The University District Vision encourages University and City employees to live in the City they work, thereby reducing commutes, strengthening neighborhoods, and supporting our local economy. Learn about the people who have successfully used this program to purchase homes in College Park.
Read about first home buyer’s profile here, our second profile here, our third profile here, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth , twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, thirtieth, thirty-first, thirty-second, thirty-third, thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, thirty-seventh, thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, forty-second, forty-third, forty-fourth, forty-fifth, forty-sixth, forty-seventh, forty-eighth, forty-ninth, fiftieth , fifty-first , fifty-second, fifty-third, fifty-fourth, fifty-fifth, fifty-sixth, fifty-seventh, fifty-eighth, fifty-ninth, sixtieth, sixty-first, sixty-second, sixty-third, sixty-fourth, sixty-fifth, sixty-sixth, sixty-seventh, sixty-eighth, sixty-ninth, seventieth , seventy-first, seventy-second, seventy-third, seventy-fourth, seventy-fifth, seventy-sixth, seventy-seventh and seventy-eighth
MACARENA FARCUH AND SVEN KOENIG
Macarena is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. Sven is an Optical Engineer for Infinera Corporation. Sven is from Germany and Macarena is from Chile originally.
As Macarena explained, they “met in California and came to College Park when I was offered this position two and half years ago.”
When they arrived, they initially lived in Silver Spring. Before the Coronavirus Pandemic, they both used public transportation as their main way of getting around, said Sven, “but now we have a car, so Macarena has been commuting by car.” Macarena added, “yes, it takes about 25 minutes each way. Now my commute will be much shorter, and I won’t have to drive.”
They heard about the Homeownership program through some friends at the University who had used the Program, and through their realtor. “We were looking at places in College Park and in Columbia, Maryland. We were always leaning toward College Park to be close to campus and because we know people here,” explained Macarena.
“We love the Calvert Hills neighborhood, and just had to wait to find the right home,” said Sven, “so we’re glad we were able to find it.” They are currently remodeling the home, but said, “we have been greeted by neighbors already and love how safe and quiet it is – we can’t wait to move in in August!”
When they move in, they agreed that they were both interested in learning more about the trail networks, walking to Riverdale Park Station, and getting to know their neighbors more. Said Sven, “this is a great Program for faculty and staff to use. We know of several faculty members in this neighborhood and living close to work really builds a sense of community.”
ASHA AND EDUARDO MONTALVAN
Asha is a Licensed Practical Nurse and has worked for the University of Maryland in the Health Center for just over 3 years. Eduardo owns A&G Furniture Service Company in Beltsville. One of their two children attends the University of Maryland and the other attends Laurel High School.
They were looking to move from the house they were renting in Beltsville. So, they started looking at places in Columbia, Beltsville, and Laurel. “I had heard about the Homeownership Program through the University Human Resources office – on their website,” said Asha, “I didn’t really think about it until Eduardo saw the listing. He mentioned there was an opportunity to use a down payment program, so we decided to look at the house.”
Asha explained that when they were looking at homes, they really loved this house and the Sunnyside neighborhood, “we really liked what seemed to be a tight knit community here.” Asha usually drives to work because she must be by 8:30 a.m., but her previous commute by car was about 20 minutes long, “and now it should be slightly shorter.”
As their family settles in, the Montalvan family said, “we are excited to be home and explore the neighborhood, go to the City of College Park’s new Friday Night Live events, and frequent Proteus Bicycles and Brews.”
When asked about the Homeownership Program, Asha mentioned, “this Program helped us find a great place in College Park, and it was efficient and easy to use!”
TED AND SUZANNE BAKER
Ted and Suzy have finally moved into their dream home in their dream neighborhood. Ted works in the A. James Clark School of Engineering as the Student Competitions Manager in the Department of Engineering Information Technology. He also leads Terrapin Works, a maker space for students, researchers and faculty. Suzy is a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy. “This Program was a huge help,” explained Suzanne.
They had been living in Brentwood, Maryland – but as foster parents, they wanted a few more bedrooms. “We are in the process of adopting our four- and six-year-old foster children, and we really wanted a house in a wonderful neighborhood,” she said. Ted and Suzy had been looking at buying in this area for awhile, “we were interested in living near Prince George’s County Public Schools’ University Park Elementary School. Houses don’t go up for sale here very often, and they are expensive, so we lost out on a few houses,” explained Ted.
When this house came up for sale, Ted had just learned about the Homeownership Program on the University’s Human Resources page, “it all just worked out perfectly for us: we found this wonderful home in the neighborhood we wanted to be in, our realtor, Emily Jackson, helped us understand how the loan could work and it really allowed us to purchase the house, which was in the highest end of our budget,” explained Suzy.
As they settle into the College Park, Ted mentioned that they had already met a lot of their neighbors and found it to be a super warm neighborhood. “We just love the access here. Ted can bike or walk to the work, and I can take the Metro into Washington, D.C.,” mentioned Suzy. “Yeah, my 20-minute drive is now an 8-minute drive. And what would have been a 30-minute bike ride is now 10-15 minutes – even with a stop at the Center for Young Children to pick up children,” Ted said. “It is so nice, I love walking to the grocery store, to Route 1 restaurants, or other amenities” Suzy chimed in, “It’s like living in a big city with all the benefits, but also having a quiet place to put down roots.”
Sandra Everett and Andrea Ball
Sandra and Andrea both work at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in the University of Maryland Department of Arts and Humanities. Sandy is a Technical Coordinator and Andrea is a Scenic Painter. They moved here from Erie, PA and are now settling into College Park. When Sandra started at the University about 3 years ago, they first lived in Laurel, Maryland.
“I heard about the Homeownership Program in the University’s orientation, and we began to think about looking for a house then,” explained Sandra. “That’s when my colleague Liana Stiegler said that she thought the Partnership’s Homeownership Program was the easiest part of the home buying process.”
“The Homeownership Program definitely influenced us to purchase in College Park, my sister lives in Silver Spring so it’s nice to live nearby family,” mentioned Andrea as she discussed how they found the home and neighborhood. “We loved the Hollywood area of College Park, and this house was at the right price point too – as artists we don’t always have a huge liquid cash flow, so this Program really helped us afford this area.”
Andrea and Sandra have begun working on their house – they just refinished the floors, for example. But, they are excited to have a shorter commute, a yard for their dog, Banksy, having the option to Metro into Washington, DC. “Yes, and, we are dangerously close to the Board and Brew now, and are eager to try out the Jerk Pit,” Sandra explained. Andrea chimed in, “yes, and we can potentially bike to work in the summer, maybe!”
Tami and Mike Lee
Tami is the Assistant Director for Fitness in the University’s Department of Recreation and Wellness. Originally from South Dakota, she has been with the University for 8 years. Prior to her position at the University, she worked in a corporate fitness entity.
Prior to moving to College Park, she lived in Wheaton and prior to that in Bethesda, which was about a 40-minute commute. In 2016, she contacted the Partnership to inquire about the Homeownership Program, but couldn’t use the Program to purchase a condo in Westchester Park because they are not within the City limits of College Park, even though it shared the same zip code. “When Mike and I started to look at purchasing a home, I was like, I’m not looking to have a commute again, so might as well move to College Park and use the Homeownership Program,” explained Tami.
Tami and Mike were looking at two neighborhoods in College Park, “but this house in Hollywood was perfect – it’s close to our two different day cares and is in a multicultural area – which is important to us.”
“It was important for me to stay local,” explained Tami, “I use the running and biking trails, and really enjoy all the parks and outside amenities here, like Lake Artemesia.” Tami also noted that she really liked being able to stop at Lidl on the way home, or the fact that they are close enough to MOMs Organic Market when they need something for dinner. Tami will likely drive to work for the time being because she has two daycare drop offs in College Park for now – “but like I said all the trails and cool amenities here, it’s a big reason to stay local, outside the commute.”
Eric and Kelly Reinke
Eric is the Associate Athletic Director in the University of Maryland’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. He has worked at the University for 6 years. Kelly is a stay-at-home mother of their 20-month-old son.
Eric heard about the Homeownership Program through his co-workers. Kelly and Eric had previously been renting in the DC area, and then were living in the Madison Hill area of Riverdale Park. When they decided to start looking to purchase a home, they were eager to live close by. “We made it a point to find a place that would be no more than a 10-15 minute commute,” explained Eric. “Yes, because he works in athletics, a lot of his work (like a basketball game) ends up going late into the evening, and if he has any chance of getting to bedtime for our son and then if he has to go back, we needed to be close,” added Kelly.
They chose to live in the Hollywood area of College Park, “because we love that we are in a walkable area with neighborhood parks and school that we can probably walk to when Carter gets a little older,” explained Kelly. Eric added, “and this house. We had a deck before, but now we have a yard, and a screened in porch, and space in the front and the backyard.”
Eric and Kelly looked for homes within a few miles – from Mount Rainier to the Silver Springs’ Four Corners and even Bowie, “but having funds for downpayment and closing costs were essential, and College Park was the only City offering this,” said Kelly. They were able to take advantage of both the Partnership’s Homeownership Program, but also the Maryland Mortgage Program (to which the City-University Partnership Program is a Community Partner) – the first homebuyers do so. Eric explained, “This Program was the easiest part of buying our house. There was paperwork, and I guess a lot of lenders don’t know that you can couple the Maryland Mortgage Program with the Partnership’s Homeownership Program, even though it says it on your documentation!”
As Eric and Kelly settle into living in College Park, they are looking forward to exploring neighborhood parks like Hollywood Park, “we’ve already been there a couple of times and we are eager to find others too,” said Kelly.
Elizabeth McMahon
Elizabeth has been working in the Robert H. Smith School of Business’ Executive Education department as the Assistant Director for four and a half years. She moved to College Park from Alexandria, Virginia. “I wanted to be closer to the University,” she explained, “to put down roots here.”
She explained that her position only required her to be in the office a couple of days per week, but on those days she “would only be 15 minutes away rather than one and a half hours!” She remarked, “I don’t even know what I’ll do with all this extra time.”
She heard about the Homeownership Program from her boss as well as one of her colleagues, Marina Augoustidis, who had purchased her home using the Program. “When I had heard about it, it sounded too good to be true, but after talking with someone who really had used it, I decided to look further into it.”
Elizabeth explained that she was familiar with the Hollywood neighborhood because she had a few friends who lived in the area, and says “It’s a peaceful area.” When she began house hunting, she prioritized College Park because of the Homeownership Program. “I was looking at two homes when I visited this one. One was further south – but knowing that my closing costs would be taken care of, I knew that I would have some cushion in case this house needed any repairs.”
As Elizabeth moves into her house, she is excited about learning more about the trail network, “I’m eager to explore biking to work.” She’s already met her neighbors.
It is her first time owning a home, and “something I’ve wanted for such a long time. I’m excited to not be renting anymore, and to be able to put my mother’s furniture in a place I own. It’s also just a huge bonus to be close to work. I’m excited to try out all the various restaurants in College Park too. There are a lot of restaurants in Alexandria, so trying out College Park restaurants is going to be great. And, I’m also looking forward to getting a RecWell membership – that’s not something I would have done living so far away.”
Tom Dobrosielski
Tom is an Information Specialist in the University’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment (IRPA). He’s been with the University for 11 years – and had been renting in College Park.
Tom is a native Prince Georgian who grew up in Bowie. He graduated from Prince George’s County’s Eleanor Roosevelt High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in 2009.
As a University employee, he first lived in Bowie and more recently has been renting an apartment in College Park for a bit. “When I was in the apartment, I started to walk to work. It was about a 30-minute walk.” Tom is now excited about taking buses and public transportation to campus. “The house is close to where I was renting, so I am familiar the neighborhood. I really like it here – the accessibility to public transport like the Greenbelt Metro to go into the City or the shuttle bus to BWI.”
Tom explained that other faculty and staff “should become familiar with Programs like the Homeownership Program and see what’s available!” And, he added, “[that employees] should consider what your priorities are – public transportation is key for me!”
As Tom settles into his new home, he’s enjoying the beautiful tree blooming in his front yard. He is also looking forward to “the autonomy of being a homeowner” and frequenting MOMs and Lidl.
ADELINE GICQUEL BRODTKE
Adeline started at the University of Maryland as a Visiting Senior Faculty Specialist in the Department of Astronomy in 2019. She heard about the Homeownership Program shortly after being hired, “the department gave me a brochure about the Homeownership Program and College Park, and one of my colleagues recommended Real Estate Agent Dixie Meadows,” explained Adeline.
She and her husband John were looking for homes for about a year – they looked at a lot of homes. “First, we were looking in Takoma and Silver Spring, and also University Park, but then we remembered this Program. So, we focused on College Park.”
Adeline explained how Ms. Meadows had taken her to the house she’d eventually buy, “but we weren’t ready yet.” They looked at many other homes in the neighborhood, but eventually came back to this house. “The house was a former rental property meaning it qualified for the City’s New Neighbor Grant too. We were able to use both programs together, which was a benefit.”
As Adeline gets settled, she notes how walkable College Park is. “I have lived in cities for the majority of my adult life, but I grew up in a small village in France. This house is a mix of both. We’ve met our neighbors and the house is within walking distance to the grocery, my work, the Metro and even MARC, which can get you to DC in 12 minutes or so.” Adeline plans to walk to work and notes that she can take the bus in bad weather.
Adeline and her husband have begun landscaping projects and love the nature around, “there are frogs in the pond, rabbits, squirrels, birds – and my dog Luna, a Brittany Spaniel, loves watching them.” And, they also love that College Park “has so many great restaurants like NuVegan or Pho Thom.”
AARON BOBIK AND JOANNA DEES
Aaron is a Major Gifts Officer and the Associate Director of Development for the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Joanna worked at nonprofits in DC but is the primary caregiver for their son Jay right now. They moved from Mount Rainier, Maryland.
They heard about the Homeownership Program during the University Human Resources orientation when he started in his position about two years ago. “Even though I had heard about the Program then, when we started looking at purchasing a home and the market is so crazy … I’m just glad some colleagues reminded me not to forget the Homeownership Program,” explained Aaron.
“We didn’t know College Park too well,” Aaron said, “but one of my colleagues that I really got to know during the pandemic talked a lot about how nice of a neighborhood the Hollywood area was, so I knew when we were looking that this was a neighborhood to focus on.”
Joanna explained that Aaron used to take the bus from Mount Rainier, or “he would run to and from work.” “Yes,” said Aaron, “And now I’m even closer so I can definitely walk or run, or take the UMD Shuttle.” Joanna, when she returns to work, mentioned that “being right on Route 1 is perfect to get to downtown DC.”
As they, and their 8-year old dog Lincoln, transition to living in College Park, Joanna said, “We’re excited to be closer to the University – we’re members of the UMD pool so we’re closer now. We’re close to everything – there are parks to walk to, we’re close to MOMs Organic Market and we can also participate more with the University’s arts programming. Plus, we are looking at sending Jay to the new University of Maryland Child Development Center on Calvert Road when the time is right.“
Aaron mentioned that this Program makes a huge difference. “We had to use all of our savings to purchase the home. Given the market… UMD employees should really take advantage of the Homeownership Program – it’s a seamless process and living close to work is more enjoyable than a long commute.”
