TESTIMONIALS AND PRESS RELEASES
Below is a collection of testimonials and other various news items from the company.
10TV Covers Franklinton NOW and Development Boom in Franklinton — Oct. 1, 2024
Franklinton NOW was featured in 10 TV's segment Boomtown, which is dedicated to reporting on development in the Columbus area. We appreciate the channel highlighting the positive change that is occurring in the neighborhood, and we are proud to be part of that re-building effort. You can read the article here. Watch the 2-minute video segment below:
Franklinton NOW Generates Buzz in Columbus Business First – Sept. 18, 2024
We’re excited that Franklinton NOW has been featured in Columbus Business First!
Check out the article here, with reporting by Bonnie Meibers.
Franklinton NOW Covered in Columbus Underground Article – Sept. 18, 2024
Franklinton NOW keeps making headlines, most recently in this article in the Columbus Underground. Click here to read Brent Warren’s article about the initiative.
Franklinton NOW Covered in The Columbus Dispatch Article – Sept. 18, 2024
We’re thrilled with the continued media coverage of our Franklinton NOW announcement! You can read the Columbus Dispatch’s article, with reporting by Jim Weiker, by clicking here.
- New City Homes Reveals Plans for Franklinton NOW -50 New Homes Being Built in Franklinton North of West Broad Street,Available For Sale, Rent and Lease-Purchase - Sept 13, 2024
Columbus, OH: Columbus’ oldest neighborhood is poised for an influx of new housing options. New City Homes, a Franklinton-based real estate company, is building more than 50 new homes and duplexes across a half square mile area in Franklinton. The scattered site development initiative is called “Franklinton NOW,” which is a reference to the area North Of West Broad Street where the homes are being built.
“It’s very rare to have an opportunity to build 50 new homes in an existing urban neighborhood,” said Chris Knoppe, President of New City Homes. “These vacant lots exist today only because many of the older homes were demolished over a period of several decades. It wasn’t feasible for anyone to replace the homes at that time, but NOW there is an opportunity to build new housing as the neighborhood enters the next chapter of its 225 plus year history. It’s exciting, and an absolute honor, to be rebuilding the lost homes of Franklinton.”
This endeavor offers a variety of housing options, with the newly constructed homes being offered for Sale, Rent, and Lease-Purchase. There are several different home styles and floor plans that vary in size, attributes, and price point. The sale prices for the single family homes are expected to be $374,900-$494,900 depending on model, and the rental options on the homes will range from $850-$1,750 for the duplex units and $1,750-$2,400 for the homes. The Lease-Purchase program allows prospective home buyers to lock in a purchase price for three years and earn a credit towards buying the home for each on-time monthly rent payment.
The announcement of the Franklinton NOW campaign coincides with the completion of the first home, located at 94 Wisconsin Avenue. That home, the largest model priced at $494,900, is being featured in the BIA Parade of Homes, which runs for two weekends on Thurs Sept 12th - Sun Sept 14th and Thurs Sept 19th - Sun Sept 22nd. The home was recognized by the BIA judges by winning the “Best Feature” award for its finished basement.
Just next door at 98 Wisconsin, construction is wrapping up on the second home, which is one of the smaller models priced at $374,900. Eight more homes are under construction with additional groundbreakings scheduled throughout the Fall and into Spring-Summer 2025. Homes are slated to be built on Wisconsin Ave, Chicago Ave, N. Yale Ave, N. Princeton Ave, Hayden Ave, N. Central Ave, N. Guilford Ave., and Rodgers Ave.
“Franklinton’s deep history makes it truly unique because it’s the only Columbus neighborhood that existed before the City of Columbus was founded,” said Knoppe. “Franklinton has evolved through good times and bad, and that time-tested perseverance is ingrained in the neighborhood’s culture. Today, there is a rush of positive energy coming into the neighborhood. NOW is an amazing time to be in Franklinton as the neighborhood carves its path through another era in history.”
About New City Homes: New City Homes is a Franklinton-based real estate company with a long term focus on improving communities by providing desirable and attainable housing solutions. Since being founded in 2018, New City Homes has specialized in building and renovating homes for sale & rent in the urban neighborhoods surrounding the Downtown Columbus area. For more information, please contact Sarah Gellner at (740) 780-5747 or SarahG@NewCityOhio.com or visit www.NewCityOhio.com/now.
