Jonathan moved to Spokane less than one year ago. He was looking for opportunity and options that were not available to him and his daughter in San Diego – the rental costs got to be unattainable, and there would be no chance of purchasing a home there for him. While he doesn’t have family in the Spokane area, he did have some friends, and figured it was worth a chance as there see to be lots of opportunities in this up-and-coming region.

Jonathan moved up with his two-year-old daughter, and the child’s mother moved this way as well. He has lots of ideas of how to succeed in this area, and he has a job that pays adequately. However, one of his ideas to secure both a housing option and passive income to help with childcare costs was to purchase a rental property where he could live in one of the units.

He was well into the process; he had identified a triplex property that he could afford and was close to closing when they discovered changes to underwriting procedures due to the property being a triplex, rather than a duplex. He had all but lost hope, but he went to the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) website, where SNAP is listed as having FHA-certified (Federal Housing Administration) housing counselors. This is how he met Greg Franson, a loan specialist who has been with SNAP over nine years.

Greg looked at Jonathan’s situation and knew they could find a solution.

“Really it was Greg. You have to give all the credit to Greg, as he knew how to make this work when no others could see it,” Jonathan says, regaling this journey.

At first the result was uncertain – the homeowner wasn’t sure about pursuing Jonathan as a buyer, but in the end it was finalized, and Jonathan was the proud owner of a triplex in Northeast Spokane. One of the tenants has remained, and Jonathan wants to keep the rent low enough for her to stay there.

Jonathan’s efforts on the property still aren’t complete, and there is more work to be done to get it to where he wants. But he is pretty handy himself and has been able to do various upgrades – painting, framing, insulation – all while holding down his full-time job.

Jonathan is very grateful for SNAP and Greg’s support: “I didn’t know about SNAP. Greg was the key and he helped persevere to find a solution.”

Beyond this business venture, Jonathan has other ideas. He is keeping his business plans close to his chest for now, not wanting someone to swoop them up. But he knows that SNAP is here, with solutions, to help another dream become a reality.

“Jonathan stayed faithful throughout the tough time of making this work with the sellers. He is very determined to help others,” Greg Franson explains.