RACHEL AND JESS ROMEO
Rachel and Jess moved from Boston to College Park as Rachel started as Assistant Professor in the University College of Education’s Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology.
Rachel explained that when she accepted the position, they began looking for homes in the College Park area, “being close to campus is really important. In Boston, my commute was about 40 minutes. Now, my commute will be 10 minutes by bike!” Jess is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and is starting a position at Chase Brexton near Baltimore, “so I’ll likely drive or maybe take the MARC train.”
They heard about the Homeownership Program from their realtor, “and it was a really big help. We had been looking in Hyattsville and in DC – but knowing there was this Program, we began to really focus on College Park,” said Jess, “we were looking in Berwyn when this house popped up – the Program and the house together were a winning combo,” said Rachel.
As they move in, Rachel described the Calvert Hills neighborhood, “It feels like home instantly, which is pretty great. We love being part of a real community, and I think we’ve met every neighbor on the block.” “Yes, we also like the proximity to the trail network. We are looking forward to joining Parkrun and getting to know the trail system,” said Jess. Rachel chimed in and said they were really looking forward to trying different restaurants, and that on top of frequenting Ikea and Home Depot recently, “we are Bagel Place enthusiasts already!”
LIANA STIEGLER AND GRANT ORNDORFF
Liana has worked as a Guest Experience Coordinator at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center for the last two and a half years. Grant is a software engineer and works remotely. “I started at the Clarice in 2015 when I was a student at the University and after graduation started in 2018,” explained Liana.
When Liana started at the Clarice, she and Grant were living in an apartment in Silver Spring. “The commute was 20 minutes, 30 minutes with traffic,” explained Liana, “and while I haven’t really thought whether I will bike or walk or take the bus, having those options are a great perk.”
Grant and Liana heard about the Program through colleagues Kristen Olsen and William Knowles, who used the Homeownership Program themselves in 2018. “They explained that the process was very easy and super helpful in the homebuyer process. And, since the housing market is frantic right now, I’m so glad they were right – this Program was the easiest and best part of buying a home, ” said Grant.
They chose the Hollywood Neighborhood because, as both Grant and Liana explained, “it’s a nice family neighborhood.” “Yes, it’s wonderful to be in walking distance to the Hollywood Community Park, and MOM’s Organic Market,” said Liana. “I like that it’s close to the WMATA Greenbelt Metro Station also, that gives us access to Washington D.C. and other places in the metro area,” said Grant.
Liana and Grant’s family is growing and as they settle into their new home, they are looking forward to being able to bike on the trail system, getting Vigilante Coffee and taking barre classes at OpenBarre Studios.
BRITAIN, JACLYN AND CHRISTOPHER BRUNER
Jaclyn is a lecturer in the University of Maryland College of Arts and Humanities. Britain is a chemist who manages contracts facilitating USDOT’s Safe Transportation of Energy Products initiative.
Jaclyn first started as a PhD student at the University of Maryland in 2013, graduated in 2019 and took the position she is in now.
When they first moved from Texas, they lived in Silver Spring and then in Hyattsville, “we really liked the Route 1 corridor, but we did explore Laurel, New Carrollton and Lanham” explained Jaclyn.
Jaclyn heard about the Homeownership Program by word of mouth – “Kristi Maddux (UMD professor and College Park resident) told me about it when I was a PhD student but I couldn’t access it yet.” But, once hired as a full-time employee, they started to look at settling down into a home rather than renting – and they were glad to find something in the same area.
“Sunnyside is really nice,” explained Britain, “it’s close to a lot of what we’ve been enjoying here – trails, Lake Artemesia, restaurants like Marathon Deli – while also being quiet. “Yes,” explained Jaclyn, “it’s nice to stay in the Route 1 Mom’s group – a local social group for parents in the Route 1 area.
When asked what they were most excited for as they settle in, Jaclyn explained, “we’ve been enjoying the City Hall construction. And we have a picnic at the College Park airport once a week. There’s also a new playground that we’re enjoying. And mostly, we’re excited about the local schools (Hollywood Elementary) because we’ll be able to walk to school.”
Jaclyn used to walk to work on the Trolley Trail, and now she’s thinking about how to get to work “when we go back.” For Britain, he likes that College Park is Metro accessible, stating that takes the “Green line all the way into work.”
MARIA SCHANZ AND JIMMY ACEVEDO
Maria is a research technician in the University of Maryland School of Public Health in the Institute for Applied Environmental Health. Jimmy is Educational Outreach and STEM Engagement Specialist at ASRC Federal / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
They moved from North Carolina when Jimmy landed the job at the Space Flight Center in 2016. Maria worked for 11 years at UNC Chapel Hill as a research technician on HIV, and mentioned that when they made the move, “I didn’t see a great fit for me to continue my work in a lab. So, I volunteered at the National Zoo conducting research on fatal herpes disease in elephants.”
Maria was hired in October 2020. “And now I’m working with Dr. Don Milton and assisting the StopCOVID project by performing qRT-PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2,” she explained.
When they originally moved from North Carolina, they moved into a rental house in College Park about a quarter mile away. “My mom lived in Riverdale Park, so we were familiar with the Route 1 Corridor,” explained Jimmy. And, when they decided they wanted to purchase instead of rent, they knew they wanted to live close for a short commute, but were uncertain where along Route 1, “the Homeownership Program really made us focus in on College Park.”
Maria explained she is really looking forward to biking to work whenever people can return and how a local bike shop helped her learn about the local trails, “I used to bike in North Carolina and missed it when I was at the zoo – and in fact, Proteus Bicycles were extremely helpful with their knowledge of the local trail network.”
Jimmy and Maria, and their 2 cats Greita and Piri, are getting settled in to having a yard, space for workshops, and being near metro. “Yes, this is the place for us,” explained Jimmy, “one day I’ll try a paw paw along the trail in the food forest and learn about edible wild mushrooms.” Maria chimed in, “Yep, and we love the communications from the Mayor and County, people are really interconnected here.
BRIAN KIM AND KATHERINE DELK
Brian Kim is a Lecturer in the Joint Program in Survey Methodology in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland. Katherine is a data analyst for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.
They moved from Los Angeles, California three years ago when Brian started his position at the University of Maryland. When they moved to the area, they first lived in an apartment in Silver Spring. Brian rode a UMD Shuttle bus to and from work, and he notes “it took 45 minutes to an hour each way.”
Brian heard about the Homeownership Program via a newsletter. “I thought it would be interesting to explore because were interested in buying a house, and this would be an added bonus,” said Brian. Katherine described the search for the house: “we initially looked in other places, but when we learned about the Homeownership Program, it became a factor for us to look in College Park.”
One of the main factors for Brian and Katherine was being near the Metro. “When I work in DC again, I would need to take the Metro. And here, I can walk to the Metro – which is a big deal,” said Katherine. Brian added that they “really liked this particular street and house, but if it hadn’t been Metro accessible it would have been a dealbreaker.”
As they settle in, they are “happy to have a yard and outdoor space,” said Katherine. Brian added, “yes, and when we go back to work in person again, I’ll enjoy a shorter commute via UMD Shuttle.”
ANDREA BROWN
Dr. Andrea Brown is Director of Athletic Bands, where she leads the “Mighty Sound of Maryland,” and she is Associate Director of Bands in the University of Maryland’s School of Music. She also conducts the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble.
She moved from the University of Michigan about two and half years ago, where she was Assistant Director of Bands, though she’s originally from Tennessee. She learned about the Homeownership Program in her initial interview for the position, and she says the program “for sure” influenced her to buy in College Park.
When she made the move, she originally rented in Mount Rainier. Then, she rented a house in College Park. “I was new to the area looking around for places, but I wasn’t sure whether I was going to buy,” explained Andrea.
When she was renting in College Park, she found she loved the neighborhood, and she loved the house directly across the street. Then, that house went up for sale. As Andrea explains, “when it came up for sale, I started thinking I could purchase it, but I waited a bit. I decided to make the jump and use the Program to purchase this house – and found someone to rent the house I was living in across the street.”
Andrea’s commute is a quick 5-7 minutes door-to-door. Because her work hours aren’t typical, she often drives, “but I can walk-bike some now, and I have access to the Trolley Trail and there are other trails that connect to it.” When asked about any advice she’d give to UMD employees about using this Program and living in College Park, Andrea said, “The program is great and easy to use. Before moving to College Park, I heard people who didn’t have the best things to say about this area. But I love the neighborhood and this Program is really helping – College Park is a great place to live.”
Andrea mentioned she likes that she is within walking distance of the Metro and Riverdale Park Station – and her dog Applesauce likes taking walks on the Trolley Trail.
TIMOTHY KIEMEL AND WOEI-NAN BAIR
Tim has worked for the University of Maryland as an Associate Research Professor in the School of Public Health’s Kinesiology Department for almost 30 years. “At the time, I was working at NIH. When that post-doc research ended, I came over to the University of Maryland and have been here ever since.” Woei-Nan splits her time working from home and in Philadelphia in gerontology. She has already become active in the city’s Seniors Committee, and is interested in helping College Park seniors age in place.
During his time at the University, he’s moved a few times. “I’ve never lived in College Park – but I have lived along the Route 1 Corridor in places like Riverdale Park and Hyattsville.”
Tim described his commute previously as mostly by bike, but then he and Woei-Nan moved to Baltimore, “so I took the MARC train to and from work. It was about one and a half hours door to door.”
He has known about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program for years. Because he walked from College Park’s MARC train stop to the University, he was familiar with the Calvert Hills neighborhood. “So, when my wife and I decided to have one of us be able to walk or bike to work, we decided to look at College Park because of the program. This was the first house we wanted and I’m looking forward to walking to amenities on Route 1 as well as using the trails.” Tim likes the convenience of living close to campus. “Now, instead of walking 25 minutes to my office after a MARC Train ride, I will walk 25 minutes from home to my office.”
His advice to UMD employees: “If you’re comparing two houses, take this program into account – it’s a great opportunity.”
JOANNIE TREMBLAY BOIRE AND ANTHONY SANFORD
Joannie and Anthony both work in the University’s School of Public Policy – Joannie is an assistant professor and Anthony is working on post-doc research. They began working at the University in 2018, as Joannie explained, “We came to College Park from Georgia State where my husband finished his PhD, and I started my first job after school.” They are originally from Montreal, and came to the United States by way of Washington State where Joannie received her Master’s degree.
Upon their start at the University, they lived in Laurel. “The commute was roughly 25 minutes and we always drove,” explained Joannie. They heard about the Homeownership Program in their orientation. Then when the pandemic hit, their lease was coming up for renewal and the apartment management wouldn’t reduce their rent while they were reducing the rates for new renters. “So, we started to contemplate purchasing a home since a mortgage can be about the same price as our rent so we thought why not actually just buy a house! And we took the jump in a pandemic.”
That’s when they started looking at places to purchase. “There were townhomes in Laurel, but then I realized Lennar had townhomes in College Park too! Laurel is really nice, but there’s more to do and more restaurants in College Park,” said Joannie. She explained that even though they aren’t really going out and about anymore, “College Park also has better access to Washington, D.C., for example, we can take the metro to the opera now.”
When asked what she’s been excited for as they transition to living in College Park, Joannie said, “I really love my kitchen, the trails where we walk Minnie our dog, and trying out new restaurants. My favorite recently is Marathon Deli for the gyros!”
“Anthony and I have discussed not using the car all the time and biking to work once bikes become available for purchase, and when the Purple Line comes, we are close enough to the Greenbelt Metro, it will be a very good commute.”
KYLE HUDSON AND TESSA MORK
Kyle started at the University as a Business Manager in the Department of Information Technology about 8 months ago. Tessa is Director of Food and Nutrition Programs at YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.
Prior to their move to College Park, they were renting in Takoma Park. “It was about a 20-minute commute to work – whether it was metro, biking, driving or the UMD shuttle from Takoma,” mentioned Kyle.
Both Kyle and Tessa grew up close to College Park, so they are very familiar with the area. “In fact, my dad played baseball at UMD,” explained Kyle.
“While we started looking for a place to live, Kyle learned of the Partnership’s Homeownership Program through UMD’s Human Resources Additional Benefits page, and that really pushed us to look for homes in the City of College Park,” said Tessa.
They settled on the Hollywood neighborhood with their realtor mainly because it has a “strong community feel to it” and “it’s close enough to the University while being in a quieter area than downtown, where there’s a lot of activity,” said Kyle.
Tessa and Kyle are excited about becoming a part of the College Park community, “we really look forward to attending local farmers markets, and University of Maryland baseball and football games, as well as enjoying the Trolley Trail, Paint Branch Trail, and Lake Artemesia,” Tessa said and Kyle agreed, “exactly – and we are thrilled to have just a 9-minute walk to Metro.”
When asked what they’d tell other UMD families considering the Homeownership Program, Kyle smiled and said, “that’s easy – use it!”
CJ SEITZ BROWN
CJ is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Psychology Department. He lived in DC while he was a graduate student at UMD, but when he returned as a faculty member in Fall 2019, his priority was to be able to bike or walk to campus. Initially, CJ rented an apartment in Hyattsville, and didn’t even consider buying a house as a realistic possibility for him.
A close friend from graduate school, Andrew Ninnemann, is a real estate agent who specializes in the College Park area. Andrew told CJ about the benefits of the Homeownership Program, and they decided to focus on homes in the Hollywood neighborhood. “My brother works in Takoma, and he was excited by the option to take the Greenbelt metro to work instead of driving; it would also give both of us the chance to go in to DC to see friends.”
The first house CJ saw in person “felt like a perfect fit–it was walking distance to the metro and had a beautiful back yard.” Because the house was a rental property, that meant that it was also eligible for the City’s New Neighbor program, which provides an additional $5,000 towards a down payment or closing costs. That made a big difference, as there were 11 other offers for the house within two days. With Andrew’s help and guidance, and the financial support of both programs, the offer was accepted!
In terms of his experience with the Homeownership Program, CJ shared that “my loan officer and the title company both raved about how easy it was to work with the program, and with Valerie Woodall specifically.” Although it was a unique challenge to move during a stay-at-home order, “one of the neighbors came by as we were moving in and, from a distance, welcomed us to the neighborhood and even offered to mow our lawn as we were unpacking.”
JESSICA JONES
Jessica is the finance coordinator at the University’s Center for Advanced Transportation Technology. She landed at the University of Maryland a year and a half ago after working in a research position at Virginia Commonwealth University.
She had been applying at various universities, but “UMD offered the best opportunity for me.” Jessica learned about the Homeownership program before she started, “I found it on the Human Resources Office website when I was deciding to apply.”
But, when Jessica started at the University, as she looked at places to live, she found that “College Park is a quick-moving market so it was hard to find a place right away.” She ended up renting in Silver Spring which was a 25-minute commute by car. But, she said, “I definitely liked the idea of being closer to campus.”