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New City Homes Welcomes Rep. Mike Carey to Demonstrate Success of Opportunity Zones - August 14, 2024
New City Homes was honored to host a visit from Rep. Mike Carey at its 2085 W Broad Street apartment complex on August 14, 2024, to discuss the power and benefits of Opportunity Zones in making communities stronger.
Rep. Carey spoke about the visit, saying, “Sometimes, all it takes is a small push to take a neighborhood from struggling to thriving. Opportunity Zones are revitalizing communities in Ohio’s Fifteenth District and across the country. We were grateful to see the impact of Opportunity Zones in action this morning and look forward to continuing our work in the Ways and Means Committee to help working Americans prosper.”
You can read Rep. Carey’s full press release here.
New City Homes Proud to Announce Once Again Ranked Top 20 in Columbus Business First's Busiest Central Ohio Home Builders - Sept 9, 2022
We are happy to announce that for another year New City Homes was one of the top 20 home builders in Central Ohio! Thanks to Columbus Business First for compiling the annual list.
New City Homes Ranked Top 20 in Columbus Business First's Busiest Central Ohio Home Builders - Sept 10, 2021
We are happy to announce that New City Homes was one of the top 20 home builders in Central Ohio! Thanks to Columbus Business First for compiling the annual list. Finishing 2020 as the 17th busiest Central Ohio home builder had us ready for a strong start to 2021, and we are excited to continue growing while providing desirable housing options for Central Ohio homebuyers.
40 Under 40 Awards Ceremony presented by Bizjournals - May 28, 2021
Today (May 28th, 2021), Bizjournals announced its 40 honorees that were awarded the 40 Under 40 achievement for their extraordinary hard work and dedication to their careers, as well as their community efforts and impact. Chris Knoppe, New City Homes partner, was honored as one of the awarded individuals. Below is the publication that shares each of the 40 honorees stories, and provides some context to how they earn their spot on Bizjournals; 40 Under 40.
Click for the full-length publication.
Featured Home in 2021 Urban Living Tour presented by ColumbusUnderground.com - Sunday, May 2nd, 2021
We’re excited to be a part of the 2021 Urban Living Tour organized by ColumbusUnderground.com. Join the tour and come see us at our new builds in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood, immediately East of the Short North Arts District and Italian Village.
We have several homes under construction and it's sure to be a fun day!
Here’s the Columbus Underground announcement link to this year’s tour:
https://www.columbusunderground.com/urban-living-tour-an-open-house-event-returns-sunday-may-2
Our Featured property: https://www.newcityohio.com/620e3rdave
Featured Home in 2020 Urban Living Tour presented by Columbus Underground - Aug. 30th, 2020
Our newly built house on East 2nd Ave (one of the five houses in a row that we have built this year on East 2nd Ave) in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood was featured as stop on this year’s Urban Living Tour, which showcases new developments throughout downtown and the surrounding urban neighborhoods.
Here’s the Columbus Underground announcement link to this year’s tour:
https://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-urban-living-tour-2020
Our Featured property: https://www.newcityohio.com/579e2ndave
Featured article in Columbus Underground
Mar. 10, 2020 - New Single Family Homes Planned for Milo-Grogan
New City Homes was recently featured in an exclusive article for Columbus Underground for our 5-home streetscape happening in Milo-Grogan! We've completed two homes so far elsewhere in the neighborhood and plan to develop the remaining lots incrementally over the next two years or so. Half of the parcels that we own were purchased from the Columbus Land Bank, which allowed us to offer the initial houses at a lower price than otherwise possible for new construction.
Not to mention, we also added the 15-year tax abatement that was put in place for Milo-Grogan in 2017, which will help to lower costs for the homeowners. Check out the article, sketchings and some of the progress updates below!
2018 Home Buying Seminar
Two Homes Featured in 2019 Urban Living Tour presented by Columbus Underground - May 19th, 2019
Two of our newly built homes that are side by side on East Rich Street in the Olde Towne East neighborhood were featured in the 2019 Urban Living Tour presented by Columbus Underground, which showcases new developments throughout downtown and the surrounding urban neighborhoods.
