Orlando Real Estate News

Habitat for Humanity of Osceola County raised the walls of the one-story house at 680 Alma St. in Kissimmee in a 10-day blitz that began Sept. 25. Brown, who has been on oxygen due to a mold infestation in a previous home and been disabled since 1991, was selected among several applicants for the new house, the 11th built by the local chapter of the nonprofit organization.

Kissimmee resident Lee Brown, a disabled military veteran, throws turf seed on the yard of his newly-constructed Habitat for Humanity home. The dedication ceremony for his new home took place on Veterans Day.

Habitat volunteers presented a Bible to Brown and lit a "candle of hope" Wednesday before dedicating the new house with prayer. Then the group, gathered under a tent against the drizzling rain, sang "Jesus Loves Me." Brown's alto voice lifted above the others in celebration.

The location of the house turned out to be providential as well, Secil Brown said.

"I was actually raised in this neighborhood. Everybody knows us around here," he said. "We don't have to be unfamiliar."

Winn-Dixie, partnering with Kellogg's, donated $50,000 to the construction of the new house. The money was raised in 25-cent increments with every Kellogg's product sold in a six-week local campaign.

Though it's still empty of furniture, the Brown family should be moved into the house in time for Thanksgiving. The house includes three bedrooms, a dining area and a kitchen, built at the side of the house with a door to the yard.

Winn-Dixie stocked the new cabinets of the kitchen with Kellogg's bars and snacks, non-perishable foods like pasta and spaghetti sauce and plenty of Cheez-Its, which are favored enough among the Brown family to be a point of contention, they said. The company also provided a washer and dryer, though they hadn't been installed by Wednesday, as well as a $300 gift certificate to its store so Brown can stock a refrigerator when it's moved in, Nichole Jenkins, spokeswoman for the company, said.

"To show up today and see a house where there was dirt before, it's pretty amazing," she said.

Organization leaders also discovered Wednesday that Brown served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s, Jenkins said.

"I was just saying how nice it is that on Veterans Day Habitat could give you keys to your home," she said to Brown.

"I haven't gotten any keys yet," Brown said in teasing exasperation, explaining that he just had sent one of his sons to seek out the absent keys. "You could have skipped the dedication and given me the keys."

Kissimmee Commissioner Cheryl Grieb, along with others attending Wednesday's Habitat for Humanity new home dedication event, throws grass seed on Brown's yard.

Kissimmee Commissioner Cheryl Grieb said she was a founding member of the local Habitat for Humanity branch in Osceola County and emphasized how difficult it was to get the ball rolling during those early days.

"It took us years to get the body established. It's amazing to me to actually see that we're constructing homes," she said, adding that the feat was more impressive considering that the corporate donations had been made despite the poor economy.

The land for Brown's new home was provided through a Community Development Block Grant through the city.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Osceola County, call 407-343-1900 or visit www. habitatosceola.org.

For information on great real estate buys in Orlando and nearby suburbs,
contact the Orlando Property Group, your short sale and luxury home specialists.

Or Search Now for Real Estate & Homes in the Orlando Florida Area

Looking for specific information regarding Orlando Florida real estate prices and communities? Get Your Free Market Snapshot

Read Also: Harmony Energy Research Still a Go!

Read Also: Biggest Surge in Home Sales in 10 Years  

Read Also: Rising Foreclosures are Hitting Good Credit Borrowers

Read Also: October Sales Soar Say Realtors

If you want to sell your Seminole County or Orlando area home in the next 6 to12 months, now is the time to begin putting your plan into place while time is still on your side. Please contact us for any real estate assistance you may need.

We're experts at putting people together with homes they love and can afford. Contact us today for information on Orlando and Seminole County real estate, Orlando & Seminole County homes for sale, Orlando & Seminole County relocation information, a free market analysis of your Orlando area or Seminole County home or statistics on homes in Orlando & Seminole County Florida or the surrounding Central Florida area, including Seminole County, Orange County, Lake County and Volusia County. We're always available to answer your questions.

Related Posts