Trevis Mott, 26, a first-time homeowner, was one of six people handed keys to their new homes in the Pinecrest subdivision yesterday.
Mott said the process was “quite easy”.
“Last year, I was looking to see how much I qualified for,” he said.
“I was looking through all the banks. The Department of Housing did a showcase and I went down there and I felt like this was the best choice for me so I went with this one.”
Mott said he worked hard to get his first home at a young age.
He said after graduating school, he immediately started working in construction with his father.
“From there, I went into the security field,” Mott said.
“I became a supervisor in my department and from there to now, I’m here. I’m going to continue to progress my life and hopefully I’ll be bigger and better in the next five years.”
Pinecrest is a private-public partnership between Arawak Homes Limited and the government. The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation is the primary mortgage partner for the project.
Homes are being constructed on 43 lots in the South Beach development, with finished houses to be sold for less than $200,000.
The average lot size is 6,000 square feet and all housing models feature three bedrooms and two bathrooms. All homes have concrete frame construction and storm-rated windows and doors.
Minister of Housing and Transport JoBeth Coleby-Davis said the Department of Housing is experiencing “a heavy volume” of applications.
“The demand for housing is indeed great,” she said.
“Currently, each customer service agent is handling over 350 active applications. We, therefore, humbly ask for the public’s patience and reiterate that our intent and mission is to assist everyone as best as we can.”
Coleby-Davis said the Davis administration is committed to meeting the demand for housing and expanding the path to home ownership.
Since it was elected to office one year ago, according to Coleby-Davis, the government has built 37 homes in Pinecrest and four in Central Pines.
She said there are another three homes in Pinecrest and five in Central Pines that have partially completed roofs.
Coleby-Davis said nine keys have been presented to Pinecrest residents so far and two assignment letters have been given to Central Pines residents.
“While we do not intend to criticize Bahamians for their financial practices, we must note that the path to home ownership for far too many Bahamians is limited by significant unsecured consumer loans with high monthly payments and at high interest rates,” she said.
“As minister of transport and housing, I want to encourage the average working Bahamian to make prudent financial decisions by creating and adhering to a monthly budget and by consistently following a savings plan.”
