Grandmother Achieves 20-Year Dream of Purchasing First Home

Red River Bank and FHLB Dallas Award First-Time Homebuyer Funds

After migrating to the United States nearly 40 years ago, 60-year-old Ny Chiem, a single mother of three and grandmother of seven, chose to raise her family in Pineville, Louisiana. She rented several apartment units over the years, with each one lacking a backyard, preventing her from enjoying her hobbies.

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An $8,500 HELP subsidy from Red River Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas provided Ny Chiem with closing cost and down payment assistance to buy her first home. (Photo: Business Wire)

“I love going outside to enjoy the weather and to garden,” Ms. Chiem said. “I’ve wanted a home with a backyard for more than 20 years.”

She went to Red River Bank several years ago prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for a mortgage, but mortgage rates were high, making it challenging for her to get a loan.

After several years of patience, Ms. Chiem closed on her first home in June, thanks in part to an $8,500 Homebuyer Equity Leverage Partnership (HELP) subsidy from Red River Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) that provided her closing cost and down payment assistance.

“I wanted to give up,” Ms. Chiem said. “But God gave me patience, so I applied again this year and was successful. I’ve wanted a house for so long, and I finally reached my dream of 20 years.”

Rebecca Daniels, assistant vice president and mortgage originator at Red River Bank, helped Ms. Chiem with her mortgage application.

“Helping people get into their first home is the best part of my job,” said Ms. Daniels. “We worked with Ms. Chiem for many years and finally could get her approved after a prolonged journey thanks to FHLB Dallas’ HELP offering. It truly was a team effort to make this closing happen, and I know she is grateful for everyone involved.”

HELP subsidies are offered by FHLB Dallas through its member institutions, like Red River Bank, to assist first-time homebuyers with down payments and closing costs on new or existing homes.

Since the program’s inception in 2002, HELP subsidies totaling more than $28.5 million have assisted more than 5,075 families. For 2021, FHLB Dallas has $4.5 million available through its members on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit fhlb.com/help to view the current availability of HELP funds.

“Red River Bank has used our community programs for almost 20 years,” said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment. “With their partnership, we’ve been able to assist many long-time renters, like Ms. Chiem, become homeowners thanks to HELP.”

About Red River Bank

The origins of Red River Bank can be followed all the way back to the very heart of Louisiana. There, near the banks of the Red River, a small group of community leaders came together with a vision for a new kind of bank. The year was 1999, the banking climate was one of mergers and acquisitions, and the era of hometown banking seemed to be fading away. Red River Bank was founded on the belief of always doing the right thing, and that integrity is what guides us as we continue to grow. Just as water seeks its own level, we only seek opportunities to do what's right for our customers, our team members and our communities across Louisiana.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $61.1 billion as of March 31, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com.

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Red River Bank and @FHLBDallas provided a Louisiana woman with closing cost and down payment assistance to buy her first home.