SAN DIEGO, CA, Nov 11 (MARKET WIRE) --
Abdi Farah and Amran Abdi finally have a place of their own to call home,
thanks to the National Association of Realtors(R) and San Diego Habitat
for Humanity. The family was presented with the keys to their new home
during a dedication ceremony today.
The couple and their three children, sons Mohamed, 5; Masud, 1; and
daughter, Mumtaaz, 3, were joined by Realtor(R) leaders, San Diego Habitat
for Humanity staff, and hundreds of volunteers at the dedication for the
two-story, four-bedroom home at 1441 Harding Ave., in National City,
Calif.
The dedication precedes the 2009 REALTORS(R) Conference & Expo here this
week. Approximately 20,000 Realtors(R) and guests are expected to attend.
"Realtors(R) build communities and are committed to helping families like
Abdi and Amran achieve their dreams of homeownership," said NAR President
Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in
Dallas-Fort Worth. "This new Habitat house will not only provide the
family with a happy, healthy and safe environment, but the home's green
features will also help reduce the family's future maintenance and
utility costs."
The home is NAR's first "green"-constructed Habitat for Humanity house.
Smart design helped reduce material use, and sustainable, eco-friendly and
recycled materials were incorporated throughout the home; energy efficient
appliances and lighting were used inside and drought-tolerant plants and
trees were planted outside.
The home is expected to achieve Platinum certification, the highest green
rating level a home can receive through the U.S. Green Building Council's
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system.
The future homeowners, Abdi and Amran are natives of Somalia and spent
their early years in refugee camps. They are now U.S. citizens and are
very excited for the opportunity to own their own home.
The family -- which includes Amran's 21-year-old brother Abdijaber, a
college student -- previously lived in a small two-bedroom apartment in a
crime-ridden area. The apartment leaked, had poor water quality and was
often cold in winter. Their new Habitat house will offer the family more
space and a small backyard for the children to play.
This is the ninth year that NAR has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to
sponsor a home in the city hosting NAR's annual conference. Realtors(R)
have also contributed to Habitat for Humanity abroad and the post-Katrina
homebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast.
The 2009 REALTORS(R) Conference & Expo will take place at the San Diego
Convention Center. This year's conference is expected to draw
approximately 20,000 Realtors(R) and guests. Participants will "Chart a
Winning Course" as Realtors(R) are joined by industry experts, lawmakers,
federal agency officials and others for a program that addresses the
varied issues facing today's residential and commercial real estate
markets.
The mission of San Diego Habitat for Humanity is to make housing a matter
of action and conscience as a means to erase poverty housing from our
community and the world. San Diego Habitat for Humanity Inc. is the local
affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. SDHFH welcomes everyone
of all faiths or no faith to join the effort in strengthening families,
neighborhoods and communities. Donors and volunteers are the foundation of
Habitat's work in San Diego County. San Diego Habitat completed its 99th
home and has more than 50 in the pipeline! For more information please
visit www.sdhfh.org or call 619-283-HOME.
The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is
America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members
involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate
industries.
Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. News releases are
posted in the Web site's "News Media" section in the NAR Media Center.
REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark which may be used
only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS(R) and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics.
Not all real estate agents are REALTORS(R). All REALTORS(R) are members
of NAR.
For further information contact:
Sara Weis
202/383-1013
Email Contact
Elizabeth Neubrand
Director of Development & Community Affairs
Office: 619/283-4663 ext. 317
Email Contact
Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.
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