Gabi Lorino | Fort Wayne Media Collaborative

Mobile Home Living in Fort Wayne: Get Grounded on the Rules, Rights, and Regulations

by Gabi Lorino | May 8, 2024

Roiann Smolinski of Fort Wayne lived in a mobile home with her family about 40 years ago, and remembers it well. “We had a small court, maybe only 30 homes, in a convenient location close to work. The court got plowed out early from snow. We had three bedrooms and two baths, and a nice sized kitchen. It served our purpose for living, until we bought a house six years later. My dad lived in the same court, so that was a bonus.” Smolinski also noted a few drawbacks, such as no access to covered or reserved parking spaces. Smolinski paid $135 for the home plus $190 for lot rent per month, which included landscaping and snow plowing but not utilities. Despite the arctic chills that visit Fort Wayne each winter, their mobile home stayed cozy. “We didn't have any trouble with...

Home Free: How the Forty Percent Live

by Gabi Lorino | May 1, 2024

Fort Wayne homeowner Kate was surprised to discover how she felt when she made the last mortgage payment on her home. “I thought the day I paid off the house would be the best day ever, but it is really the next month, when you don’t have to make that payment and you suddenly realize how much money you have to spend on something else.” At first she devoted her extra money to fixing up her house, but once those tasks were done, her options expanded. “Now we have money to go on vacations and relax and look toward retirement with less stress. My husband says that this house is our guarantee that we won’t have to eat cat food,” she joked. Their home has nearly tripled in value since they purchased it in 1996. She recommended making a full commitment to the home and its location to make...

Estate Planning Made Simple: Name a Beneficiary for Your House

by Gabi Lorino | Mar 15, 2024

Estate planning can be a slog, but some shortcuts cut down on stress and expenses for beneficiaries. One way to streamline the transfer of property is to establish a Transfer on Death (TOD) Deed for Hoosier homes. Similar to a Lady Bird Deed, which is available in Michigan, Vermont, Texas, West Virginia, and Florida, a TOD Deed allows an Indiana property owner to designate a beneficiary to inherit the property after the owner’s death. Having a TOD Deed in place means that the property skips the probate process, which can delay the transfer of ownership. Meanwhile, the owner holds the rights to the property exclusively until death. Allen County Recorder Nicole Keesling talked about TOD Deeds in a recent interview, starting with the process of registering a TOD Deed with Allen...

Renting in Cool Blue Illinois: Protections, Freedoms, and Support

by Gabi Lorino | Feb 1, 2024

What a difference a border makes! Illinois, known for its Democratic leanings in the heart of the more Republican Midwest, has set up some of its laws to protect both renters and landlords. However, with an increasing demand for affordable housing, Illinois’ housing market continues to be competitive and expensive. Illinois Rules and Laws Protections for landlords and tenants start with the laws that govern them. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office publishes the “Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws” to help navigate these roles. According to the AG, some protections that Illinois renters have are: They can ask that necessary repairs be made, and use this as a viable defense against eviction if they withhold a portion of their rent when the landlord has not paid for the...

3 Fountains Cooperative with Board President Lynda Rogers

by Gabi Lorino | Jan 4, 2024

https://youtu.be/bfT1e6LF5NY Living in a cooperative makes you part of a community, because everyone there owns a share of the building or the property. Cooperative living can create opportunities for those who earn a living but cannot afford, or do not wish to live in, market-rate housing. Shareowners share in the risks and the rewards of living in a cooperative, so it isn’t like leasing an apartment. If you plan to live in an area for a few years, you may want to invest in a cooperative there!

3 Fountains Fort Wayne Cooperative with Property Manager Kia Langston

by Gabi Lorino | Jan 4, 2024

https://youtu.be/IGNr9do0E9o Living in a cooperative makes you part of a community, because everyone there owns a share of the building or the property. Cooperative living can create opportunities for those who earn a living but cannot afford, or do not wish to live in, market-rate housing. Shareowners share in the risks and the rewards of living in a cooperative, so it isn’t like leasing an apartment. If you plan to live in an area for a few years, you may want to invest in a cooperative there!

Indiana Cooperative Development Center How Cooperatives Work

by Gabi Lorino | Jan 4, 2024

https://youtu.be/yCoCn7qetJM Child care. Housing. Businesses. Agriculture. Energy. Food. These are some needs that can be met-and maximized-through the cooperative model. In this video, Deb Trocha of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center shares the costs and benefits of setting up businesses in the cooperative model. Cooperatives are owned by the people who use them and benefit from them, which excludes investors and third parties. The Fort Wayne Media Collaborative concentrates its reporting on housing, with a goal of empowering people to figure out their best solutions to the ongoing problem of housing affordability. Find out more about cooperatives and how to start a corporation for a new housing cooperative, or a co-op of any kind, at our website, fwmediacollaborative.com.

Indiana Cooperative Development Center Cooperatives defined

by Gabi Lorino | Jan 4, 2024

https://youtu.be/y3LkL8usIGY In this age of skyrocketing real estate prices, it’s time to look at affordable housing from a new perspective. What if there was a solution to the high prices you’re paying for housing, groceries, child care, and so on? In this video, Deb Trocha explains how cooperatives can provide solutions for people who are willing to collaborate in order to solve problems. The Fort Wayne Media Collaborative concentrates its reporting on housing, with a goal of empowering people to figure out their best solutions to the ongoing problem of housing affordability. To find out more about cooperatives and how to start a corporation for a new housing cooperative, or a co-op of any kind, visit fwmediacollaborative.com.

Indiana Cooperative Development Center Indiana Cooperatives

by Gabi Lorino | Jan 4, 2024

https://youtu.be/CLa9MjSDDK4 With a lack of legal protections for renters and rising rents here in Indiana, most Hoosiers can’t afford to buy a home of their own. However, they may be able to purchase a home in a cooperative, or start a housing cooperative from scratch with the help of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center. In this video, Deb Trocha of the ICDC talks about Indiana cooperatives and what her organization can do to help those who want to start cooperatives of any kind—such as those related to housing, child care, business, energy, and food—here in Indiana. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com

FWMC Housing Update Fall 2023

by Gabi Lorino | Dec 20, 2023

https://youtu.be/e2eUep2dBa8 Our reporter, Gabi Lorino, has shared some data about the housing market and how the prices have gone up, up, and up some more over the past few years. Home prices in Fort Wayne have doubled in the past decade as rents reach new heights, both nationally and here in Northeast Indiana. Affordable housing remains a challenge as we move forward. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com

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