After some time, she decided she wanted to purchase a place. But, given the market, she started looking in Beltsville, Hyattsville and even Silver Spring. “And then, knowing the Program was available and seeing this condo in College Park come on the market, I decided this was my chance!”
Jessica doesn’t currently have a campus parking pass, so she mentioned she “will be looking into additional ways to get to work once I settle in.”
As she and her cat, Ferguson, are getting moved in, she’s excited to explore the restaurants here, and the “7-minute commute – Ferguson is going to be happy when there’s furniture in the next couple of days!”
YIPING QI AND HONG CHEN
Dr. Qi has been working at the University of Maryland in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Plant Sciences Division as an assistant professor for 3 years.
After moving from North Carolina, he and Hong settled in Potomac, Maryland – about a 45-50 minute drive from College Park. “When I started at the university, I learned about the Program, but we weren’t ready to move to College Park,” explained Yiping, but, after about a year of the commute, “I was tired of the drive.”
This is when they started looking at a place closer to the University. “We looked briefly in the areas around College Park before finding our house on Howard Lane in Old Town,” said Hong.
“I really wanted a place that I could walk to work,” said Yiping, “after a couple of years driving, being able to walk to work is very exciting.” Hong chimed in, “it’s also nice that the home is so close to the Metro – the Green Line is only a couple of blocks away!”
When asked about the Program, Yiping explained that the program was like “icing on the cake, it makes the move that much sweeter.”
As they settle in, they are excited to explore the life here – the shopping, entertainment and parks and trails in addition to the 0.6 mile walk to work for Yiping.
Yiping’s advice to UMD employees, “the University is investing a lot here – and everyone living here is observing the changes. Moving to College Park is a smart investment!”
DAVID SKLAROFF
David moved to Frederick, Maryland about six and half years ago from Southern California. His daughter was attending school at George Washington University – and he wanted to be closer to her as well as to his mother.
Trained as an electrician, David took a job in the University of Maryland’s Facilities Management department – and within six months, he was “done with the drive.”
So, he decided to rent a place in College Park. “And, after five years renting and spending $60,000 in that time, I decided it was time to buy a house here. College Park really is a good vibrant place – it’s a mix of the Syracuse rural-like feel and the urban GW feel.”
He heard about the Homeownership Program from colleagues and mentioned how it influenced him to look within the City limits of College Park, “I looked at about 40 houses, and I could have purchased a less-expensive house further away, but with everything happening here, this was a better investment for me long-term.”
Now, as he is settling in, he’s enjoying getting to know the area, “I really like the New York Deli and Eddie’s Chinese café. If I need something for the house, there’s IKEA and Best Buy – and LIDL is great.” One of his hobbies is gourmet cooking, “so MOMs is great to have nearby!” Even his dog, Huxen, is settling nicely into their new College Park neighborhood. “Huxen loves it here – it’s quiet and it’s a nice place for a walk.”
PRATYUSH TIWARY AND MEGAN NEWCOMBE
Pratyush and Megan are both tenure-track assistant professors in the College of Math and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland. Pratyush works in Chemistry and BioChemistry and Megan is in Geology.
They met at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) and then came to the University of Maryland by way of Zurich, Switzerland and New York City. Pratyush started at UMD two years ago while Megan was still at Columbia University in New York – and Megan started a year later.
Pratyush had been renting in Takoma Park, but he wanted to live closer. When they were sure Megan would be working at the University of Maryland as well, Pratyush said he knew that they could start looking for a place to live. “In fact, before I started, the Chair of my department had pointed out the [Homeownership] Program, so we knew we could use it if [Megan] was also coming here,” explained Pratyush. As they began looking for places in Hyattsville, Berwyn Heights and Takoma Park, “I knew my colleague, Osvaldo Gutierrez, had used this program and, because College Park is rapidly changing, we decided to focus on the neighborhoods here.”
They found a few great homes in the Berwyn neighborhood of College Park, and decided if they could get a house in this neighborhood, they would make the move. “The neighborhood is really close to campus – and the homes are from the 1900s,” mentioned Megan. Pratyush agreed, “And, it’s right on the Trolley Trail. I can get to campus without encountering a traffic light.”
As they settle in, they are looking forward to exploring the neighborhood, living in a quiet place within a vibrant area, and biking to work. Said Pratyush with a smile, “We both bike. It’s 8 minutes for me and 9 minutes for her.” Megan laughed, “It’s a great commute for us.”
ANAHI ESPINDOLA AND URS WEBER 
Anahi is an Assistant Professor in the Entomology Department of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences. Urs is a massage therapist and an avid vegetable grower who volunteers at Eco City Farms in Edmonston and Smile Herb Shop in College Park.
Although Anahi is from Argentina and Urs is from Switzerland, they moved to College Park from northern Idaho – where Anahi was doing research. When she applied for the position at UMD, she discovered the Homeownership Program while she was researching the benefits of different universities, “when I was looking in the beginning at where to land, I saw this Program was a potential option for us as we moved across the country and filed it away,” mentioned Anahi.
When they first moved, they rented a house in University Park. After living in University Park for a year, they decided to purchase a home in the same area. Said Urs, “We loved the University Park/Calvert Hills area – the big oak trees here are amazing: They draw imagery from Robin Hood, and there is a great trail network.”
Anahi is a bike commuter; she doesn’t want to drive to work. They both wanted to minimize driving altogether in their daily lives, and they also like being walking distance to the Metro station. So, while they looked at homes with Realtor Jean Pirovic in Berwyn Heights, Hyattsville, Riverdale Park, University Park, and Greenbelt – they determined being in College Park and right by the Trolley Trail was perfect for them.
Another professor who lives in University Park mentioned to Anahi that the Program assists employees who move into College Park and so they asked about that. Jean Pirovic and Romy Espino at Prosperity Home Mortgage both knew about the Homeownership Program, “So it was very easy for us to use the program.”
As they settle in, they are looking forward to doing more of the things they love about the area: biking or walking to the Riverdale Park farmers market, checking out arts events at the Old Parish House, using the Trolley Trail and overall trail network in College Park and the region, going to MOMs Organic Market, walking to get coffee, and more. “We’re so happy to be here close to shops, close to work and with great options for getting around!”
TARA BROWN 
Tara is an assistant professor in the Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership Department of the University of Maryland’s College of Education.
She is moving to College Park from Delaware. She had started with the University in 2003 – but went to Massachusetts in 2005. When she returned in 2013, she originally lived in Greenbelt, “so I’m familiar with this neighborhood.”
After commuting to and from Delaware two hours every day, she decided to move closer.
She heard about the Program from her former student, and now University employee, Bruk Berhane – a homebuyer who used the program. “He told me about the Program and that it was very easy to use so I decided to look for homes in College Park instead of say Riverdale Park or Greenbelt.”
Tara usually drives to work, but said that since parking options on campus are not great that she might take the Metro one stop from the Greenbelt Station to the College Park Station, “I might walk – the train is right there.”
As Tara settles into her new home, she is looking forward to extra time with friends, going to Smile Herb Shop and Fishnet, and most important, “more time not in a car.”
KERRY O’BRIEN AND ANDRES DIAZ
Kerry is a program manager in the University’s Office of International Affairs where she works to facilitate study abroad programs. Andres works for Pepperidge Farms.
Kerry is originally from Bowie but she and Andres met in Columbia and moved to College Park once Kerry accepted the position about 2 years ago. “We were living up by Ikea,” mentioned Andres, “now I can walk to restaurants!”
Living near Ikea was close enough to bus transit, so Kerry would use buses or carpool to work. “Now, I have the option to walk or bike as well as take a bus or carpool – I’m definitely not driving.”
Kerry heard about the program through coworkers, “people talk about this program all the time – in fact, I think Marina [Augoustidis], used the program – but it’s not real until someone in your department does it. So, I’m happy to be the first in mine!”
They knew about Berwyn – they like to go to Fishnet and Smile Herb Shop – so when they saw this house, and they learned that the Program was still available, “we scooped it up” explained Andres, “without this Program we would have waited and maybe moved somewhere else.”
The house is perfect for them, “we can walk everywhere, to the Lidl, Taqueria Habenero, Vigilante or Pupuseria La Familiar, but we also have massive backyard space. It’s like being in a city but it’s quiet too, if we want a respite.”
TERRY WHELTON
Terry has been working with the University Alumni Association as an executive manager for 8 years. She heard about the Homeownership Program at a presentation developed by Maria Cabnal Hernandez – who herself purchased a house in College Park through the program – and which was attended by the Partnership’s Senior Program Associate, Valerie Woodall, and Prosperity Home Mortgage agent, Romy Espino.
Terry moved from the neighboring community of Adelphi, Maryland where she rented a house, but she was ready to move because “this area is amazing and it’s changing so much in a positive way.”
When she decided to move, she looked at a number of neighborhoods within the City, but she “chose Hollywood because of the convenience, the house itself and the price.” Because she’s lived in the area for the last 10 years, she has favorite restaurants and shopping spots – so, “that will continue, but now I’ll have even more convenience to explore more places with friends.”
When it comes to using this Homeownership Program, Terry said, “Do it – move to College Park; this program is great and living so close to work allows you to choose how you get around: whether to use your car, bicycle or even walk – you can do that here.”
AMRO HASSANEIN
Amro is an environmental engineer working within the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus. He has worked for the University for roughly three years in the University’s Department of Environmental Science and Technology. He started as a post-doctorate associate in 2016 and is now an assistant research scientist.
He first came to the University as part of a fellowship in 2015, and when he came for the first time, he “fell in love with it.”
Said Amro, “UMD is considered one of the top universities – not only in the USA but also the world for science and research, and when we were here for my fellowship, my wife, kids and I decided that we should live in College Park.”
They looked for houses only in the City of College Park because the Homeownership Program influenced them to do so, but chose the specific neighborhood of College Park Woods because of the proximity to campus, “and the beautiful, quiet, neighborhood.”
As he and his wife and children get settled in, they are looking forward to meeting neighbors, going to the playground, and importantly – a very short commute. As Amro explained, “I used to take the car or the University shuttle – and it would take about 20 minutes. Now, I will bike, and it takes about 8!”
DAVID, CAROLINA AND ISABELLA REESE
David is the Coordinator for the Office of Veteran Student Life at the University of Maryland. Carolina works at the Virginia Hospital Center.
They had been living in Arlington, and when he started at the University about a year ago, would metro up to work – which took about 45 minutes. Carolina was close to work but when they started to look for homes, they started having to look further south in Virginia, which would have doubled David’s commute and made Carolina’s 45 minutes. “So, we started looking over at the Maryland side.”
David had heard about the Program from his orientation, and also heard from other people like Laura Hood who had used the program to move to College Park. “And that really narrowed our search,” remarked Carolina, “we looked at townhouses in Greenbelt, but when there’s $15,000 available to live in the City limits as opposed to other nearby neighborhoods, it is worth looking only at College Park.” So, they went for a drive around the neighborhoods of College Park.
“This house had an open house the day we were touring College Park with our realtor – and we loved it,” explained David, “we went to Proteus Bicycles and MOM’s after we looked at the house … we were living in Oregon awhile back, and this area really feels sort of like Oregon, with real community.” Carolina added that “Arlington is nice, but it’s sort of transient and congested so it’s hard to get around and to spend time with people.”
Their daughter, Isabella, plays Ice Hockey and most of her games are at Laurel or regionally – but always further north. “We never go south!” Both Carolina and David skate, and David coaches his daughters’ team, so this move will also shave 45-minutes from their weekend car time.
Now that their commutes are flipped, David mentioned he’d likely be commuting by bike to work, or maybe running and taking the bus, “The car will be the last option for me.” Carolina won’t mind the commute as much now because she really likes this move. In fact, one day she was in an elevator with a colleague at work and they were talking about commutes. Her colleague explained that she commutes from College Park, so Carolina responded that she was moving to College Park. Her colleague responded, “I love living there, it’s awesome!”
Carolina and David are really happy they took part in this program – they are excited to discover the trail network, being involved more on campus, and getting to know people in the community. “It’s a great benefit. It’s a tangible effort that really makes a difference, and as an employee, it makes you feel like part of the university community,” explained David.
CHRISTINA, RYAN, AND AURORA KENNY
Christina and Ryan moved to College Park from Baltimore City as Christina became the Director of Development for the University’s School of Public Policy, in the University Relations department. Christina had heard about the Homeownership Program when she was hired.
When learning the expectations of the position – some nights, weekends, conferences – and figuring they had just moved into a home in Baltimore City and had a baby, Christina had a revelation. “I thought to myself, ok, now that I have this job, I’ll commute and will give it a year…but after a couple of 90 minute commutes home, I was done. We needed to live closer.”
After that last long commute, Ryan and Christina discussed moving to College Park, “We had friends that live in College Park and they kept raving about the City. So, Ryan suggested we just move.”
Ryan added “Yes, and since I’m a pilot and fly out of Reagan [National Airport] frequently, this location actually works better for us both.” Once they decided to make the move, they looked at a few homes in College Park. “This program really pushed us to look in the City of College Park, and without it we wouldn’t be able to move,” explained Ryan.
Upon looking they found College Park to be full of excellent, interesting, not well-known neighborhoods – and they discovered several homes that could work, but “we really love this neighborhood.” Christina described the friendly atmosphere, “as soon as we moved in, our neighbors all came to introduce themselves! And even last weekend when I had a conference and we had grandparents watching Aurora, they would go on walks and people would say hi.”
As they get settled in Ryan and Christina are looking forward to going to lectures and events on campus like football games, running to work, checking out the College Park Aviation Museum, “and the Herbert Wells Ice Rink – before Aurora was born, Ryan was saying that he wanted her to play ice hockey, so now we are just about 5 minutes from an ice rink. It’s perfect.”
As Christina said, “this program is surprisingly easy to use, and living close to a university and in a great City provides so many experiences that you wouldn’t otherwise have – we’re really excited to be part of this.”
CARO WILLIAMS-PIERCE AND JORDAN THEVENOW-HARRISON
Caro Williams-Pierce starts as a tenure-track assistant professor in the College of Information Studies in August 2019. She and her husband Jordan move to College Park from Albany, NY – though they have lived, gone to school, and worked in Indiana, Maine and Wisconsin.
Caro heard about the Homeownership Program during her first phone interview for the position. Then, when she came to the university for a full interview, she explained that “the representatives on the hiring committee spoke highly about the Program and one of them, Beth St. Jean, who had used the Program before took me on a tour of College Park.”
Jordan chimed in, “When you are applying to work at various research universities, you really are applying to move to one of those locations – so the benefit of this program was very attractive in helping us make the decision of what university to land at.”
They decided to start looking at homes in College Park – and instantly fell in love with the home they found in College Park Estates. Said Caro, “the home is just beautiful – there’s a screened in porch, it has a perfect layout for us, and it’s right by the bike path that takes me directly to the University and connects us to things which will be fun to explore – like Lake Artemesia.”
Jordan owns an educational software company and his office is mainly virtual, but “I love the fact that we are so close to Washington because I like to go to galleries and intellectual events. I’m glad we’re not in the City itself, because for one thing, DC seems about 10 degrees warmer that College Park on any given day. And, just look outside from our porch – it is all green!”