Here’s the Columbus Underground announcement link to 2019's tour:
https://www.columbusunderground.com/urban-living-tour-open-houses-real-estate-returns-mg1
Pictures can be found here:
https://www.newcityohio.com/1117erichst?utm_medium=urbanliving&utm_source=columbusunderground
A BIG "Thank You" to all of our customers
and guest speakers that attended!
Testimonials
Ryan Schneider
I recently purchased one of their new build homes in OTE. Throughout the buying process they were great to work with. Since we have moved in, we had one issue that got immediately resolved. They have been very responsive to any questions we have had since moving in. Overall very happy with our decision. (5-star Google Review)
Dylan Withrow
I see their focus on making the homes standout, in a positive way. It’s truly remarkable how they can take an old home (that needs some love) and turn it back into something beautiful. As I take a gander online and take a stroll to the properties, the work speaks for itself. I’ve always said a home is like a piece of art. I say that because art is something special and would want to show off to your family and friends. To me, New City Homes gives you an excellent start to that. Like a blank canvas with plenty of room to make it how you like.
Not to mention, with their support I’ve seen out in the communities. Food Drive donations to our local foodbanks, volunteer work - cleanup days for the communities is some the positive work I’ve noticed. With all that said, I would not think twice to live in one of their homes. To me, if a company can take the time to focus on what matters around them, I wouldn’t see there would be anything negative to their stewardship (5-star Google Review)
Luke Fay & Erika Nites
New City Staff,
We wanted to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all the hard work and effort you put into our home. We know there is a lot more that happens behind the scenes and are appreciative of all the work you all do.
Our first home is perfect and we cannot thank you enough.
Luke Fay & Erika Nites
George Talbert
I purchased a newly built home through New City and I had an amazing experience. I loved all of the upgraded features that you normally don't get with new built homes. And New City paid great attention to detail and was able to answer all of my questions and even customize features to my liking. I highly recommend New City as a builder!
Michael and Jordan
Dear Brian and the rest of the New City Family,
We wanted to take a moment and thank you for helping us build our dream house! When we started the process we were newly married and looking for the perfect home to build our life together. It just so happens at the same time you had recently broke ground on a new lot in Milo Grogan. It was a great fit from the beginning of the process and turned in to an unbelievable experience over the course of sevenmonths.
The process started when our realtor, Misty Linn, had suggested we look at your lots in Milo. We were familiar with your homes through our friends purchasing one and you were building right where we wanted to move. It seemed too good to be true and we all know how things like that end.....usually! This was different, the people at New City were different and their commitment to satisfaction and craftsmanship was different. We were amazed with the process from start to finish and couldn’t be happier with our home.
Being that we started the process early, you allowed us to pick out almost all of the interior and exterior finishes. This made the process so special to us, as you were allowing it to be customized to our needs. You were so flexible throughout the process even allowing us to redo the master bedroom closet for a custom built-in closet and add a recessed electric fireplace to the living room. Those little touches meant
a lot to us and made it feel different than most new build homes, our style had been factored into the wonderful structure.
We have heard horror stories with building houses and recently had a friend go through one with a different builder. A builder that didn’t listen, wouldn’t work with them to customize their dream home and didn’t want to involve them in the processes. I can honestly say, that was not our experience with New City and we would recommend them to everyone. Yes building a home is stressful, but I couldn’t think of a better company to put our faith and trust in then Brian and his New City team. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, - Michael & Jordan
Kaden and Abigail
This is a small thank you to you and all your staff for all of the hard work and efforts on our house. We are very appreciative of the guidance and support along the way. It is very clear that everyone truly cares about the quality of work done and our experience. We will continue spreading the word. Our house is beautiful. Words just can’t express. It’s truly a dream come true for us. Your entire process from start to finish was beyond our expectations. Everyone who walks into our home is blown away by the craftsmanship and detail. Every single team member deserves a hug for their supporting role in driving our home to the finish. Thank you again for our home.
