment six years early with a COVID-19-compliant parade.

One couple’s story shows the resilience of homebuyers as the housing market adjusts to new ways of buying.  

From the COVID-19 pandemic to soaring unemployment, African Americans face a number of challenges to homebuying this year. Cerita Battles of Wells Fargo discusses the commitment to boost African American homeownership amid adversity.

Housing nonprofits like Beyond Housing in St. Louis and LA Family Housing in Los Angeles are continuing to support their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic — while also pivoting their focuses to meet the immediate needs.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, first-time homeowners D’Arcy and Mallory Furniss joined hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. who have bought homes this year despite the public health emergency and economic fallout.

The COVID-19 crisis has left many people unemployed and others uncertain about their jobs. An Arizona couple received badly needed help from their Wells Fargo banker.

A new approach in Los Angeles may offer a solution to housing affordability nationwide. Abode Communities talks about their model and supporting residents during the COVID-19 crisis.

Customers are seeking help with many issues, from refinancing to getting mortgage relief during the COVID-19 crisis. Two mortgage consultants talk about being there for customers during tough times.

Amanda St. Clair took a leave from work to care for her son Carter, who has leukemia. She feared the family would lose their home, but a life-changing bond with Cindy Hunting of Wells Fargo made all the difference.

With help from an award-winning nonprofit and a LIFT down payment grant, two homeowners turn a troubled past into a bright future in urban Baltimore.

Residents of Natalie Gubb Commons have found community and affordability in San Francisco’s downtown district of high-rise towers and luxury condos.

Years after returning from war, veteran Clint Romesha finally feels truly at home. He is the first Medal of Honor recipient to receive a mortgage-free home from Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support Foundation.

As housing prices in Washington, D.C., have skyrocketed, many residents have turned to nearby suburbs to find affordable housing. NeighborhoodLIFT is helping boost their hopes of homeownership.

Jon Campbell, EVP of Wells Fargo Corporate Philanthropy and Community Relations, and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity CEO Chris Coleman discuss America’s housing affordability crisis.

Hispanics have become a leading engine for the U.S. housing market in recent years, many of them overcoming adversity through determination and hope.

Despite facing years of obstacles, more millennials are beginning to find a clearer path to buying a home.

Since 1994, HomeFree-USA has worked to educate and empower African American and other diverse communities with the guidance they need to achieve and sustain homeownership.

The lack of affordable housing in the U.S. is putting millions of people at the edge of crisis. Too many Americans are spending more than 50% of their income to keep a roof over their heads, experts say, and the crisis is costing the U.S. economy billions each year.

What makes housing affordability a looming crisis? Top experts discuss a legacy of the housing bust that is impacting millions of Americans across income levels and the U.S. economy at large. 

How did this happen? Housing affordability experts discuss “one of the most confounding aspects” of the U.S. economic recovery from the Great Recession.

How do we fix this? Experts identify actions policymakers, communities, and banks can take now to spark systemic change and solve the housing affordability crisis.

What happens next? Experts suggest local successes, like mixed-income neighborhoods, could prove key ingredients for the systemic change required to fix the housing affordability crisis in America.

In this special series, Wells Fargo brings together problem solvers to discuss the U.S. housing affordability crisis, its root causes, and potential solutions.

A new Wells Fargo survey finds Americans are willing to cut expenses, take side jobs, and otherwise go the extra mile to make their homeownership goals a reality.

National Association of Realtors and other research shows more homebuyers than ever are seeking properties that meet the needs of their pets, and the number is continuing to rise.

Wells Fargo leads a national panel on housing affordability and homelessness; author Antwone Fisher’s story puts a personal face on the growing crisis.

When they were kids, siblings Kenneth and Leah Martinez loved their elderly next-door neighbors like extended family. Years later, they are now the proud owners of the house next door, with help from Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT^® program.

Rescued from their flooded home, Andy Cordova and his family survived and recovered from Hurricane Harvey, thanks to inspiring help from disaster specialist Bridgette Fletcher of Wells Fargo.

From firefighters and police officers to veterans, hundreds of first responders across the U.S. have become homeowners with help from Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT^® program.

Darlene Ahmed thought she may have to put her homeownership plans on hold until a series of Wells Fargo financial health conversations cleared the way.

Erik Gruber spends most of his life in cyberspace, whether editing video or ordering pizza. When it came to buying a house, it was only natural for him to use an online mortgage application.

A new Wells Fargo-NAACP homebuying class aims to boost the African American homeownership rate, homebuyer by homebuyer.

Wells Fargo has invested more than $442 million in 67 NeighborhoodLIFT^® program launches in support of sustainable housing, making it the single largest corporate philanthropic effort of its kind in the company’s history.

Maria Sanchez’s story of saving her home and regaining her financial health reflects Wells Fargo’s commitment to support homeownership in the Hispanic community.

Find out how a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., is revitalizing local neighborhoods and saving residents from displacement, thanks to support from Wells Fargo.

When Parkway Overlook Apartments closed in 2008, its residents were forced to relocate. Ten years later, the apartments will be redeveloped, thanks to the city, Wells Fargo, and two former residents willing to fight for the community they loved.

Leaders from Wells Fargo and an Iowa lending organization share why Wells Fargo’s recent $4.7 million commitment to Des Moines is so important.

Speaking at a national Hispanic leadership event, Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan highlighted the company’s commitment to boosting Hispanic homeownership, entrepreneurs, and financial education.

Shopping for a house can be stressful for anyone, but these tips from Wells Fargo Home Lending can help ensure a successful homebuying experience.

Athena Emerson, who became a first-time homeowner late in life, is “the perfect example” of Wells Fargo’s efforts to boost African American homeownership.