During their stay for the full day interview, Caro and Jordan, ended up going to the Board and Brew and said that also helped them decide that College Park would work out for them, said Caro, “the waiter came up to me and explained that he would be my game sommelier for the evening. And I thought, ‘this place gets me.’”
So, going forward Caro plans to bike to work as much as possible and “we may get e-bikes – that’s the goal.” Caro is excited for the farmers markets and checking out local co-ops. Jordan is, because they are buying furniture now, excited for the proximity of IKEA and Costco. “We are just really excited to plant roots here and our cats, Skunk and Grimalkin, are already settled in.”
LEILANI BATTLE AND RAYMOND BLOCHER
Leilani is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at UMD. Raymond is a software developer and engineer for a Boston-based company.
Leilani and Ray made the move to College Park by way of Seattle, after Leilani completed her PHD at MIT in Boston and then did a one-year post-doc at the University of Washington. Said Leilani, “We made the move to Maryland based on my academic and research interests that I found at the University of Maryland.”
After a couple of months and living in an apartment building in College Park, they started thinking about planting roots. Leilani and Ray are a one-car household and didn’t want to live too far away. So, they started looking at College Park neighborhoods.
They heard about the Program through the new faculty orientation on campus, and then talked with a colleague at work – a previous home buyer, Tamara Clegg – who recommended the Program. When they found College Park Estates, Leilani said they determined it was the right area because “I love City life, but Ray wanted to live somewhere quiet. College Park has both proximity to a big city [Washington, DC] but also quiet neighborhoods, so moving to here made sense – it hit all the living requirements for us.”
Leilani is an avid proponent of being able to walk or bike to work. “I love the commute,” said Leilani, “as a one-car household it is fantastic that I can get to work by walking or biking. Plus, I know how long my commute will take every day and it’s not dependent on any traffic.”
They also love the fact that they are not far from Lake Artemesia, and “the Paint Branch Trail is amazing – and quiet, where you can find a good place to read a good book.” Going forward they are looking forward to being able to go into D.C. for various events, explore local trails, or even stay home.
As for any advice to give other UMD employees, Leilani mentioned that “it’s a good idea to get advice from people who live in College Park and know the City. People who live here seem to really like it.” And, as Ray mentioned, “it’s especially good to live here if you value your time as an important resource: by living in College Park you are close to everything.”
THOMAS AND ROBERT MCMULLEN
Thomas McMullen works as the executive assistant to the Provost in the University’s Office of the Senior Vice President and the Provost – and has been working there for 20 years. His son, Robert McMullen, attended the University of Maryland and received both undergraduate and graduate degrees. He’s been working in the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s Institute of Systems Research as facilities coordinator since 2015 while he achieves his master’s degree.
Thomas had heard about the program because “everyone talks about it” – but he wasn’t sure where to find information about the program, so he walked down to the College Park City Hall. There he received information about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program and also learned about the City’s New Neighbor Grant program which provides $5,000 for folks purchasing former rental properties, foreclosures, or are EMTs, police officers or teachers — which can be coupled with the Partnership’s $15,000 program. As this house was a former rental, he was able to combine the programs.
Upon learning about the program, they began to earnestly look in College Park for a home, “it made us keep looking in College Park! What I wanted was a brick home, with a yard and a garage – and that you can find here,” explained Thomas. Another draw for Thomas was the history found in College Park, “the neighborhoods here have amazing history; just down the road here in Yarrow is the “Marenka House,” which is on the National Historic Register because it is a mid-century modern home built in homage to the Frank Lloyd Wright principles of organic architecture.”
Both Thomas and Robert commute to work by driving in. They share a car pool pass and “this new commute is just superb – about 5 minutes door to door.” As they settle into their new home, they are excited for the new Lidl grocery store coming to Baltimore Avenue and attending more events on campus. As a bicycle enthusiast, Thomas is looking forward to continue using the trail network more frequently and said, “yes, Robert – you need to check out the trails, you can explore anywhere from right here in College Park.”
KRISTEN OLSEN AND WILLIAM KNOWLES
Kristen started at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center as a Guest Experience Coordinator four years ago. Roughly a year into her employment, the Partnership’s Executive Director was invited to brief Clarice staff on all the developments happening in College Park and the Partnership’s newly launched Homeownership Program. Kristen remembered hearing about the program, but as she wasn’t interested in buying at the time, set it aside.
Fast forward 3 years, and she and William decided to start looking for a place closer to the University and something that would be a “better commute” for William – who is a jazz musician and has work in both downtown DC and in Alexandria. Said Kristen, “We had been living close to Rock Creek Park in DC – and when we started looking at places, we were looking for a place that had a good commute for both of us – and the commute from Rockville/Bethesda was a nonstarter for us.”
Upon embarking on their search and learning that the program was still active, they decided to focus on College Park. As William mentioned, “without the program, we wouldn’t be in College Park – we were looking in the Route 1 corridor, maybe – but the program really pushed us to look in College Park.”
Kristen and William moved to the DC area from Milwaukee, and they explained that living near Rock Creek Park was amazing for all the trails, and activities nearby. “Now, in College Park, since we know there’s such a good trail network here, we’re excited to enjoy the trail and finally visit Lake Artemesia.”
SARA MITCHELL AND NICHOLAS CUMMINGS
Sara and Nick are both graduates of the University of Maryland and have been in the College Park area for over 20 years, recently renting in Berwyn Heights. “We love living close to work!” Sara has worked for two years as a visiting senior faculty specialist in the College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences Department of Astronomy. And Nick also works locally on contract at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
They heard about the Homeownership Program when they started thinking about settling into owning a place – and found it through a Google search. They knew they wanted to stay in the area and were eager to find something to call their own, as Sara mentioned, “When you rent, you don’t get a chance to really make the home your own – you can’t plant a garden for example …” or as Nick chimed in, “you can’t change the water heater or lights to be more sustainable or efficient.”
Upon confirming that the program would work for them, it “provided a huge benefit and jumpstarted our search for homes in College Park.” As Nick explained, “one thing that people who work at UMD don’t realize is that the City’s neighborhoods are ‘hidden gems’ – there is more to College Park than just Knox Road.”
So, during their search, they looked in a variety of neighborhoods and eventually found their perfect home in College Park Estates, which Sara and Nick described as a “nice, quiet neighborhood, with lots of access” to places they enjoy – like Lake Artemesia, local bike trails, and restaurants like the Board and Brew and downtown College Park’s Marathon Deli, Kung Fu Tea and NW Chinese. “College Park has really grown its foodie scene, and that’s exciting for us,” explained Sara.
GENE FERRICK AND JOANN PROSSER
Gene Ferrick and Joann Prosser are both long-time University employees. Joann has worked in Resident Life since 2002 and has a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University. Gene has two Bachelors degrees from the University and a Masters degree from UMUC. He has worked for the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences since 1997, although he’s been on campus since entering as a Freshman in 1979.
They lived in Bowie for the past 20 years, but, as Joann says, “we loved our community, but we didn’t love the commute.” They knew College Park well, by working on campus for many years, but also because Joann’s sister’s family and her mom live in the community. Her mother – and other friends – had been encouraging Gene and Joann to make the move to College Park for several years. At first, because they loved their Bowie neighborhood, they didn’t want to move, but the idea grew on them. Joann’s mother asked all her College Park neighbors if they would be selling their homes any time soon and served as match-maker when she learned that a neighbor would be moving.
Gene and Joann have been warmly welcomed by everyone on their block – residents of the street have regular potluck dinners and are a tight knit group.
Joann points to how much has changed around the University. She says, “College Park has experienced so much revitalization in the last decade and is a fun place to live.” Gene remarks how he goes to MilkBoy ArtHouse at least once a month and attends “Science on Tap” lectures there featuring University scientists talking about their research over good food and beer. He notes how Milkboy Arthouse “is a fun place for Happy Hour.” Joann remarks that “the ability to be a life-long learner is extraordinary” living in College Park and working at the University.
Both Joann and Gene are looking forward to much more by living in College Park. They love attending events at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on campus, and Gene wants to attend more football games. He also says he’s “excited about Riverdale Park’s Town Center Market, where he looks forward to joining his brother-in-law and others who gather on Thursday nights.” Gene notes Town Center Market is conveniently “just down the bike path.” They also plan to join the Adelphi Pool, where many neighbors spend their summers.
Both will commute to campus by walking or biking. Gene’s new morning routine involves biking to the Ritchie Coliseum gym, working out, and then going to work. The couple has two parking passes but will be dropping to 1 – and may get rid of both altogether. “The commute is amazing,” says Gene, while Joann notes “our quality of life has greatly improved – we each gained 40 minutes of our day back by eliminating our commutes.”
They found the Homeownership Program easy to use and their only regret is they wished they had moved to College Park sooner. “Make the leap,” Joann recommends to those considering moving to College Park.
JESSICA FISH, ALISON RAY AND FINN
Jessica and Alison were living in Austin, Texas where Jessica had been employed with the University of Texas, doing post-doctoral research, and Alison was at a government environmental post. As Jessica was completing that research, she learned of a position at the University of Maryland in the School of Public Health’s Family Science division. When Jessica knew she would be hired as an assistant professor, they started thinking about the move to the area.
After living in Austin, where they could bike or take the bus to work, they wanted to live close to the University and be part of the community. They looked everywhere; Silver Spring, Laurel, Berwyn Heights, Beltsville, Greenbelt – but “the location of this home, which is also close to the Metro, really made this the right house for us – plus the neighborhood seemed really nice. There’s a park in almost every direction for Finn, who just started walking, to go to.”
Alison found out about the Homeownership Program after doing some research about living in College Park on the City’s Collegeparkmd.gov website and she forwarded the information to Jessica. As they started looking for homes, they used a local realtor who was familiar with the College Park market and the Program, and they also found a lender who had used the Program previously, “so that made it easier to understand the home buying process, this program, and to learn about the College Park area.”
Jessica also thought the main focus of her work really meshed well with the Program – “my work is community based, so working here, in the community I live in, was an important and enticing opportunity.” Upon their move, which took place a couple of weeks after closing and just before the University school year started, Jessica and Alison agreed that knowing they had a home in a good neighborhood close to work and with access to transportation, improving public education, recreation, and a budding foods/arts scene “gave us a wonderful peace of mind as we moved across the country.”
Jessica and Alison both love learning a new city, and from what they’ve seen so far, as Jessica put it, “there’s no reason College Park shouldn’t be at the top of everyone’s list.”
JOHN AND TIENNA HAMPTON, SOLEIL AND DESTIN
John Hampton has been a University of Maryland Police Department officer for the last 11 years. Because of this, as a law enforcement officer, he was able to couple the Homeownership Program Loan with the City’s $5,000 New Neighbor grant.
John and Tienna decided to start looking for homes after their recent wedding – and started looking in Silver Spring. As John put it, “We were not necessarily looking in College Park at first, but I had heard about the program a while ago, and thought I’d check in to it.” Tienna, a local hair stylist, also heard about the program through word of mouth – “I had a client who used to work with the City, and when I told her that we were looking for a home, she mentioned I should look into this program.” So, they did.
Upon confirming they could use the program, they sent the information to their realtor and lender – and began looking in College Park, “we saw this house and knew it was the right one for us,” explained Tienna, “we didn’t have to look too much – and we knew buying now would make sense with all the investment happening in College Park. Our realtor kept telling us this place is booming!”
John explained that he would sometimes run or bike to work, “I like to run, actually – living with a short commute has been great – I could jump on the hiker-biker trail and be at work in 15 minutes.” Of course, John now has a UMPD take-home vehicle, so he may not run all the time, but the fact it’s a possibility is a bonus, “being able to get to work quickly is important to me.”
John, as a long-time police officer, has seen a lot of the positive changes in the City. They both mentioned they were looking forward to the cool unique amenities like MOM’s Organic Market. “I really like living in College Park, actually – it has a small town feel even though there’s a big university here.”
MARIA CABNAL HERNANDEZ AND DAVID
Maria is a senior development coordinator for the University’s Office of University Relations. She had been working with Johns Hopkins in Washington, DC – and “every year, I was moving to another place with the rents going up so quickly.” She landed in College Park about 8 years ago and decided she’d prefer to work closer to where she was living – so she applied to the University. Once she started living in College Park, she knew that this area was a good place for her – but she wasn’t quite ready to buy a home.
Maria heard about the program because she was putting together a few packages for new employees in her division and came across information about the Homeownership Program – “it was pretty amazing, no one really knew about the program.” But, that didn’t stop Maria from looking further into the program and was happily surprised that it was pretty easy to use. She found a realtor that was knowledgeable about the Program and started looking for homes in College Park.
The home she and David found was a former rental property, so on top of the Partnership’s $15,000 she was able to apply an additional $5,000 to the purchase. Said David, “it’s a nice place; it’s really quiet here. In fact, one of our neighbors was explaining that there is a noise ordinance.” Maria and David mentioned that they were happy for shorter commutes. David works at Square One, a plumbing company in Hyattsville – so he’s happy to only be a couple of minutes from work. As for Maria, she mentioned she’d walk or purchase a scooter, “I’m probably not going to drive – it’s expensive at the University, and with the trail right here, I think I’m going to buy a scooter and use that to commute!”
As for advice regarding using the program, Maria thought there should be a bigger awareness campaign, “I think I am like the test-case for folks I know at the University – and now that I’m evidence the program works, I think you’ll get calls from at least 5 more people!”
BRUK BERHANE AND AMARA OKOROAFOR
Bruk, the Director of Outreach and Recruitment in the A. James Clark School of Engineering for just over 9 years, heard about the original College Park Work/Live program back in 2009. When the Partnership launched the current Homeownership Program in 2015, he was excited to participate in it as soon as he could. He even filled out the application at that point.
He and Amara were married in 2014 and lived in Greenbelt. Then they moved to Silver Spring. “The trip to work from Silver Spring bothered Bruk. He had to drive, and it took a long time” said Amara. “I like to have a conservative footprint – and when we lived in Greenbelt, I could take the bus or bike, but I couldn’t do that from where we were in Silver Spring,” explained Bruk. Amara added that they had mapped out Bruk’s travel options to his office, “Bruk was too excited to leave the car behind – the day we moved in, he let me know that it was 18-minutes door-to-door, without his car!”
Although they had long-known about the Program, they didn’t really consider College Park a college town, from what they saw. Amara grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts – so she was “used to living in a college town, with students and campus connections.” But, from what they’ve seen lately, they realized that the University and City are really doing what it takes to unite the campus and community.” So, when they decided to use the program they were excited to “be part of the conversation to make College Park a top university community” – in fact they’ve already participated in a community meeting on the Rhode Island Avenue bike lane and have had positive interactions with staff at Davis Hall.
Bruk mentioned that the program was easy to use, but it took them time to find the right home for them. “You should give yourself time to get to know the neighborhoods of College Park – the proximity to the trails or Route 1,” he explained. Another concern that they had was about the schools – until they drove by Hollywood Elementary School and talked to some of the people there. “The school is good, and if we invest in it, it will only be better!”