Beth and Amanda
We chose Milo Grogan because it is a small area with so much access to everything! Right around the corner from Italian Village, Cleveland Avenue provides great access to downtown and 5th Avenue gives quick North and south access to 71. Not to mention the walkability to High Street bars, shops and restaurants! We feel as though it has a great history of caring residents who want their community to thrive. We loved the layout of the house we bought. The tax abatement was a huge draw as that could save upwards of $75,000 over the life of the abatement! New homes are going up everywhere and others are being renovated. New City Homes was extremely helpful in the process and you could tell they care about the area’s development, their customers, and the quality of their build was top notch. Thanks again for helping us find out first home. -Best, Greg and Amanda
Ben And Jill G.
The process for us was very fast, and Brian Knoppe was there when we needed him! In the middle of the school year, we were extremely pressed for time to make a family move. Our family of 5 needed size, and the home had to be near our children’s SWL School district. Yes, we had options, but we had to quickly choose between renting a big apartment, just renting a house, or buying our home from New City Ohio. My wife located the home we needed, and Brian Knoppe, and New City Ohio’s Lease Purchase Program responded to our situation! This awesome home was in our school district and of course just big enough for our family. The New City Ohio’s Lease Purchase Program is a great choice, and I recommend it 100%!!! We are so thankful to Brian and New City Ohio Team!!!
Jenni & Mark
While we didn’t take advantage of the lease purchase program, we are still very impressed by the helpfulness and honesty from Brian and his team at New City Ohio. By the time we had decided we were ready to be homeowners we had already done some work on our credit, so when we approached Brian about the lease purchase he suggested that we take a look around and see where we were in the process. I drug my feet for a few more months before taking the plunge! We lived in this house for six years before deciding that this was exactly where our family was meant to be. As a first-time home buyer who was already living in the home we were purchasing, Brian was instrumental in explaining to us the process and what to expect. If I had it to do all over again, I would have taken advantage of the lease purchase program many years ago! Thanks to Brian and New City Ohio, we are finally homeowners and better for having experienced it here!
Crystal & Phong
My husband and I would like to say thank you for helping us, giving us an opportunity and giving us time to finance the loan. We greatly appreciate you helping us in the first place. We are really happy to get a brand new house. We recommend everyone to join Brian’s Lease Purchase Program. New City Ohio’s Lease Purchase Program is #1. Again, thank you so much.
Katrina & Shawand
My husband and I have been trying to buy a house since 2015. The issues we ran into were ongoing and frustrating. We had problems with our credit issues and how we earned our income. Once we were denied a home loan we looked into the Lease Purchase Program. We were happy to get accepted into the program and even more excited with New City allowing us to pay our down payment in installments. As time went by we accumulated enough money in order to purchase the home we have lived in for almost three years. Best part of the program is when we were ready to purchase our home, the amount of credit we had was more than what was anticipated. I appreciate the program so much. We are now home buyers! Thank you.
Vanessa & Ronald
In March 2018 I received a phone call telling me that the house we resided in for 5 years was being sold and we had 60 days to vacate. This sent me into tears and almost panic. I called my husband and he said stop crying we will be ok. Days and weeks of driving around...viewing after viewing and nothing. Finally I got a notice on a website that a house was available for rent with the option to buy. I told my husband and he said he has driven past it and it seems small. I still wanted to see the inside so we scheduled a tour. As soon as I saw the back deck I feel in love. We showed our girls they feel in love. My husband was surprised that it wasn't so small. We wanted it. Now the down payment was steep at $6,500.00. Brian worked with us. We signed a 3 year lease to own contract. Every cent of our down payment would go toward the purchase of this house. A percentage of the rent as long as it was paid on time would go toward the purchase of the house and he would also give us $750 bucks toward the closing cost. We paid a little extra for a service agreement for repairs. We had to use the service agreement twice and it was smooth I called and help came. On March 15, 2019 we closed on our home in less than a year. Don't get me wrong the rent was high. But the clean...safe neighborhood we live in was worth it. Our mortgage is considerably lower than the rent and we are homeowners. Everything that Brian Knoppe and New City Ohio promised was delivered. Everyone was great and Beverly is a gem. Patient and kind answering all of my questions. We are homeowners. What I thought was an impossible dream is a reality. My husband had already claimed the house as ours because he said he wasn't going to pay rent for three years. Thanks to you all.
