Homes for Heroes

OUR WHY:

 The mission of The Search7Cities team is to provide the premier customer service experience for each home seller and home buyer we work with. Search7Cities was founded on the very belief that heroes are the backbone of our communities. Why wouldn’t we want to honor them? Health care workers care for the sick and wounded. Teachers shape the hearts and minds of this generation, equipping them for success. Our military defend our country and we are free because of their sacrifice. Law enforcement and firefighters protect us, making our communities a bit more peaceful. That is why we have partnered with Homes to Heroes. to say thank you! The least Search7Citities could do is give back to the people that give us the most. We would love to be their one stop shop for anything they need, and to have their back in the home buying or selling process!

This partnership is to give back to our community heroes and help them save money when they buy or sell a home! Search7Cities was founded on the very belief that heroes are the backbone of our community. They protect, teach, defend, and care for us with asking little in return. That is why we chose to partner with Homes to Heroes. To give heroes a monetary reward check when they buy or sell a home, as a way to say thank you for serving our community well! Service deserves reward, and Search7Cities is so honored to be able to give back. If you are a hero (military, teacher, health care provider, law enforcement, or firefighter), or know of a hero that would like to receive a cash check reward for buying or selling a home, reach out to us! We would be happy to speak with them about the Homes to Heroes Rewards Program!

Homes for Heroes

Mission is to provide extraordinary savings to heroes who provide extraordinary services to our nation and its communities every day.

Since 2009, Homes for Heroes, Inc., has helped over 54,000 heroes save over $100 million on their real estate transactions, sold over $14 billion in real estate to heroes, actively partnered with more than 4,200 like-minded real estate and mortgage professionals who’ve joined in the mission, and donated over $1.1 million to heroes in need through the Homes for Heroes Foundation.

Homes for Heroes, Inc. is the largest nationwide network of affiliate real estate, mortgage, and local business specialists; committed to providing easy ways for heroes to save on a home. Shortly after 9/11, Homes for Heroes, Inc. was established to give back to firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military (active, reserves & veterans), healthcare professionals and teachers for all they do.

The Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving is more than a symbol. It is the practical steps we take to support our heroes – who support our communities – in their journey to a new home. What started as a simple way to reward heroes has evolved into a series of efforts to support heroes and the larger community. It’s primarily about homes and real estate, but it has grown into so much more.

For the record, the heroes we help are:

• Firefighters
• EMS Professionals
• Law Enforcement
• Military – Active, Reserves and Veterans
• Healthcare Professionals
• Teachers

And the ways we help them are fivefold. Here’s the breakdown.

CONNECT – Connecting Heroes with a Search7cities Real Estate Specialists

One of the first ways we help heroes is by connecting them to our local real estate and/or mortgage specialist. They are licensed real estate agents and mortgage lenders who have committed to serving the heroes in their communities.

You want someone on your side when you are entering the real estate market, and the more competitive it is, the more you need that committed and helpful relationship. Many of our local specialists have served as heroes in the past and have a good understanding of the challenges faced by heroes due to the requirements of their profession. Our specialists know the housing and lending trends in your community. They also know how to maximize the savings heroes can receive through the home buying, selling or mortgage refinancing process. On average, heroes can save $2,400 when they close with our local specialists.

Abby Waltz, National Director for Homes for Heroes, sums it up nicely. “Helping facilitate the connection between our heroes and our real estate and mortgage specialists is more than it seems on the surface. Forging a strong relationship is vital for heroes to achieve their homeownership goals to buy and/or sell a home – especially in tough markets. While real estate and mortgage professionals are there to guide you through the complex process, our Homes for Heroes specialists are experts in representing heroes, understanding their unique needs and challenges.”

“I bought and sold using this program and had a great experience using the Homes for Heroes program. My real estate agent was outstanding and the bonus check at the end was very helpful.” – Chris, Law Enforcement in Alabama

SERVE – Heroes Serve Us. We Proudly Serve Them.