Together, Bruk and Amara are excited to engage more with neighbors, have more family time, take walks together, and participate in this community. Even though they haven’t been out too much in College Park, (“Our favorite place right now is Home Depot”) Amara mentioned she really liked Vigilante Coffee – and looked forward to finding new places within the City.
TOM GLEASON AND STACIA WOYCHECK
Tom Gleason and Stacia Woycheck both work at the University of Maryland. Tom is a long-time associate director in the physics department of the
College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. Stacia works as a director of new student programs in the same college. Their son will be starting as a freshman at the University in the fall.
They had been living in Pasadena, MD and as Tom put it, “decided we couldn’t do the commute anymore – it would take anywhere between 50 minutes to one and a half hours.” They are super excited to be living in College Park because of the time they’ll have now. “We’ll be able to relax and do projects around the house and also participate in the community now!”
Stacia found the program online and, when she started the home search, she recognized one of the homebuyers profiled on the website, “so I called them to learn more.” This program focused them on College Park – and since they were buying a former rental property, they were able to use the City’s New Neighbor grant program together with the Partnership’s program. They really loved the College Park Estates area because of the proximity to Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights, as they have friends in both places. Tom mentioned that as they were moving in, they were researching all the trails that connect, “I can walk or ride my bike to the University or to visit with friends now.”
Both explained that it’s an exciting time to be in College Park. With the recent 2018 UMD graduation, Tom and Stacia mentioned they went to the Hotel at UMD, “and it was great!” They are also excited about frequenting the Board and Brew, Riverdale Park Station, and when the Café/Alehouse opens at the former Auto parts store, they will go there. “In fact, the other day I woke up and went to the Bagel Place, had a bagel and coffee and still got to work by 8:00 a.m.,” said Stacia.
CARRIE LEONARD AND STEPHEN BELYEA
Carrie is starting as a post-doctoral associate in the Animal and Avian Sciences department of the University’s College of Agriculture & Natural Resources in September 2018. She and Stephen had been living in Arlington, VA but once she knew she had the University job, they decided they wanted to live closer to her job. Stephen works for a company in Richmond, but he telecommutes most of the time. So, for those days that he does have to travel, being close to work was important to Carrie.
They heard about the Homeownership Program through Jean Pirovic a College Park area realtor and their lender, Prosperity Home Mortgage’s Romy Espino, who are both knowledgeable about the Program. Once they obtained more information from the Partnership’s website, they decided to focus in on College Park instead of places like Silver Spring. Carrie mentioned that, “it also felt really good to take advantage of the program because it shows that the City and the University are truly invested in the community around the University, which gives me the warm fuzzies.” Stephen echoed that sentiment by saying “it’s a great program – I don’t understand why you wouldn’t use it.”
As they began their search in College Park, they realized there was a bigger inventory of homes than they knew of, “there’s more to College Park than first meets the eye.” They chose the house and neighborhood because it combines the old and new – the neighbors were longtime residents, and there are new townhomes going in on Cherokee Street too. Plus, as Carrie described “it has a good feel – it’s a good place for kids.”
Carrie and Stephen have a 2-year-old daughter and a son on the way. With an expanding family, Stephen mentioned “we’re glad that we have more space, in a good place and hey, we’re now homeowners for the first time!” The one thing they need to figure out as they transition to College Park is daycare, but they are hopeful that the UMD daycare will open before 2020, or that they can get into the Center for Young Children.
BRIAN CONNOR, VILEY SENTHEP AND JULIAN
Brian started as a lecturer in the University of Maryland’s Department of Sociology in the beginning of the 2016 fall semester. He previously lived in Texas, working for the University of Texas at Arlington. Viley has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington D.C. for 7 years. So, when Brian was able to obtain a position at the University of Maryland, they were able to reunite and live together again. They had been living in Arlington, VA, “and that made my commute to UMD at best a 35-minute and at worst a 90-minute drive, or a 70-minute commute by Metro.”
Brian befriended another one of the Homeownership Program’s users, Long Doan, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology – “and we’d go out with Long and Tim [Long’s husband] in College Park.” They mentioned that when they started exploring the area, they really liked it, “and when we expressed an interested in buying a home, Long told us about the Homeownership Program and we started to look at places in the area.”
They had started looking at places in Virginia – like in Alexandria and Arlington, but as Viley explained, “the options there are much smaller and cost more” … Viley went into labor with Julian the week of their home closing … “so part of the decision to move here was having more space for our family.” “Plus, the program really helped us have more equity in this place faster, with lower monthly payments due to a larger down payment,” explained Brian.
They decided they wanted to live in a friendly community that was walkable to a metro, “Greenbelt metro isn’t quite walkable, but it’s a 5-minute drive.” Brian intends to continue to drive since he foresees taking Julian to a to-be-determined day care at some point. “But the drive to work now is only about 10-12 minutes now, which is excellent.” He also mentioned he might try biking but had not yet explored the nearby trails because they hadn’t finished moving in yet.
Viley is excited for the parks and green space nearby and Brian, a coffee-enthusiast, mentioned that the College Park Vigilante Coffee Co. location was an excellent thing to have open because “it’s closer for us to get to.” They are both excited to live closer to campus, because now they can participate more in the campus events and events in community with colleagues, go to concerts and visit galleries in the area instead of commuting.
ERIC MANTZ
Eric Mantz was born and raised in Florida. He worked in college athletics in Florida until 2012, when a job in his field opened up at the University of Maryland College Park – and he has been here ever since. When he made the move to College Park six years ago, he chose to rent in College Park, “I’ve never wanted to live more than 5-10 minutes away from work – I strongly dislike a long commute.” Eric typically drives to work, but will “on a nice day, bike ride – I did that yesterday actually!”
Eric mentioned that he had been watching the real estate market in the area for a while, knowing that he wanted to buy at some point, and when he got a promotion at the University, he decided this was the right time to make the move.
When he started looking for homes, Eric went to an open house where he met Jean Pirovic and her team, a local real estate firm. “I mentioned in the conversation that I worked for the University and she in turn asked me whether I had heard about this Homeownership Program.” So, he started researching the program and visited the Partnership’s website. “I essentially built my home buying team around people who knew about the Program to make sure it was as easy as possible” – his lender and title company, Prosperity Home Mortgage and RGS Title, respectively, had both used the program for previous home sales.
Eric also used the City of College Park’s New Neighbors Grant program, which can be coupled with the Partnership’s program to provide $5,000 on top of the $15,000 to purchase homes that are former rentals registered with the City, foreclosures, or homes that are considered new construction. “I saw the house, and it was at the right price point – plus I knew it was a former rental, and that made the decision easier.”
Eric explained that he thought the Program was extremely valuable, and that it really can make a difference for first-time homebuyers “trying to find a way to cover the closing costs. … College Park has a lot of good things happening here, and I really wanted to be a part of it all, so I’m happy I was able to make that dream happen, and this Program really helped.”
ADELAI AND THOMAS ANSTINE
Adelai, who goes by Addie, just graduated from the University of Maryland last year and was able to get her “dream job” of working at the Center for Young Children (CYC) – a highly sought-after pre-kindergarten on campus. Thomas is an electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 26, currently working out of Beltsville.
Addie heard about the Homeownership Program from a co-worker at the CYC who recently used the program, “we were thinking about moving, but we would’ve just chosen a condo somewhere around College Park if this program was not available.”
While Addie was studying at the University, they lived in Laurel – and the commute was up to 45-minutes, depending on traffic. Now the commute is only ever about 15 minutes. Both Addie and Thomas drive to work, but Addie drives an electric car. “By moving to College Park, I only charge my car one to two times per week instead of everyday!”
One of the factors that made them choose the Hollywood neighborhood of College Park, and their new house specifically, was the diversity in the neighborhood. As Thomas remarked, “there are older residents, young people – we may be the youngest, but there are families, working people and retired people – it’s great!” Addie commented that when they were looking at houses, one of the reasons that they decided on this one was “there were kids who crossed our backyard to ask kids on the other side of our house to come out to play, which was refreshing to see!”
Addie and Thomas are excited to be living in College Park. Their cat Henry, a 6-month old stray they found outside of the CYC, is also enjoying the new digs. They are happy to have their own space and are looking forward to when the new MOM’s Organic Market opens.
JASON PAZORNICK
Jason grew up in Columbia, Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland. He has worked with the University of Maryland’s Inter Collegiate Athletics Department for eight years as an Assistant Director of Broadcasting and Production – Game Analysis. He explained his job as working in the “Olympic Sports” – “so I coordinate all of the sports you might see in the Olympics – soccer, lacrosse, to name a few.”
Jason had been living in Silver Spring for 7 years, but last June decided to move close to the University, and found a place to rent in Berwyn Heights, which shortened his commute by 20 minutes or so. “The drive from Silver Spring was about 30 minutes, on a good day. And you always have to qualify that by saying ‘on a good day’ – needless to say, moving closer significantly cut down on my drive time to work.” Now his commute will be about 10-12 minutes on any day.
He heard about the Homeownership Program through a talk on economic development in College Park held by Ken Ulman, a Board Member of the Partnership, and President of the Terrapin Development Corporation. He wasn’t yet ready to buy at that time, but when he started his search, he was reminded by colleagues of the Homeownership Program. Jason had been thinking about moving to other areas, but the Homeownership Program helped him focus on, and purchase in, College Park.
Plus, the location of his new home is perfect: he is a fan of the Old Line Bistro in Beltsville which is now about a 5 minute drive, he’s close to UMD for work, and to the Hollywood Shopping Center, and he can get to downtown College Park in just a few minutes too. “It was advantageous for me to become a homeowner here because “[the City] is on the cusp of growing a lot and is becoming a destination area.”
JENNIFER HAISLIP, AMANDA FERGUSON AND LOGAN
Jennifer Haislip has worked at the Center for Young Children for just over 16 years as a Program Administrative Specialist. She has worked in the University of Maryland’s College of Education for nearly 20 years.
Jennifer found out about the Homeownership Program because she helps staff at the Center for Young Children with issues related to human resources, and someone had a question about benefits. When she went to the website for University Human Resources benefits, she saw the Homeownership Program listed, and did some research on it.
They had been thinking about moving and getting out of the “rental cycle” before learning about the program, but the house prices in the area were going up quickly and they weren’t sure they could make buying a home happen. “We had been thinking of moving, we looked at Glendale, Greenbelt, and other places in the area, but the amount provided, $15,000, really made us focus on College Park – it made the move to College Park doable.”
When considering which neighborhood to live in, the Hollywood area made sense because Amanda works in Greenbelt, and their son Logan is an eighth grader at Greenbelt Middle School. The energy of the area is “our speed – there is public transportation, a local farmer’s market, a nice shopping center, easy access to other areas, families to interact with – and solar panels everywhere.”
Jennifer, Amanda and Logan are a one-car family. Jennifer used to drive to the CYC, which would take about 15-20 minutes in the morning with traffic, and about 30 minutes on the way home. Within a few days of their move, Jennifer tried the UM Shuttle, “and it was super easy – it was only a 7-minute walk to the stop and 15 minutes tops on the bus. It is free for employees at the University, so I think I’ll do it again.”
Jennifer, Amanda and Logan, along with their pets, Lilly, Cricket and Lexi, are all happy to “be home in a place of their own, with a backyard.” Their advice for UMD employees is to use the program because “it’s the easiest part of the home buying process, and you get to live close to work.”
CHAUNCEY A. MOORE
Chauncey Moore has worked in the Division of Information Technology as a network engineer for six months. He is an alumnus of the University of Maryland, graduating in 2008. After graduation, he started as an IT Coordinator/Engineer at the University, but then left after a couple of years to go into the private sector. Chauncey is from the DC region, growing up in Takoma DC and his father also works at the University of Maryland. He wanted to stay in the area, and has many friends who live in the Hollywood neighborhood of College Park, “so it just made sense to try to live here, especially if you are a University of Maryland employee planning to stay at the University for a while.” Upon his return to the University in April 2017, he decided College Park was where he wanted to live.
Chauncey learned about the Program initially from a 2015 Smart Place to Live Series event hosted by the Partnership, the City Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee and the University’s Office of Community Engagement, “I was thinking about buying a house for a long time, and then heard about this program through an event at City Hall which helped me decide to try for College Park. When I was ready to purchase, I just checked back in to see if the program was still active.”
Chauncey was also able to couple the Partnership Homeownership Program’s $15,000 with the City’s $5,000 New Neighbor Grant, “I sought to buy in College Park because of the Partnership’s program. My real estate agent knew of the City’s program, and showed me homes that would qualify for it – which was a great bonus. And coupling the two programs was very easy.”
The house is on a quiet street, and in a great location. “It’s close to MOM’s Organic Market in the Hollywood Shopping Center and Sardi’s Peruvian Chicken in Beltsville.” It’s also only a 15-minute bike ride to the University, and, although he had purchased a parking permit for this year, he plans to bike or use the UM-Shuttle Bus in the next year because of the convenience. “The house is great, I’m going to get work done in the bathrooms and kitchen, but it has good bones and it’s not far from everything I need.”
LAUREN GRANT AND ALEXANDER CAMPBELL
Lauren Grant has worked at the University for six years, the last three in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Her husband, Alex Campbell, has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maryland in Government and Politics and Public Policy, receiving his Masters degree in 2010.
Lauren had heard about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program a couple years ago and kept the email on file for when they decided to buy a home.
Both Lauren and Alex grew up in the area – Silver Spring, Bowie and Burtonsville. They have seen College Park and the University attract investment and they like the new restaurants and the way the area – both on and off campus – is developing. They like how Baltimore Avenue is becoming more walkable and are excited the Purple Line light rail line will be coming.
Alex enjoys local businesses like the Jerk Pit, the newly opened Kapnos Taverna, the Comic Book Store, Nando’s, and meeting up with friends at Looney’s, among other businesses. Lauren says she likes her proximity “to Moms Organic Market and the Farmers Market, as well as being close to Washington, DC, family, and being close to work.”
Alex has always been a Maryland sports fan and they love attending basketball and football games. Alex noted how this fall, he walked to campus for football games, calling it “a nice walk to campus” from their north College Park home.
They say the Homeownership Program was easy to use, and Alex says they chose to buy in College Park “because of the location of Lauren’s work and due to the generosity of the program.”
ROGER, IRIS, IRIS JR. AND JASON PAZ
Roger Paz has worked for the University of Maryland for 10 years as a mechanic in the Department of Transportation Services. He and his wife Iris, who works at a hair salon, moved from Mount Rainier, Maryland.
Roger had heard about the program through a colleague at work. His supervisor helped him translate the parameters of the program, and go through the application process. “It was a very easy experience for me, even without much English – the program is very straightforward, which is very helpful,” explained Roger.
They made the decision to purchase in College Park because of the program – they were looking for more space than their current apartment provided, and the program made it possible for them to purchase now.
When they were looking for homes in College Park, they found this house, “and it’s in a nice quiet and calm neighborhood – our neighbors are nice.” They like Buffalo Wild Wings.