Joshua & Andrea
Great company to do business with! We always had all of our questions answered timely. When things needed fixed, they had someone out as soon as possible. I would recommend them to friends and family.
Holly & Steven
We cannot thank Brian and his staff enough for helping us purchase our first home. We originally found a listing online as a lease to purchase holder. We weren’t familiar with the program and Brian met with us on Christmas Eve to discuss the process. At the time, our credit needed some work and this program gave us the opportunity to get into our home while we corrected the issues. Life has thrown us some curve balls since we moved into the home in 2015 and Brian has worked with us. We never felt pressure or judgement from Brian and I am grateful for that. After 3 ½ years, we were finally in the position to purchase and were approved. This has been a dream of ours for a LONG time and finally, we can say we are home owners. I will forever be thankful to Brian for the opportunity he gave our family
Shawn & Lisa
Shawn and I found out about this lease purchase program 3 years ago. We were looking for a home, but we were not in the position to buy yet, due to having to build our credit. During these 3 years, we were able to reach our goal and purchase our 1st house with Brian Knoppe and New City Homes' help. We feel this is a very successful program and would recommend this program to everyone!
Paige & Josh
Brian did a great job. On several occasions, we were unsure if we were going to stay in the house because my dad passed away. Brian worked with us and discussed our options.
Andrea & Russell
Thank you so much for putting together and hosting the home buying seminar! Russell and I learned a lot and we are excited to start working towards our goals! John and Bruce were great, engaging speakers and we look forward to doing business with them! Thanks again, we appreciate all that you do!
Benson & Patricia
This journey began a little over three years ago. It has been one of the best experiences in our life. My wife and I could not be happier with the process and the Lease-Purchase program. The entire staff has been there for us since the beginning to answer our questions, guide us in the right direction, and always willing to offer help through trying times and difficulties. We never thought about owning a home until my wife was pregnant with our first son, Gabriel. Our ultimate goal of owning a home is to make sure that our two sons Christopher and Gabriel have a place where they can call home. After several failed attempts to secure a loan and several rejections, we were told that our credit was not good enough. One thing about my wife and I is that we refuse to accept “No” as an answer. So we found our home online while searching for a Lease-Purchase home. It took us weeks, if not months, to make that phone call. Today, we can proudly call ourselves homeowners because of that phone call. We have had a tremendous experience working with Quicken Loans. We have worked with them for about a year to get our credit where it needs to be for this day.
Alisha & James
My husband and I came to Brian three years ago to do the lease-purchase program because my husband was lacking credit and I had poor credit due to bankruptcy and even credit issues after the bankruptcy. Brian was great! The process was smooth and they worked with us along the way to help get our credit where it needed to be so we could make the purchase, all the while building up a down payment in the process. We are happy to say three years later, with the help of Brian and our lender, we were able to make the purchase. Brian has been amazing during the whole process. They were very prompt, responsive, and doing whatever was needed from the lender to close on the house. Words can't express how grateful we are for making our dream of being homeowners a reality. We would highly recommend them to anyone who has less than perfect credit and given up hope of owning their own home. Thank you for being there for us and going above and beyond to make this all possible.
Jason & Jennifer
After going through several issues that affected our lives in a major way we were ready to try again at home ownership. We found the ad on Craigslist. Our biggest obstacle was a recent foreclosure due to divorce and change in job status. Fortunately, Brian quickly looked at our financial info and said he thought he could help us. Within a matter of days we were moving into a home under an agreement to lease the home until we were capable of purchasing. Two years and seven months later we are sitting here, literally, at the closing of our home. We can’t help but believe that if not for Brian and John Vogel (Developer’s Mortgage) we wouldn’t be where we are right now. Happy doesn’t do justice to how we feel right now. Thank you Brian!!
Ashley B.
I just want you to know how truly appreciative I am for you. You gave us a chance when I thought it was never in our cards to have a house. You have been the absolute best landlord we have ever had. Thank you for understanding my concerns, I figured you would. Just know you will always have a special place in my heart for giving me what I have always dreamed for.