Unlike many real estate investments, in which a developer’s primary focus is on creating value, the $1.5 billion Essex Crossing urban renewal project in Manhattan was designed with a community-based approach.

U.S. Army veteran Bobby Henline was awarded a mortgage-free home in Sanford, North Carolina, thanks to financial support and volunteer efforts from Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support Foundation. 

The organization is celebrating 40 years of helping millions with affordable housing and making homeownership a reality for Americans with low and moderate incomes.

In her job at Denver’s largest nonprofit animal shelter, Anna Johnson helps find homes for lost animals. Now, as a first-time homebuyer, she finally has a home of her own with her rescued pets.

Anne and John Macpherson feared they were on the verge of losing their log cabin home in New York’s Hudson Valley, but an email to Wells Fargo changed everything.

Natasha Jones is one of more than 15,000 people who have become homeowners thanks to Wells Fargo’s LIFT programs.

After losing their home during the recession, an Atlanta couple persevered and became “comeback homeowners” earlier this year.

A California couple recently became first-time homebuyers after two decades as renters. Their experience highlights the values of National Homeownership Month.

Wells Fargo donated mortgage-free homes to two veterans and payment-free vehicles to two others at events during two PGA golf tournaments.

Wells Fargo LIFT programs have held 50 outreach events and created more than 13,250 homeowners since they began five years ago.

The winners of a national design competition saw their ideas come to life in a Memphis, Tennessee, home that was renovated to include accommodations to ensure livability for a local veteran.

A Minnesota couple never thought they could own a home in the U.S. until they discovered yourFirst Mortgage^SM, a new Wells Fargo program designed for first-time homeowners.

In the past five years, Wells Fargo has invested more than $9 billion and created 180,000 affordable housing units — making it the No. 1 investor in affordable, multifamily housing in the U.S.

Wells Fargo’s commitment to increase African American homebuying aims to create 250,000 new homeowners by 2027 and boost diversity in its mortgage sales team.

Years after his Purple Heart was stolen, an Iraq War veteran gets a replacement medal — thanks in part to a nonprofit that had worked with Wells Fargo to provide him a home in 2015.

The desire for homeownership is strong, and so is the perception that making it happen is a hassle. Now that is changing — thanks to a responsive mortgage team and convenient technology.

An expert panel focuses on how to boost sustainable homeownership for first-time homebuyers, diverse communities, and others.

Streamlined, flexible, potentially more affordable: yourFirst Mortgage aims to bring the American dream of homeownership to generations now and in the future.

A renter in Denver discovered new affordable housing with a crucial amenity: access to rapid transit that takes her to her job at the airport.

An Indiana customer found a hundred-year-old home that needed moving — a hurdle she cleared with the help of Wells Fargo.

From the homeless in North Carolina to the unemployed in Alaska, individuals and families are better off thanks to a Priority Markets effort aimed at neighborhood revitalization.

A family in New Jersey found the home of their dreams with help from the Wells Fargo Home Lending team — and an online tool.

Amanda Nash of Phoenix is one of thousands since 2012 who have been able to buy a home through the efforts of Wells Fargo and housing nonprofits across the U.S.

With help from Home Lending, a millennial couple in Seattle completed the trek to home ownership in time to celebrate the 2015 holidays together — from their new home.

Two veterans injured in Afghanistan recently stood together at a Veterans Day Parade in San Francisco to celebrate their new homes donated by Wells Fargo and the Military Warriors Support Foundation.

A surfer in San Diego is among the veterans who have found homes in recent years, with the help of Wells Fargo.

Latinos who wish to become homeowners have a new path — made possible by a $125 billion home lending commitment (and other support) from Wells Fargo over the next 10 years.

Wells Fargo's Perry Hilzendeger highlights the disaster response lessons the company has learned from Hurricane Katrina and more over the past decade.

Home buyers in their 20s and early 30s — like Tim and Reina Robinson — are beginning to make their presence known in a housing market that eagerly anticipates their arrival.

Wells Fargo’s Franklin Codel recaps its latest homeownership survey and how myths about down payments and credit scores keep some qualified home buyers sidelined.

Buying a home seemed out of reach for this single mom in Virginia — until she chose to work one-on-one with Wells Fargo.

Wells Fargo’s Joe Ohayon recaps three must-do steps if you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, and are worried about keeping your home.

Vietnam War veteran Isaac Walters turned his life around a decade ago and late last year fulfilled a lifelong dream of home ownership — thanks in part to Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT® down payment assistance program.

Memphis's uptown neighborhood is being revitalized through a new approach from Habitat of Greater Memphis and grants from Wells Fargo.

Neighborhoods across the U.S. are being revitalized through work done by housing nonprofits — funded in part by grants from Wells Fargo Housing Foundation’s Priority Markets program.

For the winners of Wells Fargo’s “What Makes a Home” contest, winning meant more than just being able to pay down their mortgage. All of them used some of their winnings to give back to their communities.

Wells Fargo and the Military Warriors Support Foundation donated a mortgage-free home to veteran Dominic Perrotte at a Rose Parade ceremony.

In one North Carolina community, people are finding stable jobs and affordable homes with the assistance of an organization devoted to helping low- and moderate-income residents.

A U.S. Navy SEAL veteran and his family are enjoying their California home, donated by Wells Fargo, thanks in part to mentoring designed to ensure his success as a homeowner.

Down payment assistance grants from Wells Fargo have helped more than 8,000 people achieve a goal many thought was unattainable: owning a home.

When the Taylor family of Ocean Springs, Miss., fell into financial difficulty, they turned to Wells Fargo for guidance and one-on-one assistance with a mortgage modification.