Homes by Brill comes to Osceola

Don Brill has been building homes in Des Moines for nearly 38 years, and now he’s bringing his experience to Osceola to the make the most of new incentives. By combining his existing contacts with the free land deal, Brill is making it possible for people to build new homes for as little as $700 down.

Fighting misconceptions

“I think, to some extent, because of so many years of trying to do different programs, people are getting them confused,” said Brill.

During a stop at The Iron Horse Neighborhood Grill, Brill and his assistant, Mary Joe Key, overheard people discussing the program. The conversations there and online were filled with misinformation.

“This is not just for new home buyers. This is also for people in existing homes that want to upgrade. You do not have to live in this house for 10 years. There’s no stipulations,” said Key.

Development is not restricted to any one area either. Any lot for sale in Osceola city limits is eligible, with the exception of lots at Arbor Valley Lake. While originally the development was included, it already had its own incentive program in place, and is no longer an option.

Unfortunately, conflicting information has made the public cautious.

“We made a presentation at the hospital two times, two shifts,” said Brill. “Zero showed up.”

For the builder, it’s a tragedy.

A world of possibilities

“I just wish I could get the people of Osceola to understand what a golden opportunity they have here,” said Brill. “I’ve never seen it represented like this in 38 years. You can get free land and no down payment to buy a brand new custom-built home. It doesn’t exist anywhere in the world.”

The key was pairing up with long-term financing partner Heath Pomeroy of Tradition Mortgage in Urbandale. By leveraging the free lots Osceola is giving away, Brill is able to get non-traditional buyers into homes in record time.

“The finance people are using that free land you’re getting as a down payment,” said Key.

Buyers will start out with nearly $20,000 in equity in their homes before their first loan payments. Further, Brill is covering the closing costs himself. The only money buyers will need to come up with before signing is to pay for a year’s worth of insurance – right around $700.

“I’ve got about three to five years left to build,” said Brill. “What I would like to do here at the end of my career is help people.”

His plans include those with less-than-stellar credit. To take advantage of the program, buyers need a credit score of 640 or higher. However, Tradition Mortgage can help those with scores as low as 570 qualify in just a few months.

“My lender has a program that he can help people in about a 60 day period to get your credit scores up,” said Brill.

Another concern in the community is the cost of the homes he plans on building. In October, Brill completed his 500th house in Des Moines. Potential buyers who look at those units will be met with jaw-dropping prices topping $360,000. However, the homes slated for Osceola’s development will be roughly half of that, and with programs aimed at low-income buyers, payments could be well within the reach of many families.

“I’ve got four models that I’ve priced. They’re going to be about $175,000 – 185,000,” said Brill, noting that buyers with income low enough to qualify for USDA pricing can tap into interest as low as 1 percent. “Those people can get their house payments cut in half.”

USDA Direct Loan guidelines allow a single person in Clarke County to earn up to $35,450 a year. A family of two can earn up to $40,500 a year, and so on. The program allows low-income workers to qualify for larger mortgages, or have smaller payments, than they would otherwise.

“I realize $175,000 here in Osceola might be equivalent to what we’re doing up [in Des Moines],” said Brill, but he thinks the quality fits the cost.

“This includes a brand new home, a full basement, twwo stall garage, all brand new kitchen appliances. The only thing you have to put in that house is toilet paper,” said Brill. “Even the holder for the toilet paper is there!”

The team strongly encouraged anyone interested to contact them for more details. Interested parties can also attend their next seminar, held 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the Clarke County Development Corporation, 115 E Washington St.