Pat & Tiffany
Had a good experience. Brian & his staff were always professional and courteous. They encapsulated the crawl space without me asking! Due to an inspection from the VA, termite damage was found. Even though we were in a lease to purchase, he still took care of the damage. I'll refer others in the future. Thanks Brian!
Maxine Rogers
Brian, thank you for everything. From the bottom of my heart , you are a great landlord.
Allison
I have rented from Brian for over 5 years now. Anytime I have a maintenance issue, it is usually 24 hrs or less when they come to fix any issue I may have. Brian is a very reasonable landlord and any issues or concerns I have he genuinely listens. All of his office staff is highly professional. I'm so thankful for signing my lease with Brian back when I did!
Tonya & Aryn
I cannot say enough about Brian. We moved into our house seven years ago. At that point, I needed to clean up my credit history. Along the way, I received advice from Brian to help with my credit issues. My experience with them has been excellent. Brian has been phenomenal and prompt with any and all questions or concerns that I have had. After seven years, my credit has improved and now have purchased my own home, thanks to Brian!
Evan & Lauryn
Brian brought the fun and excitement back into the home buying process. Our family had been searching for a home for months that was in our desired area and fit our needs. Brian bent over backwards to help every single step of the way! From our first phone conversation with Brian to our showing with Emily and our walkthroughs, the entire process has been almost too good to be true! The customer service we have received through both the good and bad times has been unparalleled, especially in the competitive world of home buying. The buying process went incredibly smoothly, even so much that the team worked tirelessly to help us move in on time when our friends and family were in town to help. Another amazing aspect of this company is that they did not banish us to a filling cabinet somewhere after the paperwork was done and the keys handed over. When we have encountered issues, they have worked respectfully and quickly to resolve each and every one, and we could not be happier! For anyone looking to buy a home, we could not recommend the team more! Because of them, we have had a wonderful experience in our beautiful new home that we look forward to sharing for many years to come!
Bryan & Jennifer
The process of buying a home is a huge task and takes a lot of patience and perseverance. The first time we tried to purchase the home in January 2014, we were turned down. Through that we found our way, fixed our debt and in June 2017 we tried again and succeeded. It feels good to know we are finally Homeowners. Brian and his team have been very helpful along the way and through their program we were able to buy a house in a great school district and finally own our own home!
Stephen
Brian was wonderful to work with during my lease purchase. I had recently started my own business & was unable to secure a loan for a home. As I was searching for homes, I ran across the lease purchase program. This allowed me to start the purchase of a home instead of throwing money away in rent. Within 2 years, I was able to secure a loan to purchase the property. I highly recommend Brian Knoppe to anyone wanting to buy a property & cannot immediately get a loan.
Steve & Traci
I had a great experience working with Brian Knoppe. We did a lease to purchase option with Brian in 2008 and, while I did actually pursue my own financing, Brian offered a number of different services to us to use. I found him to be a very fair and honest person to work with. We did have a few issues while going through this process, but I made sure I kept in contact with Brian to let him know what was happening. He was very understanding, and very accommodating to our needs. Despite the fact that this was a business relationship, I can say that he doesn’t forget that there is a human being on the other end of it. I had nothing short of a great experience with Brian, and I would go to him again if the need ever arose, and I would highly recommend him to anyone requiring the services he offers. If I had to sum up in a few words what it was like working with him, it would be Honesty, Integrity, Fairness, and Empathy.
Stephanie
Last year I relocated from Cleveland to Columbus and needed to find a place to live. After looking to buy for several months, I decided to rent. Mr. Knoppe and his staff went above and beyond to get me into one of his properties quickly as I was living in an Extended Stay. I entered a two year lease with Mr. Knoppe. I had a very good rental experience. Anytime I had a question or concern, they were quick to respond. It was a pleasure working with their friendly staff (especially Mark). After living there for almost a year, I decided I liked the home and wanted to purchase it. Mr. Knoppe allowed me to purchase the home and made the process easy. Thank You!
