 By Lajeune Hollis “If I can do it, You can do it too!” Nasha Rhone purchased her first home—a condominium in Bristol, Connecticut—at the young age of 22. Despite the challenges of being a single mother at the time, she was able to achieve her dream of homeownership by meeting the strict requirements of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) first time buyers program. Rhone was proud to be the first person in her immediate family to own a home, and years later, homeownership grew into a passion as she quickly realized the empowerment, stability and equity that was afforded to her. She then discovered her urge to share the experience with others. Realizing Homes, LLC is a full-service real estate business that is dedicated to helping everyone achieve the dream of homeownership. “Together we will make homeownership a reality” is their tag line. “I truly believe in the path of homeownership for everyone,” explained Rhone. “I have dedicated most of my career to housing families, with previous experience working in residential, affordable housing, and even some large scale commercial, Class A&B buildings.” Whether someone is buying, selling, investing or looking for rentals, Realizing Homes does it all. However, broker/owner Nasha Rhone’s passion is helping first-time home buyers. “Because homeownership had such a profound impact on me, I want to help others achieve the same. Helping people understand the importance of a real estate asset, sharing in the memory of purchasing your first home and most of all, helping families create generational wealth, is truly why I love what I do,” she explained. While the rising interest rates across the country concerns many, she is quick to point out solutions. “CHFA is currently offering up to $50,000 to qualified buyers through a program called ‘The Time is Now’,” she shared. “It is a forgivable grant. A common misconception people have is that they have to be low-income to take advantage of these programs. However, that is not necessarily the case. Check to see if you are eligible.” Rhone holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Springfield College and has pursued her MBA with Post University. As the Broker and Owner of Realizing Homes, she holds credentials that allows her to practice as a Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource - SFR®, Certified Manager of Community Associations-CMCA and Accredited Buyers Representative - ABR®. She is a member of the Greater Hartford Realtors Association (GHRA), the CT Real Estate Investment Association (CTREIA), and the National Realtors Association (NAR) meeting the ethical standards and requirements to serve as a member. Opening her own brokerage allows her to do what she loves and does best: service her clients! “I serve ALL communities and go where I’m needed in Connecticut,” she said. Rhone works hard every day to help families just like hers realize their dreams, one home at a time! Find Realizing Homes online at www.realizinghomes.com, on Instagram at @realestate_anytime, Facebook @nasharhone-realestateprofessional or LinkedIn @Nasharhone or email nasha@realizinghomes.com. BROWSE THE SHOPBLACKCT DIRECTORY:
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 By Alexandra Frisbie “If you want change, make the change. Put yourself in the game.” Like many other institutions in America, the real estate system is built on and steeped in white supremacy and racism. Home ownership builds generational wealth and equity, which in turn can pay for things like student loans and other educational and lifetime investments. There is a big disparity between the size and location of real estate available to white people and Black people, which perpetuates a vicious cycle in which it is extremely difficult for Black people to build generational wealth. Kim Vendryes learned this from the time she was a child, when her mother used to drive around Greenwich, Westport and Black Rock, Connecticut to expose her to other nice neighborhoods and let her know that anything was attainable. As Kim recalls, her mother used to buy houses in Bridgeport for two or three thousand dollars and work on them to sell at a profit. This sparked her interest in real estate at a young age. Kim became interested in investments and wanted to be her own broker. She originally shied away from real estate because she didn’t like sales. Instead, Kim worked for a large healthcare organization, doing nothing related to real estate, but her interest and passion for real estate never waned. In 2018, Kim “woke up”, in her own words, and decided to register for classes to obtain her real estate license. She took the required sales classes and passed the state test on her first try.  Kim has been in business now for just about three years. Her business is almost 100% referral based. She views real estate ownership as more than a transaction; it is a life experience that should be equally available to everyone. Her strength is helping people who may be afraid of commitment to real estate to understand that it can facilitate them to get what they want. Kim has primarily mentored first-time home buyers and says it is incredibly gratifying to see them learn firsthand that home ownership is achievable. One experience Kim shared was of a long time friend of hers who was raised by her grandparents and never knew her own mother. She never thought she could be a homeowner. Then, one day, her uncle was selling his house. Her friend was interested, but needed help through the process. She was very nervous, but Kim walked her through it and when she bought the house, it changed her confidence--not only about homeownership but also in so many other aspects of her life.
Kim has conducted several workshops over the past few years to assist with minority homeownership. She is planning to launch a “Main Street Initiative” to teach prospective homeowners about credit and wealth, provide educational empowerment and possibly partner with mortgage companies to provide a product to assist with down payments and closing costs. Kim wants people to know she is very approachable and happy to answer any questions about homeownership. She can be contacted at (203) 816-1764 or on Facebook. When you call her, mention you read about Kim Vendryes on ShopBlackCT.com! BROWSE THE SHOPBLACKCT DIRECTORY:
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