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HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS How Military Families Can Navigate Home Buying in Uncertain Times
(Statepoint)
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Like many Americans, the recent pandemic may have you think ing a lot about your current living space and about buy ing a home. If you’re a military service member, veteran or family member, both new and tried-and-true tools and resources can streamline the process.
To get you started, Wells Fargo Home Lending is pro viding these insights: • Assess your readiness: “The decision to buy is per sonal. Take into account your goals and financial circum stances,” says Greg Murray, VP, national client relation ship manager/military program. “Interest rates are at historic lows, so if you feel fi nancially ready, this is a great time to look.”
If you decide to move
PHOTO SOURCE: (c) monkeybusinessimages / iStock via Getty Images Plus forward, it’s important to be realistic about what you can afford, and having a rainy day fund is a good sign of your readiness. COVID-19 has reinforced the reality of un expected economic ups and downs. So, don’t overextend yourself in buying. Leave yourself with the ability to weather economic cycles and afford run-of-the-mill ex penses for home repairs. • Build your team: Enlist a home mortgage consultant who can help you navigate the process, as well as dis cuss financing options that fit your needs. “Consider work ing with a military lending specialist who can help you make the most of the home loan benefits you’ve earned,” says Murray. To get a better under standing of the local market, as well as the impact the pandemic may be having on home sales, lean on your real estate agent. • Know your down pay ment options: Not all financing options require you to put 20 percent down. For military service members and veterans, VA loans provide low- and no-down payment options for qualified borrow ers, and don’t require monthly mortgage insurance. Other low down payment options to explore include Wells Fargo’s yourFirst Mortgage program, as well as FHA and rural lending programs. However, it’s important to understand that more money down could reduce your monthly pay ments and interest paid over the life of the loan, and may also eliminate the need for private mortgage insurance or reduce your funding fee on a VA loan.
• Leverage digital tools: At a time when health and safety is top-of-mind, dig ital tools can offer a contactless experience. While a recent realtor.com survey indicates that 63.6% of con sumers looking for a home want to see a property in person before buying, many start the hunt online, and now you have better oppor tunities to do so. In an effort to keep clients safe, many realtors offer home walkthroughs using video chat apps.
When it comes to the mortgage process, lend ers like Wells Fargo offer time-tested digital tools al lowing you to handle many aspects of the process remote ly, including signing disclosures, uploading documents and simply getting started. In the first six months of 2020, 53% of the lender’s VA ap plications came through the online mortgage application. To contact a home mortgage consultant, visit wellsfargo. com/military. To access free resources that can help you be a savvier home shopper, vis it Wells Fargo’s educational page, myfirsthome.wellsfar gobank.com. Also be sure to visit www.va.org for instruc tions to get a “Certificate of Eligibility,” the first step to getting a VA-backed loan and a key document in using VA loan benefits.
Whether you wish to take advantage of historically low interest rates or you’re spending more time at home and want a larger space to ac commodate the new normal, leverage as many resources as you can. For military per sonnel and veterans especially, rest easy in knowing there are resources available to simplify the process.
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HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS EVENTS HARLEM CALENDAR OF COMMUNITY EVENTS
Now Until August 15
After Civilization
Streaming free for the next month are twelve films that together in- terrogate the concept of western “civilization” for its deep roots in set- tler-colonialism and con- tinued imperial project. While some filmmakers in the series recast observa- tional footage to imagine the future, others invoke surreal imagery to visu- alize the fragility of their distinct settings. Part eth- nographic, part science fiction, After Civilization reckons with ecological crisis and the ongoing material violences of dispossession, while ges- turing toward a future of collective liberation. Visit maysles.org to stream.
Now Until August 20
River City Drumbeat
River City Drumbeat is a multi generation- al story of music, love, and legacies set in the American South. Edward “Nardie” White devot- ed his life to leading the African-American drum corp sheco-founded with Zambia Nkrumah in Louisville, Kentucky three decades ago. Togeth- er they inspired youth from their West Louisville neighborhood to thrive by connecting them with the art and cultural tradi- tions of their African an- cestors. River City Drum- beat follows this creative community of mentors, parents, and youth mak- ing their way in a world where systemic forces raise obstacles to fulfill- ing their dreams. Head to maysles.org to watch. Donation based.
Now Until August 20
A Thousand Cuts
Ramona S. Diaz’s thrill- ing film follows key play- ers from two sides of an increasingly dangerous war between the press and government. As each side digs in, we be- come witness to an epic and ongoing fight for the integrity of human life and truth itself—a conflict that extends beyond the Philippines into our own divisive backyard. Head to maysles.org to stream the film for $12.
Thursdays in
August 6:00pm
Black Dance Stories
The series features Black dance creatives in conversation with Charmaine Warren. This month choreographer nora chipaumire will intro- duce a new dance work created specially for the digital sphere—[anoth- er ] township manifesto (Aug 27). Participants in- clude: Sydnie Mosley and Raja Feather Kelly (Aug 13); Zane Booker and Oluwadamilare “Dare” Ayorinde (Aug 20); and Leslie Parker and Wan- jiru Kamuyu (Aug 27) in discussion. This series will stream live on Zoom. Email blackdancesto- ries@gmail.com for more info.
