Johnnie Ashley couldn’t believe her ears when she was told she was done paying off her home rehab loan.
“It was mindblowing,” she said. “I went and told my church.”
Johnnie purchased her home on Highland Blvd in 2016 and completed a rehab project that included updating the kitchen and plumbing.
She lived in the home as a renter for five years before purchasing it from the city after it went into foreclosure.
“I just went for it,” she said.
She says she also worked closely with ACTS rehab counselors to have her roof repaired and ACTS volunteers cleaned her attic and basement.
“It was amazing,” she said of the household volunteer help she received. “I needed that done.”
The city, she says, gave her first-offer to purchase.
She is satisfied with her home although it may need a little bit more cosmetic work.
She’d like to remodel the bathroom and add a walk-in shower. A deck in the back yard. Knock out a wall and make her kitchen bigger.
Paying off her ACTS loan now gives her freedom to make those repairs.
“It’s a relief,” she said. “A big relief. I can’t believe I paid it off.”
Her home is a hotspot for Sunday dinner and other family get-togethers.
“All I have to do is tell them I’m cooking,” she said.