Michael & Kelly
I can’t say enough good things about Brian! My husband and I had not made the best financial decisions but we both wanted to purchase a home that we could say was 100% ours. It took us 5 years to get our credit in order and finalize the purchase but we couldn’t be happier. Brian and his team helped us save for a large down payment and helped us get the peace of mind that homeownership gives. I would highly recommend working with Brian!!
David & Lucienne
It feels so great to be a homeowner again! In 2009, we lost our home and had been renting for a while. We were uncertain when that dream would happen again. In 2014, prior to our lease ending we started to look into buying a house, but we were not really ready. We said to each other that we wish we could rent a house due to our family size. I could not believe that we could rent a house while continuing to work and prepare for homeownership. This program has helped us save money, be better stewards of our finances, and the coaching and guidance of Brian and the team were great. Today we are owners and it can happen for anyone. Do not give up, even if the bank or financing does not come through at first. That is what happened to us last year, but we refocused on what we needed to improve and here we are. Brian, kudos to you and your team for creating a social impact in homeownership and giving people a chance and hope at being homeowners again. Thank you!
Phyllis
In 2013, I sold my home in a short-sale after losing my job in Atlanta. I relocated home to the Columbus area and after finding a new job and saving up funds for a down payment, I knew I still would need to wait another year to qualify for a FHA or conventional loan, and I didn't want to waste money for a third year renting. Being in the finance industry, I also didn't want to find myself experiencing the horrors I've heard others have had with a lease purchase. I did my research and found them to be reputable. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a little time before purchasing their next home
Nichole & William
Buying a home can be a scary process, Brian and his team made it much more enjoyable. We were able to work on our credit while we built a nice down payment on our home while we rented. Without this process, it would have been much more difficult to purchase a home. We are so proud of our family for accomplishing buying a home. Brian' will be recommended to our family and friends who are interested in buying a home. Thank you Brian!
Chris & Brittany
We were so blessed to come across the Lease Purchase Program when we moved to Columbus, from out of state. The transfer with my company was on a specific day; and that timeframe was quickly moving up on us. We had been working with a realtor to find a home that would allow a lease purchase for 3 years and had put in multiple offers on properties to find that no one would allow us to do a lease purchase that long to meet the requirement to be able to buy a home again, after my foreclosure. After much frustration and stress we ended up finding the home online and drove up and found the absolute perfect home for our family with a great price and fantastic payment program. We were diligent in our payments and built up our credit and here we are, three years later, homeowners again! Thank you so much for providing such a great home and a program that allowed us to buy it! Your program is so fantastic and we can't speak more highly of it! Thank you so much for making our dreams of homeownership come true! Best Christmas present ever!
Robert & Linda
We very much appreciated the opportunity we were given to be able to "lease-to-purchase" our home. We initially saw the home on the website and after looking at it, Brian worked with us, even finishing the basement that was only partially done. We never thought we would be given the chance to own a home again after losing the new home we had built. We worked very hard to get our credit back where it needed to be. We also couldn't believe the credit we were given toward the actual purchase, with on time payments and the portion of the rent that went toward the purchase. If we had a problem, Brian always was there to work with us to get it taken care of. When we needed a new hot water tank, we were able to make payments until our portion was paid off. We would strongly recommend themand his team,as they do what they say they will do. We didn't think it was possible, but if we two senior citizens can complete the program, anyone can!
Brian & Kelley
Last year we were looking to move into a home in a good school district for our son to start Kindergarten. In the past our finances had taken a beating from medical issues and bad decisions. We didn’t think we would be able to become home owners but took a leap of faith and replied to a lease to own ad. We called and spoke to Brian who walked us through the application process and he shared the website information so we could look at the homes that they had available. We knew right away which one we wanted and from the first time we walked into our house we were in love. It took us a year to get our credit to where it needed to be to begin the process of trying to purchase our home. Brian worked with us from the first step through the last step of leasing and then purchasing our home. I told him that he should be proud of himself because he helps people reach goals and realize dreams. He is always professional but he also cares about the people he is helping. Thanks to Brian's lease to purchase program, my husband and I just finalized the purchase of our home. We finally have our own home in a great neighborhood where we can raise our family and we couldn’t be happier.
