Realtors help bring an Orlando family home

ORLANDO, Fla. – Nov. 6, 2008 – Orlando resident Martina Dunston has spent more than 300 hours over the past two years helping build houses for other families while working toward her goal of someday owning her own home. Her dreams of homeownership were realized yesterday when the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and Habitat for Humanity presented Dunston and her children with the keys to a new Habitat for Humanity house during a dedication ceremony.

In recent years, several other Habitat for Humanity houses have been built near Dunston’s new home. Dunston and her three children, James, 8; Amya, 4; and Destini, 2, were joined by Realtor leaders and hundreds of volunteers at the dedication for the one-story, three-bedroom home at 381 Mandrake Street.

“Realtors build communities and are dedicated to helping provide affordable housing opportunities for working families in Orlando and across the country,” said NAR President Richard Gaylord. “I am pleased to join hands with Habitat for Humanity to welcome Martina Dunston and her family to their new home. Today they begin to build their future through homeownership.”

The dedication precedes the 2008 Realtors Conference & Expo in Orlando this week. Approximately 20,000 Realtors and guests are expected to attend the annual meeting.

For the past eight years NAR has worked together with Habitat for Humanity International to build a home in the host city for NAR’s annual conference. Realtors have also contributed to Habitat for Humanity’s post-Katrina homebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast. In addition, NAR contributes to a Habitat for Humanity build abroad each year – this year, the build is in Hungary.

The 2008 Realtors Conference & Expo is currently taking place at the Orange County Convention Center. Florida Realtors have been offered free access to the Trade Show. For more information, go to FAR’s home page: http://www.floridarealtors.org.  

© 2008 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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