Their children, Iris and Jason, are enrolled in local public schools so they wanted to stay close enough to be able to continue in those schools. Roger explained that he would still drive to work because he picks the kids up from school every day, but that “my commute has improved – it’s only a 5 minute drive.”
And, Jason, especially, is happy to have more space and a yard – “I like to play soccer, so this is an improvement,” said Jason.
Jeri has worked at the University of Maryland’s Health Center’s Mental Health Services Department for almost 7 years as the Coordinator for Triage Services and Suicide Prevention. She and her husband, Austin, and daughter had rented in Silver Spring for many years but decided to buy in Prince George’s County because the housing is more affordable, and “we have several friends in the area.”
Jeri had seen an email regarding the College Park City-University Partnership’s Homeownership Program, which provides a $15,000 forgivable loan for UMD employees moving to College Park, but she “had forgotten about it until a colleague reminded her.” Once she inquired about the program, she found that the process for accessing the Program was painless. “My lender was very familiar with it and it all went quickly and smoothly. I would definitely recommend it to others.”
They had initially considered Hyattsville, but when they learned of the Partnership’s Homeownership Program, they decided to focus on College Park – and fell in love with the Berwyn neighborhood, “it has large trees and older homes” and luckily, during their search, they found a lovely old home with lots of character.
Moving to College Park has been great for Jeri’s commute – “I used to drive about 30 minutes to work and pay parking fees. Now I ride my bike daily to work, [which is] a great way to start my day and it only takes 10-15 minutes.”
KISHORE PALANIRAJA AND MENMOZHI KISHORE
Kishore has worked in UMD Department of Information Technology as a senior engineer for almost 3 years. He and his family moved from North Potomac in Montgomery County to be closer to the University and because his eldest daughter, Nivedhitha, is a UMD student. “I wanted our family to be closer to her as well.”
His prior commute was by bus from Gaithersburg, although sometimes he would drive. Either way it was was a “one or one and a half hour commute and my doctor recommended shortening that.”
He and Menmozhi heard about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program through the University Human Resources office. “It’s an excellent program and the assistance comes in handy when you are deciding how to live closer to your employment.”
They chose the Daniel’s Park neighborhood based on a friend’s advice. “And I can take the UM Shuttle from here, or bike when the weather is nice.”
KEVIN FAHEY
Kevin Fahey is moving to College Park from Rockville, Maryland because he wanted to be closer to work. His son was recently accepted to the University and his daughter is a recent graduate. Kevin has been working in Facilities Management for the last 8 years, and his commute was at best 35 minutes and at worst 90, “it’s frustrating – when you live that far away and at the whim of the Beltway. It makes it very hard to want to come back to the University after work to go to exciting events – like basketball and other events.”
When he decided to move closer, he started looking in Greenbelt and in College Park. But, he knew that he liked the Berwyn neighborhood, because he frequents Fishnet, a locally-owned restaurant. And the Homeownership Program made finding a house in College Park even more attractive. “I like this area – the houses are spread out and the neighbors are nice. A lot of them have been here awhile, so it’s a great neighborhood.”
Now, he’ll be able to bike to work or even walk. “My office is only about a mile down the road from here, so I’m thinking I won’t renew my UMD parking pass. It’ll be pretty rare that I’ll ever have to drive.” And he said he can get a pack of day passes if he needs to drive.
As he moves in, he said he’s looking forward to seeing the Discovery District developing and the new Lidl grocery store coming in near his house. “I’m punching myself a little bit, living in College Park will let me participate in the gems on the campus and in the community.”
JOSH, FINN AND BENJAMIN WESTGARD
Josh came to the University of Maryland to get a Master’s Degree in Library Science in 2006. Originally from South Dakota, he has been working in the UMD Library’s Department of Digital Systems and Stewardship since 2014.
He heard about this program through the College Park City-University Partnership’s e-newsletter that goes out every Friday. “The Associate Dean actually circulates this newsletter to the whole department every week,’ said Josh. He had decided to move closer to the University, from Silver Spring, but hadn’t decided where. He had looked for houses in Riverdale Park, Berwyn Heights, and University Park. “But when I heard about this program, it really influenced me to look at houses in the City of College Park.”
Josh is an avid bicyclist and will now be able to bike to work more often. “This house is great because the Trolley Trail is so close – and I can use it to get to the University quickly and take Finn and Benjamin out for a ride – College Park has a lot of great trails.” He is thinking that he needs part-time parking at the University because he’ll have to drive on certain days to take Finn and Benjamin to school.
He also has major plans to update and renovate the house. “The program really helped because I am now able to make the house more livable.” He already added a new roof to the house and his next plans include fixing up the attic so that it has 2 bedrooms for Finn and Benjamin, opening up the kitchen, maybe adding central air, and finishing the basement. The basement was half finished and probably used as a rental space, and Josh wants to make it a family room.
Josh is excited about living in College Park because “There’s so much that’s happening here including great Farmers Markets and businesses like the Board and Brew. It’s an exciting time to live in the City.”
ERIC, SHELBY AND AUDRA BYRD
Eric and Shelby’s lease near the Prince George’s Plaza Metro station was coming up and they decided to look at purchasing a home in the area. As self-described “anti-commuters” they wanted to stay close to both the University and to transportation that would help Shelby take the train to work, where she is a Dynamic Training Professional/Instructional Designer for a company downtown. “Being close to work is so important to us,” Eric explained, “a long commute is a big part of your life!”
While they looked at houses in College Park, Hyattsville, Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, Beltsville, Takoma Park, and Silver Spring, when they found the Homeownership Program, they decided College Park was the option for them. “It was a ‘no-brainer’ for us,” said Eric. Eric has been working in the IT Services Department since 2001 and has seen the positive changes in the area.
“When we were looking at houses, and we found this one, we had always heard that College Park Woods was an established neighborhood with a good reputation,” said Eric. This was confirmed when they came to see the house and went to the Annual College Park Woods Picnic. “There is a real diversity of people, from people who have been here for 50 years to people who rent to young families and elderly folks – it’s a real neighborhood,” Shelby said, adding “there’s a real sense of community here.”
Eric and Shelby both grew up in the vicinity – Eric in Howard County and Shelby in Arlington County. Eric’s family are proud Terps – he is a 2nd generation Terrapin and “Audra [only 7 months old] is the 3rd!” – his mother was one of the first women to graduate in Mathematics at the University. Eric grew up going to UMD football and basketball games and proudly supporting the Terps every season. Shelby, who grew up near the W&OD Trail in Virginia is also a classical singer, and she too loves the University. Audra, their 7-month old, has already been to football and basketball games – and she is on the waitlist for the Campus’ Center for Young Children already.
All in all this location is perfect for this new family. “There’s a park across the street, there’s a room that would work for our music, it’s close to the University, and it’s in a quiet and nice neighborhood. College Park is really great because there’s a lot going on here, but there’s also space to live – and that’s important to our family.”
AMANDA AND MATTHEW TOWNSEND
Amanda was recently hired as a development writer by the University of Maryland’s Department of Communications and Marketing. She grew up locally in Mount Rainier, Maryland and has seen the transformation of the Baltimore Avenue corridor and College Park, “it’s changed so much – so many great things are happening.”
She has wanted to live in College Park for a long time because it is “a nice place to live long term for families.” But she wasn’t sure if she would find a home in the City or if it would be affordable. She noted “house prices in College Park went up 14% last year!” She was looking at homes in College Park and Riverdale Park.
When Amanda heard about the Homeownership Program in the new employee orientation at the University, she immediately decided that she would take advantage of the opportunity to look for a house in College Park because the “$15,000 made it possible to afford the homes here.”
Amanda and Matt found their home and decided Hollywood was the right neighborhood because it was convenient for both of them to get to work and the neighborhood has “a lot of character” Amanda noted “Matt works on U-Street, so being close to the Green Line was important.” As for Amanda, she will likely drive to work, but may try the bus or bike commuting, “I may try it out using mBike [the City/University bikeshare program] so we’ll see.”
In addition, this was the right house and the right time, “the houses up here give you more bang for your buck in terms of size – and buying now, as a young couple gives us the opportunity to plan 3-5-10 years out.” She says she is “Looking forward to a good quality of life and commute, and making a home in College Park.”
Amanda said she told one of her colleagues that she was using this program, and that the colleague didn’t know how it would work, “but it’s really easy and really worth it.”
DON SCHMADEL AND YURI KUBOTA
Don and Yuri were among some of the first people to contact the Partnership about the Homeownership Program when it launched in 2015. They have lived in College Park, renting in the Old Town neighborhood, for almost 20 years.
When they heard about the program, they knew it would help them to afford to purchase a house. They began the search in summer 2015 but nothing seemed to quite work out until they found this house, “we came to an open house, and there were 5 other potential homebuyers – so we put an offer in right away!”
Don and Yuri explained that “it’s quiet, it’s safe, there are neighbors outside, lots of people go for walks here, and it’s close enough to the University.” Don estimated it was a 10 minute bus ride, a 10 minute bicycle ride and 25 minutes walking. He mentioned he would commute to work by walking, biking or taking the bus on different days. What he won’t be doing is driving. “Parking is expensive – and really everything goes up [in terms of expense] when you drive,” said Don.
Don is a technical coordinator in the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Research at the University’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. He is an alumnus of the University, and has been working there for 15 years. He is originally from Pittsburgh and says the Daniel’s Park area has a feel “like home.” He says it reminds him of the working class neighborhood he grew up in, where “people are outside, not inside with the air conditioning, and where people know how to do things.” It is a friendly neighborhood, where they have been welcomed by neighbors – including the neighborhood kids.
Yuri has already started a garden in the backyard and she enjoys the on-campus yoga classes at the Recreation Center. They both remarked how everything they need is convenient to them in College Park.
YOEL AND KATHERINE IZSAK
Yoel and Katherine moved from Silver Spring, Maryland because they wanted to live in a place where they could have more space but also feel like they were in a city. Katherine is an 11-year employee of the University of Maryland, working as an associate director in the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).
As Yoel and Katherine started thinking about moving out of their condo in Silver Spring to have more space and a yard, Katherine mentioned that in the last few years, she has “seen the College Park area developing,” and considered that if they “didn’t make the move now, [they would] be priced out of the area.” In addition to Katherine being at the University five or six days a week for work, they know the area well due to several good friends who live nearby in Berwyn Heights and University Park.
So Yoel and Katherine started looking for houses around the University. Yoel’s main criteria for a neighborhood included being within walking distance of a metro stop. “Hollywood made sense for us because the Greenbelt Metro station is an easy walk from here.” According to Katherine, they were especially drawn to the neighborhood as an “older, treed, quieter area.”
“Our realtor informed us about City’s New Neighbor Grant program, which led us to the Partnership’s Homeownership Program.” They found the program’s process to be smooth, and extremely helpful because without the program, they wouldn’t be able to renovate their new digs. “The house has a great footprint, but hasn’t been updated since the 60s or 70s.” Now that Katherine’s commute is 20-30 minutes shorter, and Yoel has an easy commute to work in DC via the Green Line, they mentioned they are looking forward to spending more time outside in their backyard, visiting local restaurants like Franklin’s and Beltsville’s Old Line, and entertaining friends, who Katherine “hopes move to College Park too!”
HEATHER AND ROSWELL MUNDWILER
Heather began her employment at the University of Maryland at the School of Music in September 2016. Originally from Fairfax, VA, she and Roswell moved back to the area from Austin, Texas and were living in Rockville, MD to be close to Roswell’s job as a metrology technician. But, it was a long stressful commute for Heather – “about an hour door-to-door.”
Heather recalled that she heard about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program at her new employee training and they decided to explore settling down in College Park. She said the Homeownership Program was “one of the reasons we were drawn to College Park.” Upon confirming the program was still accepting applicants, they toured the neighborhoods in the City and the “stars aligned.” “The community is wonderful – a lot of the neighborhoods are quiet even being in a place where there’s a lot of growth. And we really loved this house. It’s 116 years old, and has a lot of history.” Another big indicator that College Park is an excellent community is the fact that there are a lot of parks and open public spaces. Said Roswell, “playgrounds are everywhere!”
Heather and Roswell are runners, so the Daniels Park neighborhood really appealed to them. It’s close to the Trolley Trail and they can run to Lake Artemesia or go running at Greenbelt Park. In fact, when asked how Heather would be commuting to work, she mentioned they are a one-car family and that she takes the UM Shuttle that stops a block from their home. She added she might also “run commute … I’m considering shuttling to work and running home.” Roswell mentioned that he was happy to become a resident of the City because he can also get a UM Shuttle pass – “which is a great way to get around the City.” Plus, with the Greenbelt Metro station being walkable from their home, they are going to be able to discover even more in the area.
They are excited about exploring the Farmers Markets, going out to restaurants in the area like Franklins in Hyattsville, and they have already signed up for the College Park 5K. And Heather’s hour commute by car? “Now I could walk to work, and probably make it under 45 minutes.”
LORI, DENNIS, GEORGE AND SAM PETTERSON
Lori began working in the University of Maryland’s School of Business four years ago. Her husband, Dennis, works at George Mason University in Virginia. They moved from Manassas Park, VA, a short distance from George Mason University.
When she started working for the University of Maryland’s School of Business, Lori found the roughly 46-mile commute was tough at rush hour. It was taking her 2.5 hours by train each way, making the work days roughly 13 hours long. “I was tired of the long commute. It prevented me from participating in after-work activities, and I wanted to be part of the community too.” Dennis, on the other hand, works overnight at George Mason University so his commute is much more manageable. “And he’s good with directions, so he can drive.”
They considered moving. “We started looking in the neighborhoods to rent first and get used to the area.” Lori said that several people – including her brother – thought that crime was an issue and discouraged them from living in College Park. So even though they wanted to move closer, they hadn’t specifically decided to make College Park their home.
When their oldest son George started at the University 2 years ago, it was evident to them that “College Park has really transformed over the last 10 years. It is safe here. It’s a great college town. And I’m going to invite those who discouraged it here for a BBQ to show them how great it is.”
Researching options for buying instead of renting, their realtor “really spearheaded this” and told them about the City’s New Neighbor Grant Program. With this information, they decided to target only the homes in the City that were eligible for this – namely homes that had been former rental properties. When they found the home they “fell in love with,” they approached the City and Partnership with plans to couple the City’s New Neighbor program and the Partnership’s Homeownership program.
Lori said the Homeownership program is “fantastic. It made it financially feasible to move, and we’re now able to put some money into fixing the house up.” Exploring various restaurants and shops they were happy to find Mama Lucia’s and to be close to stores like Ikea, BestBuy and Value Village. They also love being close to two parks. Lori plans to take the UM Shuttle or 83 bus “since they stop at the end of our street.”
KECIA HANSARD
Kecia Hansard is the Director of Diversity Initiatives in the Robert H. Smith School of Business Office of Diversity Initiatives. As a veteran employee of fifteen-plus years, and a UMD graduate originally from Boston, she has lived in many places in the metro area, including Washington DC and Takoma Park.
