Feature > Lemcke Family
Lemcke Family
Lemcke Family
When Angela Lemcke and her husband, Dieter, moved into their rented home eight years ago, the owner had no intention of selling the property. But circumstances change. When the owner recently decided to sell the house, she asked her tenants if they wanted to buy it. Angela says she was both thrilled and scared — thrilled that they might finally own their own home, yet wary of the process. “We were always afraid that buying in Marin was out of reach,” says Angela. “Frankly, we didn’t know how to go about doing it. So many had said ‘no’ to us before.”
There were many marvels in store for the Lemckes. It had never occurred to Angela that her employer could be a resource when buying a home. Yet once she talked with her employer, SolarCraft, she was ready to meet with its Employers Empowering Homeownership (EEH) team and learn about its programs that help employees buy their own homes.
EEH is a collaboration with Stewart Title California to bring education to an employee at the workplace. EEH teaches truly invaluable information about stable, sustainable fixed-rate loans and down-payment programs that help the workforce buy homes near their places of work.
Once “Team EEH” got involved, things began to roll for the Lemckes. Suddenly Angela and Dieter were no longer alone in their home-purchase efforts; they had an entire team of professionals on their side:
SolarCraft management encouraged Angela in every way possible to follow the steps necessary to own her own home. Angela learned about CASA, the home loan that’s available through EEH.
“It’s a very workable loan that fills the gap between the amount people qualify for, and the sales price of the home,” explains Laura Levine, corporate broker for NFH.
Other members of the EEH team, Jodi Fischer of Bank of America Mortgages and REALTOR® partner Larissa Albin from Melissa Bradley Real Estate, got the Lemckes pre-approved for financing within a week.
When there was a concern that documents would be delayed and escrow couldn’t close by deadline, the President of Stewart Title, Paul Hickman, rolled up his sleeves to “get it done.”
“SolarCraft management met with our team to fully support Angela,” says Carrie Pierson of NFH. For nearly 25 years SolarCraft has been committed to providing sustainable energy solutions for its customers, so “we applaud the EEH team’s efforts to enable Angela to achieve truly sustainable homeownership,” said Bruce King, SolarCraft CFO.
“They all fought for me and assured me that everything would eventually work out,” agrees Angela.
Today Dieter, Angela and their two sons own the home they have called theirs for the past eight years. “It’s a 1950s house in Novato, on a corner lot with unobstructed views of farmland,” Angela says. “It’s just beautiful here.”
“Right now is an unbelievable opportunity for our workforce to take advantage of the price reductions in extremely desirable Marin County,” says Laura Levine. “SolarCraft is one of many employers who understand their role in helping their employees to become homeowners. We can help you, too.”