Serving a community of heroes is, first and foremost, an honor. We are trying to make a difference for a lot of heroes across the nation. In 2021 alone:

• Through our specialists, we served heroes in over 3,000 U.S. communities
• Helped over 9,000 heroes buy and/or sell a home
• Saved heroes $19.7 million in Hero Rewards® savings

“As a 1st time home owner, we were very satisfied with how our home buying experience turned out. As a Naval Veteran, and a Healthcare Worker, it gives me great pleasure working with a company that gives back to those who put others before themselves. I know personally that these individuals don’t ask much for themselves, but it’s always nice to feel appreciation and respect. Nice job, Homes for Heroes!!” – Kevin W., Hero Rewards savings recipient

Buying or selling a house can be a complicated process, and the heroes in our communities have jobs that are already very stressful. They need someone in their corner to get them successfully through the process. Homes for Heroes puts a whole team in their corner so they can achieve an important goal – home ownership.

REWARD – Saving Heroes Money is Our Way to Say, “Thank You for Your Service.”

The reward is what started the whole Circle of Giving. We began by giving rewards to the heroes in our groups when they closed on a house. It was a thank you for all they do in our communities. We soon realized that rewards work both ways: when we reward heroes, they reward us with their stories, their inspiration, their gratitude.

Here is how we calculate the average $2,400 Hero Rewards® savings when a hero closes with our local specialists:

• Average of $1,700 savings from our local real estate specialists. This one fluctuates based on the home purchase price for a buy or sell transaction. Taking 0.7 percent of the home purchase price ($700 savings per $100,000 price) is how the savings is calculated. This dollar amount is given back to the hero after closing. These dollars come from our local real estate specialist. They give back part of their gross commission after closing and Homes for Heroes sends the hero a check to purchase items for their new home or anything else they may need.
• Average $500 savings from our local mortgage specialists is a reduction in lender fees when a hero closes on a new mortgage or refinances a current mortgage.
• Average $150 savings from our local title company specialists is a reduction in title service fees when a hero closes on a home.
• Average $50 savings from our local home inspector specialists is typically a home inspection service discount.

One of the most common purchases our heroes buy with their rewards are appliances. Some have made simple cosmetic upgrades to their home, and some have used the funds for complete renovations. That’s the great thing about getting a check back, the hero can use the money for whatever they need!

“Homes for Heroes is easy to sign up for, and that was appreciated by me as a travel nurse and my husband as a Navy veteran. Thank you for all of your support. We plan to use the money to help work on the house, and it will help with our projects we are ready to start.” – Samantha, U.S. Navy in Kentucky

GRANT – Homes for Heroes Foundation Helps Heroes in Need

Funding for the foundation is driven by the Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving. When a hero works with Homes for Heroes local real estate and mortgage specialists to buy or sell a home, Homes for Heroes, Inc. donates a portion of its earnings to the Homes for Heroes Foundation. Therefore, the hero that bought or sold a home had an influence in supporting the well-being of other fellow heroes.

Homes for Heroes, Inc. also covers all the foundation expenses which allows all donated dollars to be used to help the lives of heroes in need.

History of the Homes for Heroes Foundation Grant

The Homes for Heroes Foundation started off as a way to provide even more assistance to heroes in the community who needed additional assistance. Foundation grants started as individual need-based grants. For example, it could be a grant for $500 for a security deposit for a military veteran, $250 for a past due electric bill for a nurse, or $1,000 to avoid eviction for a firefighter.

As time went on, the foundation changed its approach. Instead of helping individuals, they turned their attention to local and national nonprofits who were using their knowledge, talent, skills and expertise to help heroes. Lisa Welsh, Homes for Heroes Foundation Director, said “By giving grants to nonprofits, we bring awareness to great local organizations that can build on the awarded grant dollars, and do even more for our heroes.”