August 15 11:00-12:00pm
Bailando Rumba with Beatrice Capote
Join El Museo for Sába- do Familiar with Beatrice Capote, the talented Cuban-American dancer from Camille A. Brown & Dancers (CABD)! Learn the fundamentals of Afro Cuban dance, includ- ing Rumba, Orishas and Macuta through an inter- active dance workshop. Bring your scarves to the workshop. All ages wel- comed! Visit elmuseo.org to join.
August 17 4:00-5:30pm
Back-To-School: An Arts Education Roundta- ble
What does back-toschool look like this year? How will remote learning affect students; particu- larly BIPOC communities. This forum, co-hosted by Harlem Stage and TYA/ USA, examines the im- pact of the covid-19 pan- demic on students; with specific focus on students of color. These conver- sations will excavate the unique challenges, strat- egies and opportunities that this crisis has present- ed, while interrogating endemic systemic racism in public education. Reg- ister for this conversation at harlemstage.org
August 17 12:00pm
Harlem Speaks with Spike Wilner
As a pianist, Wilner has established himself as one of the finest of his generation, but it is as a club owner that he has perhaps made his great- est impact on the jazz scene over the last 20 years. The Museum will Bailando Rumba with Beatrice Capote (Aug 15)
Arts Education Roundtable (Aug 17)
Apollo Theater Celebrates Harlem Week (Aug 19) talk about his music, and dren ages 1-5. Visit elmu- the homes for jazz he has seo.org to join. created at Smalls and
Outside
Mezzrow and the chal- August 18 11:00am lenges they present. Join Photographing City the conversation on the Life: Live Session with Pho- National Jazz Museum in tographer Janette Beck- Harlem’s Facebook Live. man Meet the photogra-
August 18 2:00pm pher known for captur-
Artist Talk: Andres ing youth culture in her Chaparro photographs of hip hop,
For this event, Andres punk, New York street life, will sit down with sax- and the recent demon- ophonist, vocalist and strations for Black Lives. curator Yunie Mojica Dive into the Museum’s to discuss his creative collection to see Beck- practice and how music man’s memorable por- plays a role in his artistic traits of hip hop legends process. This concert will before they were famous, take place on the Na- among other work, and tional Jazz Museum in be inspired to take your Harlem’s Facebook and own photos. Beckman will YouTube Live page. walk through the creative
August 18 ries through the camera. 11:00-11:45am For ages 7 and up. Regis-
Coqui Club: Inside/ ter online at mcny.org
process of how to tell sto-
This week, the museum August 19 7:00-9:00pm educators will introduce Uptown Bounce 2020: El Museo’s new online ex- Street to Screen hibition, Popular Painters The Museum of the & Other Visionaries, and City of New York, El Mu- will explore artists who seo del Barrio, and The are inspired by their sur- Africa Center co-present roundings both inside & a virtual version of our an- outside! Be sure to bring nual block party. Join for your Coqui crowns and a dynamic evening host- get ready to have fun! ed by legendary NYC Recommended for chilartist and filmmaker Fab 5 Session with Photographer Janette Beckman (Aug 18).
Freddy and featuring DJ AQ -- plus dance perfor- mances, talks with Muse- um curators, a virtual tour of our East Harlem neigh- borhood, and more! Visit mcny.org for more info on how to join.
August 19 12:00pm
Harlem Speaks with Rodney Whitaker
Rodney Whitaker has distinguished himself not only as a preeminent jazz bassist, but also as one of the most prolific and influ- ential jazz educators over the last two decades. His program at Michigan State University is a mod- el of excellence. Join the conversation on the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s Facebook Live.
August 19 5:00-7:00pm
HARLEM WEEK and Apollo Theater Dance Party
Shake up your midweek happy hour and hit the virtual dance floor with Apollo Music Café’s very own DJ Hard Hittin’ Harry as he spins your favorite mix of house, hip-hop, and R&B. Go to apollotheater.org to join or tune in on their Face- book Live.
Apollo New Works in Conversation
Join the Apollo’s Exec- utive Producer, Kamilah Forbes as she speaks with two members of the inau- gural Apollo New Works cohort - artist, scholar, and culture strategist, Ebony Noelle Golden and visual storyteller and founder of Black Gotham Experience Kamau Ware. Together, they’ll discuss their artistic inspirations, upcoming Harlem Re- naissance-inspired Apollo New Works projects, and how they’ve maintained their creativity through- out these turbulent times, as part of this year’s virtu- al HARLEM WEEK festival. Go to apollotheater.org to join or tune in on their Facebook Live.
August 19 5:00-7:00pm
Somxs Poder Seremos
Join La Trienal curators in discussion with Puerto Rican performance duo PoncilÍ Creación about their performance prac- tice, self described as, “speculative alchemy” and the debut presen- tation of Somxs Poder Seremos, the newly com- missioned online artist project for ESTAMOS BIEN – LA TRIENAL 20/21. Visit elmuseo.org to join.
DON’T PUT YOUR HEART CARE ON HOLD.
Taking care of yourself and your health is important, and at Mount Sinai Morningside you can confi dently get care now. Mount Sinai Morningside is open for all medical care including state-of-the-art, comprehensive heart care. We are following strict safety protocols to ensure you get the world-class care you need.