Kecia heard about the Homeownership Program at an event the Partnership hosted with the University of Maryland’s Office of Community Engagement in 2015. The purpose of the event was for UMD employees to learn about the University District Vision 2020 and the progress happening in College Park. The Homeownership Program was also first publicly announced at this event. Kecia said it was at this event that she received a brochure about living in College Park, “flipping through it, I realized I didn’t really know College Park like I thought I did.” So, she began to explore the neighborhoods. “I had been to businesses in Berwyn, to ZIPs and to Plato’s, which I miss, but I didn’t know about Lake Artemesia and the beautiful neighborhoods.”
Learning about the program came at the right time. Living in Washington, DC, she had started thinking about finding a quieter area that had a strong sense of community and things to do. The Partnership’s Homeownership Program seemed like a good deal and Kecia decided to put the wheels in motion to move. “I really love the farmer’s market on campus – it is really special – and the City of College Park seems to have strong, positive, civic participation, both exemplify a great community.”
She first started looking in Berwyn, but was open to other neighborhoods as well. One day, when scouting homes with her realtor in College Park Estates, she met a neighbor. “He was so nice and talked about how accessible and safe the area is. Our conversation was a real selling point for living here.” She is happy with her choice with regard to her commute. It had been 30 minutes to work and 22 minutes home and her commute now is only a fraction of that time. She said that if the UM Shuttle were accessible to the Estates, she would use it, but if not, then she would explore biking to work.
Happy with “this exceptional” Homeownership program, Kecia has already told at least 3 of her colleagues about it. Her advice to other employees is “be patient and open to the market. College Park is a really attractive place and it will only get better with the incoming Hotel, Whole Foods, and most exciting, the ArtHouse.”
LAURA, AARON AND MOLLY HOOD
Laura Hood is in her fourth year working at the University of Maryland. For two years, she commuted from Fairfax, where her husband, Aaron, worked at George Mason University. For the last two years, they reversed their arrangement, living in College Park in a sorority house where she served as a house director, in addition to her job as Coordinator for Student Entertainment events at the Stamp Student Union.
As they were living at the sorority house, they started thinking about where they wanted to settle. Laura says they “started looking in the area, mainly in Hyattsville and College Park,” and that “this is an area we could afford as well as being a short commute to work.” She also said “we get the updates on what’s happening on Baltimore Avenue, we get the [Partnership’s] newsletter” – forwarded from Laura’s supervisor – “and there are a lot of things coming that we’re excited about like the coffee house, and the ArtHouse.”
They enjoy the conveniences of College Park – they mentioned how they frequent TargetExpress, Marathon Deli, Starbucks, and “lots of little restaurants in downtown College Park.” Laura noted “Aaron loves Nando’s” – which opened in October 2015. They are excited about Whole Foods opening, and even as they are disappointed REI is closing due to a new flagship store in Washington, DC, they find Ikea a great, convenient store in the College Park community, and gestured at the Ikea furniture in their living room.
Both are runners, and they love to run on the College Park Trolley Trail and around Lake Artemesia. “In addition to the restaurants, and convenience, it is one of the great things about College Park” Aaron said.
Laura and Aaron were looking for a quiet, convenient, and safe neighborhood, close to a bus line and public transportation, so that Aaron, who was looking for a new job, could get to downtown DC if he needed to. Laura notes the Partnership’s Homeownership Program – coupled with the City’s New Neighbor grant – was a big part of house hunting in College Park, and that it made a real difference. “Because the program applied in College Park, we only looked in College Park,” she said.
With the recent arrival of their baby Molly, they are making a home in the Daniels Park area of College Park, which Laura describes as a “nice neighborhood of mostly families and some students.” Aaron started a new job at the University of Maryland, in Resident Life as Coordinator for Student Leadership Development, and they now carpool to work together after dropping Molly at a College Park daycare. “We go in the back way to campus, up 193 [University Boulevard],” Laura said. “It is quick and convenient to work and back home.”
Both reflected that when they were first starting to look for houses, they wanted different things – Laura summed it up: “Aaron wanted the city, and I wanted the suburbs … so College Park is perfect.”
RUTH YUN AND JOSE MONTOYA
Ruth Yun has worked in the University of Maryland’s Human Resources Department for the last several years. She is a 2013 graduate of the University and has lived in College Park since 2011. Most recently, she and her husband, Jose Montoya, rented in the Camden apartments and townhouses near Ikea in College Park.
Jose works in Beltsville as the Plant Manager of Artelye Marble and Granite Company, so buying a home in College Park is close to both of their jobs. Ruth says her new commute is five minutes by car, and that “being so close, I might bike to work in nicer weather.”
Ruth says her realtor was looking across the area for houses for them, including in Adelphi and Beltsville, but they focused on College Park due to the Homeownership Program. She describes her neighborhood of Daniels Park as “a nice neighborhood, seems like we have nice neighbors.”
She mentioned “I know there’s Fat Pete’s Barbeque coming to College Park that we’re excited about,” and she’s a big fan of the Hollywood Farmers Market.Ruth has been particularly fond of several vendors there – “I call her the ‘Bread Lady,’” Ruth said, “her bread is so good – especially the Cheddar Jalapeno bread, I call her ahead to reserve a loaf.” She also sung the praises of the taco stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market, and says she shops at MOMs Organic Market.
With two dogs, she likes her home’s big backyard and has been impressed with the College Park All Dogs Club in the Berwyn neighborhood – a dog day care, spa and a “party zone” for pets.
Ruth and Jose were the first homebuyers to use both the Partnership’s Homeownership Program and the City’s New Neighbor grant together. In addition to the Homeownership Program’s $15,000, she was eligible for the City’s $5,000 New Neighbor grant since the house was a former rental property. “That extra $5,000 really helped,” said Ruth. In fact, Ruth says utilizing these programs was the easiest part of her home buying experience.
MARINA AUGOUSTIDIS
Marina Augoustidis is the assistant director of the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) Programs in the Robert H. Smith School of Business Office of Global Initiatives at the University of Maryland. She started with the University just about 16-months ago, but was living and working in the DC-Metro area for roughly 10-years prior to that.
She heard about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program from a colleague in the Smith School when she first started.
Marina was interested in purchasing a house near work once she made the move to the University, but was unsure about where to settle. Upon hearing about the Program she began researching the neighborhoods and learning about College Park. “There’s so much that’s happening right now, and that was attractive to me.”
College Park Woods seemed like a perfect choice – “it’s a neighborhood that is close to the University, but setback like an enclave. There are nice homes, and the atmosphere is quiet yet friendly.” With her commute previously being 20-25 minutes each way, she is pleased that her new commute only takes 5 minutes. She still plans on driving most of the time, but said, “I might bicycle in the summer, we’ll see.”
Moving from Silver Spring, Marina was eager to have a quieter neighborhood to live in but with fun things to do nearby. She said, “I started researching College Park and I was so happy to have found a ZIPS Dry Cleaning! I’m also really looking forward to the Whole Foods coming in and the Farmer’s Markets.”
Yet another feature of College Park Marina is eager to explore are the trails – mostly for running. While she is still just beginning to get to know the options, she mentioned that she heard Lake Artemesia was a must-see, and that there are many routes. “I’m looking forward to discovering the options for getting to Lake Artemesia from College Park Woods.”
Using the Program was “simple” she said. “It was the easiest part of the home buying process. I would recommend this program to anyone moving into the College Park area and working at the University.”
TAMARA “TAMMY” CLEGG
Tammy Clegg recently purchased a house in the quiet College Park Estates neighborhood through the City-University Partnership’s Homeownership Program. She is an assistant professor of 6 years in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland’s College of Education. She also has a joint appointment in the College of Information Studies (the iSchool). She came to Maryland from Georgia Tech, where she obtained a PhD in the School of Interactive Computing.
Tammy heard about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program through colleagues in the iSchool’s Human–Computer Interaction lab. “Upon reviewing the program online, I realized that one of the homebuyers was a colleague of mine in the iSchool and I went to ask her about it.”
In addition to receiving rave reviews on the “smooth, helpful, program” from her colleague, Tammy said that she loved the idea about planting long-term roots in College Park. So, she started the process of buying a home in College Park. “The Program really helped me discover the neighborhoods of College Park – I mean, I had no idea this area [the Estates] even existed before,” Tammy said, “and it’s wonderful out here – the wide streets and sidewalks, the hills, and the neighbors are extremely friendly too.” One of the best things she has heard from her new neighbors is that the City of College Park has an excellent track record of providing top-tier public services – like trash collection, and snow removal. After living in an apartment in Hyattsville, she said this house, with lots of light, space, and a yard, is a welcome change. “I liked living in an apartment, but now I have storage space, an office and a great bay window. I have a yard – I can have friends over for a cookout, without a process for getting them into the building!”
Tammy’s work at the University includes partnering with local schools and community members to advance informal STEM learning through projects and research. One of the schools her work is featured in is at Charles Carroll Elementary School, which is in New Carrollton, MD. She is also very active in a church nearby, so one of the main features of selecting the neighborhood was its proximity to both her on- and off-campus work. The Estates are also in close proximity to many of College Park’s trails – especially the Indian Creek Trail that joins the Anacostia Tributary Trail around Lake Artemesia, the Northeast Branch Trail and Paint Branch Trail that connect directly to Campus and the City, and this was a big draw for her as a runner.
Upon asking her what she’d recommend to colleagues about the program, Tammy indicated that she felt great about her purchase because the market was on the move, “My realtor and I put offers in on several homes before we found this one. So my advice to my counterparts: if you’re interested in the program, research the neighborhoods, and contact the Partnership. College Park is a great place to live but you have to act quickly!”
LISA ALEXANDER AND STEVE KREIDER
Lisa Alexander began her career as resident life director at the University of Maryland just over a decade ago. She is the Director of Oakland Hall and has been happy with her professional growth at the University over the course of 11 years. Steve Kreider is a program coordinator for student engagement at Anne Arundel Community College. Lisa and Steve both moved to Maryland from outside the area, both of them arriving just after graduate school in Florida and Memphis, respectively.
Since they have been here for some time, they are familiar with the City and University plans to make College Park a top university community, and they like what they see. “We’re happy to see all this momentum in the City. There is a lot of positive energy here – I mean just look around. Ten years ago, for example, I would not have moved off campus,” Lisa remarked.
Upon entering their new place, there was a great sense of excitement for their new project, “the previous owners had only lived here a couple of years,” they remarked, “and they painted every room a different color, so we have been painting nonstop since we moved in!”
Some of the things they are looking forward to as they settle in: living within a short walk to MOM’s and REI (which she hopes does not leave College Park), having a short commute to the Silver Diner, which she notes, is “farm to table,” and “too many other things to list.”
They are very happy about the new Zagster bikeshare, mBike. Lisa likes to commute by bicycle to work and elsewhere. “We are looking forward to the Whole Foods coming in, and the trails that we can use to get there!” For his part, Steve is not an avid trail-user, but he is happy there are numerous ways to get around College Park, especially to his ultimate frisbee games.
Their decision to move off campus comes as part of a shift in their lives. When asked why they made the move since Lisa’s previous commute – living in an on-campus residence – was all but 20 steps to work, and now it will be slightly further away, she responded that “I was ready to have a home. I can grow things in the backyard. I can paint the house whatever color I wish.”
Their choice was also heavily influenced by the Partnership’s Homeownership Program. They heard about the Program through friends of friends – that someone had successfully used the program, Steve said. “The $15,000 was really appealing to us,” he explained, “but it’s a good time to invest in College Park – there’s so much going on. There are a lot of faculty and staff that, as they decide to stay at UMD, could use this program. My advice to them: just do it – it’s a great program, and we are telling everyone we know about it!”
LONG DOAN AND TIM MARSHALL
Long Doan and Tim Marshall recently purchased a house in College Park’s Sunnyside neighborhood in North College Park through the City-University Partnership’s Homeownership Program. They are moving to College Park from Bloomington, Indiana. Long will be starting as an assistant professor in the University’s Department of Sociology at the end of August. Long heard about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program during his new employee orientation. “They said that the City and University encouraged employees to live nearby.” To Long this made a lot of sense. Bloomington, Indiana does not have traffic whereas the DC metro area does, “so living close to work to avoid lots of traffic was logical as we contemplated places to live.”
Tim is an optician and his company was able to relocate him to Bowie, so even for his work, College Park is a good place. “It’s only about a 20 minute commute, give or take – College Park has a great location.”
Even though they wanted to move to College Park, it was slightly difficult to find a house in their price range. But this program, they said, gave them the confidence to continue the search and ultimately choose College Park over other properties, including one they considered in Lanham, “we figured that using this program would really benefit us as first-time homebuyers.”
Although they still have belongings in Bloomington, they have started to move in and will do so over the course of a month. They have, however, moved all five of their family pets in already. “The house is great – the backyard is perfect for our dog Lillith to be in. She never had a yard before.”
The previous owners left them a vegetable garden which they are excited about, and they want to explore the College Park area’s many farmers markets. Long says his commute to campus will be by bicycle, and he is impressed with the bikeability of College Park. He says, “the sheer number of bike lanes is much better than Bloomington.”
They have begun trying out the restaurants in the area: Beltsville’s Yia Yia’s, College Park’s Board and Brew, and Hyattsville’s Busboys and Poets. Being so close to great food and to stores like Ikea, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Costco not too far away are added benefits. Tim mentioned the stores, and Long remarked, “usually, you only have one of these types of stores – here you have all of them!”
Both are excited about their new home and about living in College Park, as Tim put it: “We’re glad to be part of an up and coming community.”
VALERIE HOY
Valerie Hoy has lived in College Park for a decade, renting in houses throughout the community, and is now thrilled to be a brand new homeowner in the city. For the last four years, she has worked in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, in the Information and Education Technology Unit.
When she learned of the Partnership’s Homeownership program upon its announcement last year, she realized this was her opportunity to jump from being a College Park renter to a homeowner. “The loan really helped me buy t his house,” she noted. She called Partnership staff right away, and looked for a house for a year. After a few houses she was looking at were purchased by other buyers, she was able to get a contract on her new house in the Hollywood neighborhood.
Valerie says that in buying a house, her “main priority was biking to work.” Her bike ride from door-to-door from North College Park is 17 minutes. She is exploring what she will do in rainy weather, and notes that the Greenbelt Metro station is not too far from her house, which will take her one stop to the College Park station where a UM shuttle bus runs regularly to campus.
After 10 years living in College Park, she says “I love College Park – it is close to everything and DC. It is a nice, residential neighborhood.” As a cyclist, she said she “loves the bike trails” and she has followed the community and city government through her local officials, the neighborhood listserve, and community blogs. She finds it to be an active community, and a great fit for someone working at the University.
She says the Homeownership program “was so easy, I’m overwhelmed at how easy it was to use the program.”
JAMES GRAND AND JENNIFER WESSEL
James and Jennifer both joined the University of Maryland’s Department of Psychology a little over two years ago as assistant professors. As recent graduates from Michigan State University, one thing they were looking for when they moved to the University of Maryland was to live close by. “We always loved the fact that a lot of faculty lived close to the University when we were at Michigan” said James.
They rented a house in University Park when they arrived so they could be close to work, “anything more than a 15-minute commute is a no-go for us” said Jennifer. They immediately “fell in love” with the area.
