All Aboard the Homeownership Train

Left to right: Mrs. Phyllis Beech, Community Planning Development (CPD) and Mr. Kenneth J. LoBene, Las Vegas Field Office Director

On Friday, April 23, 2004 at Valley High School in Las Vegas, 250 twelfth grade Government Students boarded the virtual train bound for homeownership. The students participated with Las Vegas Field office staff in learning the importance and benefits of achieving the American Dream. The five class sessions of graduating seniors were presented with an interactive lesson on the basic elements of achieving homeownership: Steady Employment, Getting Enough Cash For a Down Payment and Establishing a Satisfactory Credit Record. The focus of the class was on the critical element of creditworthiness.

The students performed an exciting exercise in budgeting using the case study method. The students were presented a case of a person who over a two-week period had negative spending habits. They in turn analyzed the spending patterns and revamped the budget to reflect savings. Designated groups then gave their revamped budget total and justified their revisions. The students vowed to share their learning experiences with their parents and to use the experience in their own personal lives as they pursue their American Dream of homeownership.

Students from Valley High School - Las Vegas, Nevada

The Las Vegas Office has a local Initiative to reach future homebuyers by approaching them early. Our goal is to reach students before bad spending and saving habits are formed, making it virtually impossible to purchase a home. The Las Vegas Office has formed a Partnership with the Clark County School District, in Southern Nevada which is the sixth (6th) largest school district in the country, to make these presentations. The classes were taught by: Kenneth LoBene, Field Office Director, Ronald Miles, Operations Specialist and Phyllis Beech, Community Planning and Development Representative. They received technical assistance from Bernie Yergeau, Operations Analyst.