When newlyweds Scott and Jessica were ready to find their dream home in Cleveland, selling their starter home in Tallmadge was no problem. The couple listed the home with Ryan Young and had their home under contract within a matter of hours. “We called Ryan and put our house up for sale in Tallmadge, got an offer in the first eight hours and accepted,” Scott said of their sale with The Young Team at the end of 2019.
However, just after the couple sold their first house, COVID-19 spread across the country, giving rise to stay at home orders, social distancing rules, and drastic changes to the way we all live and work.
Scott, a firefighter and paramedic for the city of Akron, works 24 hour shifts full of unexpected challenges. After COVID-19 spread to Northeast Ohio, his workload increased as his team responded to frequent COVID cases. Jessica’s work life as a teacher in Lorain County also changed dramatically.
“We have been in a hybrid setting for the entire year which means I teach both virtually and in person simultaneously,” Jessica explained. “This year I have needed to set boundaries for the amount of time I spend working to help ensure a healthy work-life balance.”
Giving Back to Those Who Have Given so Much
To give back to hardworking heroes like Scott and Jessica who have served on the frontline throughout the pandemic, The Young Team created a program to provide discounted commission and fees for qualifying professionals.
“Now more than ever, our communities rely on the medical professionals, first responders, teachers, and other local heroes,” says Ryan Young, CEO, The Young Team. “So, we created the Here for Heroes program to help make the home buying and selling process a little bit easier for these essential members of our communities.”
Through Here for Heroes, qualified home buyers and/or sellers receive a 20% reduction on commission from The Young Team real estate agents. The savings are significant. Real Estate Consultant for The Young Team, Mike Roberts, helped to make the idea of the Here for Heroes program a reality.
“Through my wife Elen and other friends who are teachers, I’ve seen the long hours, struggles and tears that go into educating our young people,” Mike said. “I realized how deserving they are of recognition and support, especially in these tough times. Over the years, I have met and assisted other
community heroes whose work has been so affected by the pandemic, and thought that having a program to show them our sincere appreciation was a necessity. I worked with Ryan to launch the program and the savings have now helped several families.”
Finding their Dream Neighborhood
After selling their home in Tallmadge, Scott and Jessica decided to build a custom home to ensure the end result met their needs. “We wanted to be close to restaurants, bars, parks, and downtown, an open first floor, 3 bedrooms, at least two baths, a two-car garage, and a yard big enough for the dog to run around in,” the couple explained.
While the couple did not initially expect to work with a real estate agent to build their new home, Ryan suggested that the couple pair with Jen Waters to guide them through the process. “I’m so glad Ryan suggested Jen,” Jessica states. “Jen was with us every step of the way and was extremely organized.
She helped us choose our lot, assisted in all our selections, suggested which upgrades we would want, and made sure to keep track of every cent we were spending in case there was a discrepancy later.” Additionally, with The Young Team’s Here for Heroes program, the couple saved hundreds of dollars on the total cost of their home!
Now that the couple has settled into their new home, they enjoy the many entertainment options available in the near-downtown area, filling their new home with locally made artwork, and getting to know their new neighbors.
“There aren’t many places that are affordable, have the city, the lake, and Metroparks all within a 10-minute drive of each other,” Jessica said. “We are incredibly grateful and absolutely love our new home.”