As they continued to explore, taking day trips to Annapolis, Baltimore and Washington D.C. – “all easy to access from here” – they were certain that this was the best place for them. Jennifer mentioned that before they moved they researched the University and came across a report on housing strategies that mentioned a previous Partnership Work/Live Program. Then, in August 2015, she heard UMD President Dr. Wallace Loh on The Kojo Nnamdi Show where he mentioned the Partnership’s homeownership program in the context of College Park being a vibrant place for faculty and staff to live and also discussed revitalization in the area. Hearing Dr. Loh speak about the homeownership program confirmed for them that the program was real, and they contacted Partnership staff about using the program shortly thereafter.
Their search for a place considered homes in University Park, Hyattsville, Berwyn Heights and Takoma Park in addition to College Park. The decision to move into the Calvert Hills neighborhood rested on the house, the Partnership’s program, proximity to the University, and the amenities just to the south, like Busboys and Poets. The new Whole Foods just down the street – and more importantly to them – the Trolley Trail that will connect them to restaurants, recreation and retail, was also a motivator. As self-defined hikers, they love that College Park has so many great trails. They have walked to Lake Artemesia a few times already, and look forward to exploring more as they settle in. They plan to sign up for mBike, College Park’s new bikeshare system, or purchase their own bikes so they can more easily get around. Another draw for them is the College Park Tennis Club. As tennis players, living close to a nationally renowned tennis club and being able to obtain a free trial membership for 6-months through this program is a win-win. “There’s this great energy in College Park, so using this program to purchase a home within the City was very appealing to us. We were able to move into a great home with a beautiful neighborhood; we now can walk to work; and [the program] was also so easy to use – we hope others take advantage of this opportunity.”
OSVALDO AND MARIA GUTIERREZ
Dr. Osvaldo Gutierrez is a new hire for the University of Maryland starting at the end of June 2016. He was hired as an assistant professor in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Maria will be going back to school as a graduate student at the University of Maryland.
Osvaldo comes to Maryland from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow. His family, Maria and his daughter, are in California near UC Davis. They have lived in many other university communities across the country – Westwood in Los Angeles (UCLA), Davis, California (UC Davis), and West Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania) – so a major factor in deciding to accept the University of Maryland’s offer was the location.
As they contemplated the move, they began to think through questions of where to live – should they rent?, does the University offer temporary housing? – and more. After looking for homes in Takoma Park, Montgomery County and Washington D.C., Osvaldo found articles about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program to purchase a home in College Park. This appealed to them due to the proximity to campus, and that it is a short Metro or MARC Commuter train ride to Washington D.C. or Baltimore. They started thinking about buying a home in the neighborhoods of College Park. He contacted the Partnership directly to inquire about the program. Osvaldo notes, “it’s a hard process to buy a house and this program made it a lot easier.”
Osvaldo and Maria both like to walk, and they have described their memories of walking to school and work so vividly and attractively that their 10 year old daughter felt she was missing out on that experience. The California neighborhood they live in doesn’t have an adequate route for walking to school, so they drive. In addition to College Park’s location within the region, the Hollywood neighborhood stood out as a great place for them because their daughter is enrolling in Holy Redeemer and their house is not too far from there. “So, now, our daughter will get this experience of walking to school – and I can drop her off and continue my walk to campus.” The price point is another great thing about the house from their perspective, saying that living in College Park versus another area, “we don’t have to pay for an overpriced house.”
Their new home is about a mile walk to campus. Osvaldo’s current walk to the University of Pennsylvania is a 2-mile walk. Before purchasing in the Hollywood neighborhood, he walked around College Park, and really liked the area and the route he will take to campus. He likes being in campus community environments and is looking forward to continuing to commute by foot “in any weather.”
He also says that they “like to be involved in the University, but also in the community,” and living in College Park will allow them more opportunities to do both.
Osvaldo discussed that due to his use of the Homeownership program, his department has now started marketing it to their new hires. He says, “So we hope it continues well into the future because it will really help new faculty.”
MICHAEL BUNTING
Michael Bunting, a research scientist at the Center for Advanced Study of Language in M Square, came to the University of Maryland in 2005. Since his arrival, he has rented in Riverdale Park, Northern Virginia – and most recently in College Park. Upon renting in the City, he said he found out that “College Park has changed a lot since I first got here and it’s getting better – College Park is a destination!”
He had started looking for a home in Silver Spring and Greenbelt, and was interested in neighborhoods with green space, amenities and walkability. But when he received an email from a colleague about the Partnership’s Homeownership Program, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity – and found the perfect setting to live just a couple of months after he began his search. “The Program definitely made me choose College Park.”
Situated a block off Route 1, near the new Monument Village development, his new house and neighborhood are exactly what he was looking for. There are quiet woods in the back, it’s not far from the golf course, and there is a lot of economic development happening nearby. He cited the Whole Foods coming to Riverdale Park and other retail enlivening the Baltimore Avenue corridor. The prior owners had lived in the home for 31 years, and he was touched by their story. He is looking to carry forward the longtime homeownership tradition for this house. The friendliness of the area especially impressed him: upon the sale of the house, 3 different neighbors came over to greet him.
When asked what advice he would give to colleagues about the Homeownership Program, he said, “College Park has a lot of green space inside the Beltway, it’s very easy to walk here, and the commute is great – it’s a lot better than driving in!”
PRESTON ROBINSON
Preston Robinson has been a University employee for 13 years, he is Director of Ticket Operations for on campus athletic events. Over the 13 years, he has moved closer to campus, renting in Largo, Bowie, and Adelphi, and finally, the past three years, in College Park in the newly built Domain apartments adjacent to campus.
Over the years, a colleague suggested he purchase a home, and this year, she directed Preston to the Partnership’s $15,000 Homeownership Program. Preston figured this would be a good time to buy his first home.
“I’m not a traffic fan” Preston said, explaining his decision to buy a home in College Park. He says he spent enough time on the Beltway and US 50 commuting over the years, and was “tired of dealing with not knowing if the commute would be 30 minutes or an hour, depending on traffic.”
He chose a home in the Daniels Park neighborhood of North College Park, and notes how the community is quiet and safe. He likes that it is “family-oriented” – this is the same neighborhood profiled as a “family-hood” recently in the Washington Post Real Estate section. He notes the many friendly neighbors – a young couple across the street and another family whose “little girl knocked on the door the other day selling Girl Scout cookies.” He says all the neighbors are “very friendly people,” and he enjoys the convenience of the neighborhood where “the grocery store is right up the road, the Metro is just up the road.”
With the Greenbelt Metro station only a few minutes’ walk from his new home, and the University, the Beltway, and I-95 also within a few minutes, he is close to work and has easy access to the entire metropolitan area. The Hollywood Shopping Center with My Organic Market, REI and other stores is just around the corner, and the College Park Marketplace, with Shopper’s Food Warehouse, Best Buy and other retail is also convenient. He says that “close proximity to work and easy access to get anywhere I want to go” were selling points for the neighborhood, and finally, “you can’t beat a 5-10 minute commute to work.”
In a new role as a homeowner, now Preston is encouraging colleagues to consider living in College Park: “I was just telling a colleague on campus that they should use it” he told us. He says “I was shocked at how quick and easy the process was” to obtain the $15,000 forgivable homeownership loan. Often some people are concerned by the weight of a loan but it is possible to change the terms of the loan even after it has been agreed upon to make it more affordable. If you wanted to learn more about loan modifications, then you may benefit from researching this further.
FERNANDO MERCHAN AND KATHERINA BEDON
Katherina “Kat” Bedon and Fernando Merchan “had been thinking about buying a house for awhile” when a colleague of Fernando’s mentioned the City-University Partnership’s Home Ownership program. “Before we were looking all over Maryland for a house,” said Fernando, a Business Manager in the University’s Smith School of Business. But they focused on College Park when they learned of the $15,000 program.
It wasn’t a difficult choice, they said, because they were very excited about what is happening in College Park. Fernando came to the DC area from New York in 2011, and has been working at the University since 2013. He says “since I came here, things are really starting to change – there are new restaurants like Nando’s Peri-Peri, and lots of businesses starting to come to College Park.” Kat has an even longer view than Fernando – she grew up in Hyattsville and graduated from the University in 2007. She notes that she has “seen College Park change over the years, with lots of building happening over the last few years including the Hotel that’s under construction.”
Both noted their excitement about the coming ArtHouse – a café and performance space that will highlight the arts and bring together campus and the wider community. They indicated it would be a great place for young professionals, and look forward to a place where they can enjoy an “enriching experience” at night in downtown College Park.
Fernando pointed to University President Wallace Loh’s statements that “he wants College Park to be a top college town with faculty and staff living here,” and said “with all that is going on in College Park, we wanted to be a part of that.” Kat noted that it is an “exciting time in College Park and this is just the beginning.”
Their home in the Hollywood neighborhood of College Park is just what they were looking for. They love that it is a “quiet and diverse neighborhood, the neighbors are friendly, and it has a lot of families.” Kat and Fernando also love the convenience of the area. They say, “we don’t have to go far – Costco in Beltsville and MOM’s Organic Market are nearby, there are shops, the Beltway is close, and we can easily get into DC.” They had not realized when they were looking at the neighborhood that the Metro is so close, they can walk to the Greenbelt station in minutes. “Nothing is out of the way” they say, including their commutes – Fernando is only 5-10 minutes to campus and Kat says she can get to her job at Prince George’s Hospital Center in 10 minutes.
Fernando and Kat are looking forward to living in College Park and fully enjoying the community. They are season ticket holders for Maryland football and attend many Maryland basketball games. They like the many parks in their neighborhood, where they walk their English Bulldog, and enjoy seeing kids playing at local parks and at Duvall Field. It is a place they can see themselves living for a long time – “as a young couple, we were looking for a family friendly place.”
BETH ST. JEAN & MELISSA NISWONGER
Beth St. Jean and Melissa Niswonger had been renting in Burtonsville, Maryland for three years, starting when Beth began teaching at the University of Maryland. Beth is an assistant professor in the University’s College of Information Studies, and at the outset of their real estate search, heard advice not to look at College Park. She was warned about crime and traffic, so they looked elsewhere. Although they learned of a house in College Park with the amenities they were looking for, they did not consider it. At the time a house they were looking at in Columbia, Maryland fell through, Beth heard about the College Park City-University Partnership Home Ownership Program from a talk President Wallace Loh gave to the University Senate as well as from a colleague. Beth decided she’d run over from campus to check out the College Park house “just to rule it out.” As Beth recalled, “I called Melissa and told her it took me 2 minutes to drive to the house!” – and loved it.
In College Park’s Yarrow neighborhood, the house had space for a dog to run, an office for Melissa to work from home, and a first floor bedroom for Beth’s mother. The house and neighborhood were the perfect fit, but still wary, Beth decided to research what she had heard about crime in College Park. She looked for data online (she mentioned “SpotCrime.com”) and found that the neighborhood is safe, with very little crime, compared to their previous home, in which they were forced to install a home camera system to improve their security.
Beth and Melissa both said they mapped the local bike trail system and are excited they can bike to campus without ever having to get on a road, other than their local street. They feel they are closer to restaurants they like and they are especially eager to frequent the numerous local farmer’s markets in the community.
Another amenity they both look forward to taking advantage of is the University pool in the Eppley Campus Recreation Center. Beth said she has long had a membership to the campus pool, but never had time to use it. In fact, time is extremely important to Beth and she explained, “as a tenure-track professor, time is the most valued thing.” Living about a mile from campus allows her to save about “an hour and a half each day from being stuck in traffic.” Both are excited to live in College Park and Beth summed it up for them both by saying “we are in a nice neighborhood near campus.” Melissa noted, “My father was a long-time professor at Smith College (in Northampton, Massachusetts), I grew up knowing what it was like to have faculty living in and around a campus community,” and she looks forward to living in a more walkable, bikeable, sustainable environment.
DON LYNCH & MELISSA AVERY
Having worked at the University of Maryland for six years in the Physics Department of the College of Computer, Math and Natural Sciences, and having previously lived in surrounding communities, Don and Melissa were eager to have the opportunity to live in College Park. They heard about the Home Ownership Program through the City-University Partnership’s weekly e-newsletter, “College Park News and Happenings,” and thought it would be fantastic to take advantage of the opportunity.
Melissa notes the momentum in College Park and said, “We wanted to buy, we have lived around College Park, but not in the city – before we felt we were on the outside looking in … College Park, in my impression, is very organized and on the move. We feel like we’re really a part of the community here.”
Don says he wanted to live closer to the University, in order to walk to work. He is a walker – “that’s what I do” – and enjoys his 1-mile walk to work while noting there are also two UM Shuttles they can take that stop near their home.
Their house, in the Crystal Springs neighborhood, was a former rental property. One of the big draws to the community was the positive flow to the neighborhood – homes with kids and families, as well as students. Melissa, a master gardener, is looking forward to tending a garden in her own yard, noting the position of the sun’s rays that will energize next spring’s plantings.
The local businesses of College Park were another big draw for them. They are both big supporters of the ‘buy local, eat local’ mantra, and referred to themselves as ‘Zip Car people’ since they got rid of their car four years ago. They especially like the amenities coming into the city, like the recently opened TargetExpress. One of their favorites is the Board and Brew – a restaurant and café that also serves beer and wine that opened last year in the Varsity development. “The Board and Brew is wonderful, we’ve been getting their breakfast, their coffee is great – and locally roasted, and [the café] has very nice owners.”
MARK FUGE & CELESTE ROSCHUNI
Mark and Celeste both joined the University’s A. James Clark School of Engineering one year ago – Mark as faculty and Celeste as a lecturer. They rented for a year in Berwyn Heights, and as they started looking for houses to buy, they learned of the newly launched City-University Partnership’s Home Ownership Program. They had been a car-free family the year before, living near UC-Berkeley, and became a one-car family when they moved to Maryland. They were interested in commuting by bike or on foot and leaving the car at home. Using the Home Ownership Program to help purchase their home in College Park’s Berwyn neighborhood has helped them achieve that dream.
Their house sits just off the College Park Trolley Trail in the Berwyn neighborhood, and they love its proximity. It provides an enjoyable place for them to walk their dog, and the trail is also their daily route to campus. With a 7-minute commute by bike to his campus office, or a 20-minute walk, Mark likes the convenience of coming home for lunch, letting the dog out, and being back on campus easily.
When asked what they love about living close to campus, Mark smiled and said, “I can bike from home to work faster than folks living far away can walk from their campus parking spot!”
Additionally, they love Lake Artemesia, the 38-acre lake and natural area in College Park that is accessible by our local trails. “Lake Artemesia is a selling point” for College Park, they both agreed.
While renting in neighboring Berwyn Heights, they found College Park to be a “nice area.” Celeste grew up in Bowie, and her family is still there. As a local, she was familiar with College Park but noted with optimism how things seem to be changing in the area with more redevelopment.
Together, they both say they look forward to walking to new and future businesses along Baltimore Avenue and in the Berwyn commercial district, discovering our local trails, cycling the rural roads through the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, and becoming involved in the community.