Michelle & Terry
We are so glad we responded to the ad “Lease to Own” posted on Craigslist…admittedly, it seemed a little too good to be true. We were actually working with a competitor who was offering a “hard sell” approach and we had to pay up front in order to see available homes we might be able to view/purchase. Brian was different - everything was right there online. We basically took a loss on our deposit with the first company; but Brian was so easy to work with it just seemed like the better move. Brian worked with us in allowing enough time to get married and work the extra hours needed to have enough extra cash for the down payment, moving expenses and pet deposit. We loved our brand new build and began making plans on what we would change or extend once we owned the house. Unfortunately, life continued to happen with serious illness, mounting health expenses and even loss of employment. Communication was key and we kept Brian informed on what was happening and what to expect in terms of our payments as best we could. His team was consistent and timely on keeping their part of the contract as well. I particularly appreciated the timely automated email reminders of things to check for such as preventive maintenance to keep our home safe. In the end, we purchased our home 6 months later than planned. BUT, we did it only because of Brian and the personal attention he takes in working with the people leasing to buy the homes and acknowledges the fact that they are real people with real life problems. We would not of made it to the signing table without the trust and faith of Brian and the experience of he and his team. It is a wonderful feeling to finally own our home and not have all the stress of moving!!!! Thank you Brian and Team.
Joseph & Faith
First we want to say thank you to Brian Knoppe and his team. Without their program, patience and help we would not be homeowners. Second, if you are unsure of the home buying process or have some credit issues, as we did, Brian and his team will walk you through the process and help you every step of the way. From the moment we walked into their office and our home we were received warmly. While it took us longer than most (almost 10 years), through all of our financial ups and downs Brian has always been able and willing to help us. We also appreciate all the helpful tips and emails he sent out. Moving into home ownership can be overwhelming but Brian and his team make it easy through great people skills, good business sense and just a wonderful sense of wanting to see people realize their dreams. We have been more than happy with how we have been helped and treated and are more than ecstatic about owning our home!
Daren & Joan N.
The Lease Purchase Program has been great for us. We had made some mistakes when it came to our finances and we were not sure what the next step was. The program allowed us to find a home that was suitable to our family while cleaning up our credit and getting back on track. There was no pressure to buy and I never felt like I was just throwing money away by renting – the lease program allowed us to invest in our future. The buying process was very easy and the team was very helpful with questions and advice. The whole experience has been great! (plus we love our “new” house)
Terrence C.
I would recommend Brian Knoppe to any of my friends that would be interested in a least to purchase home. My experience was great.
Lyndsey D.
My Experience has been wonderful and easy. I greatly appreciate Brian's willingness to meet my expectations of upgrades and I am more than pleased with the outcome of the work that Brian has provided. I cannot be more pleased working with Brian.
Jayson W.
The Lease Purchase Program was easy and your staff were polite. Thanks for being a great landlord.
Tracieanna B.
You are an outstanding young man! The Lease Purchase Program allowed me to get myself in order and get my credit back on track. I truly appreciate you taking a chance. You are great people and I am extremely grateful! May grace and peace be with you both always.
William & Jennifer S.
We want to thank you so much for all of your help during the last two years. Your lease purchase program gave us the support were needed to get our finances in better shape and we were able to close on our home six months earlier than scheduled. We will forever be in your debt. Thanks again for helping us buy the perfect home.
Thearesa C.
My daughter and I thank Mr. Knoppe and his family. Our previous landlord filed bankruptcy and was letting houses go. I had called several places buy no one responded. Mr. Knoppe returned my call - the only one. Through my ups and downs (surgery, change of income) they have always listened and been there. My daughter and I have always told others how kind they have been above and beyond the professionalism. Everything is written down in their program and you know where you stand. Even if you don't quite get it, they stick with you until you do. I will never forget and I have referred others to them and the program. Thank you so much.
Mr & Mrs Bracey G.
I would like to thank you for allowing me and my family to take part in your home ownership program. This was the only way at the time for us to be in a brand new home with options to buy within three years. We truly want to thank you and your company for just believing in us. Being from New York City and living in Columbus for three years our goal was to be home owners within that time. Once again thank you for everything.