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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Total Mortgage Launches 'From Lease to Keys' Program to Help First-Time Home Buyers With Closing Costs
Total Mortgage's Lease to Keys program gives renters in the U.S. up to $2,500 in closing costs to help them buy their first home. Total Mortgage Launches 'From Lease to Keys' Program to Help First-Time Home Buyers With Closing Costs Milford, CT , Aug. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Total Mortgage has officially launched its Lease to Keys program nationwide, offering qualifying first-time home buyers up to $2,500 in closing cost assistance. Located in Milford, Connecticut, the company is helping renters nationwide overcome one of the hardest parts of buying a home: upfront costs. Shop Top Mortgage Rates Your Path to Homeownership A quicker path to financial freedom Personalized rates in minutes 'For almost 30 years, Total Mortgage has strived to deliver innovative and customer-focused solutions in our communities. The Lease to Keys initiative reflects our focus on making homeownership more accessible for those buying a home for the first time by easing the financial transition for renters,' Christopher Affinito, Chief Revenue Officer at Total Mortgage, said. Total Mortgage Eligible buyers can first secure a mortgage pre-approval and then present records of their current rent obligation. Once qualified, these applicants may receive a credit equal to one month's rent, up to $2,500, applied directly to closing costs, cutting the cash required at the closing table. This support tackles one of the biggest financial hurdles, while Total Mortgage's affordable homeownership options and competitive mortgage rates create a straightforward path from renting to owning. Available through a nationwide network of licensed loan officers, the program pairs local market knowledge with the resources of a nationally recognized lender. Customers can also access guidance on mortgage APR (annual percentage rate), which represents the total yearly cost of a mortgage, including the interest rate and additional fees such as loan origination charges, discount points, and certain closing costs. Unlike the interest rate alone, the APR provides a more complete picture of the actual cost of borrowing, allowing home buyers to make accurate comparisons between loan offers. Understanding mortgage APR helps renters-turned-buyers avoid surprise fees, select the most cost-effective financing option, and make informed decisions as they explore various first-time home buyer resources. In addition, participants receive personalized help for renters seeking to enter the housing market. Since 1997, the Total Mortgage team has guided thousands of buyers with transparent loan options, including the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which delivers stable monthly payments for the entire term. The 7/1 adjustable-rate mortgage offers a fixed rate for the first seven years before adjusting annually, giving buyers initial payment stability with future flexibility. With mortgage rates, favorable terms, and a streamlined path from pre-approval to closing, the company combines national reach with local expertise to make homeownership a reality. To further empower first-time buyers, Total Mortgage offers free interactive mortgage calculators on its website. These tools help prospective homeowners map out finances before applying for Lease to Keys, clarifying affordability and expected monthly costs to make homeownership transparent and manageable. The calculators let users compare loan scenarios side by side, factoring in down payments, interest rates, and terms to choose the best fit for their long-term goals. The Lease to Keys program doesn't just help renters buy homes; it redefines the path of homeownership programs, converting rent into closing-cost fuel that launches buyers across the threshold into a future they can truly call their own. To learn more about Total Mortgage and the Lease to Keys program, visit About Total Mortgage Founded in 1997, Total Mortgage is a nationally recognized lender dedicated to making the path to homeownership clear, accessible, and affordable. By pairing competitive mortgage rates with personalized guidance from licensed loan officers across the country, the company simplifies the process from pre-approval through closing. Each year, Total Mortgage helps thousands make informed decisions, combining local expertise and national reach to deliver solutions for first-time home buyers and experienced borrowers. ### Media Contact Total Mortgage Headquarters Address: 185 Plains Road, Milford, CT 06461 Phone: (203) 231-8005 Website: newsroom: Attachment Total Mortgage Launches 'From Lease to Keys' Program to Help First-Time Home Buyers With Closing CostsError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
St. Paul mayor's race begins in earnest, Kaohly Her launches campaign
With five candidates officially running and a little more than two months until Election Day, the race for St. Paul mayor is beginning in earnest. Around a hundred supporters of Rep. Kaohly Her gathered at Lake Monster Brewing Company in St. Paul for a formal launch event for the state lawmaker's mayoral campaign Monday night, including her current and former Democratic Farmer-Labor-House colleagues. State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, and his wife, Yvette, who survived an attempted assassination at their home in June, have also endorsed Her. They didn't attend the Monday launch but appeared in a video played at the event. Many in attendance said they had voted for Mayor Melvin Carter in 2017 and again in 2021, but said a change of leadership is needed in City Hall. They pointed to public safety concerns, particularly along the Green Line light rail corridor on University Avenue, and development troubles in downtown St. Paul. 'I appreciate everything that Melvin has done, but after eight years, I think we need someone else with newer ideas, more energy,' said Peter Scott, of the Cathedral Hill neighborhood in St. Paul. 'Having Kaohly come in after having worked in state government with that larger perspective — I think it would be very, very helpful for St Paul.' Carter, who is seeking a third term in office, has pointed to dropping homicide and carjacking rates after the pandemic as a sign of improving conditions in the city, but many point to ongoing issues with addiction and homelessness along the Green Line as a sign of worsening conditions overall. Scott and others said they hope fresh leadership might help address those problems, as well as rising property taxes, job growth and development challenges in districts like downtown. Scott pointed to the closure of downtown's only grocery store earlier this year and the closure of the Midway Cub Foods as signs of the city's struggles. Speaking with reporters after filing for his third term earlier this month, Carter said he's been working with lawmakers and other local leaders about issues like road reconstruction, addressing a surge in copper wire theft from street lights and redeveloping the city's struggling downtown. 'Obviously, there's been a lot of global forces that we haven't been able to hold off of St. Paul, whether that's the challenges hitting every downtown (or) some of the results that still are lingering from the pandemic,' he said at the time, adding that he thinks the city is gaining 'momentum' on issues like housing. During his tenure, Cater has pursued a progressive agenda that has included medical debt forgiveness, college savings accounts for newborns, and a new sales tax to fund roads and parks. Her has said that while she supports those policies, the city of St. Paul should focus on essential services. 'I don't have a shiny new project that I want to put out there and tell you all look what I'm going to be doing, so that the national stage can look at us,' Her said in a speech at the event. 'But what I do have is the grit, the determination, the skill and the ability to dig into doing city correctly.' Besides friends, community members and former city leaders, former state Rep. Ryan Winkler, a Golden Valley DFLer now running for Hennepin County Attorney was present, as was Her's current House colleague, Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee. The three other candidates in the race besides Carter and Her include an engineer, a scientist and a local business owner. Yan Chen is a biophysicist at the University of Minnesota who ran for St. Paul City Council Ward 1 in 2023. North End resident and mechanical engineer Adam Dullinger is the most recent candidate to enter the race. He's a political newcomer Mike Hilborn runs a power washing, snowplowing and Christmas tree lighting business and ran as a Republican for downtown St. Paul's state House district in 2024. In a biography on his campaign website, he describes himself as 'a father, an entrepreneur, a second-chance employer.' Mayoral elections are nonpartisan, though they often draw strong party interest. This year will be a little different, however: the St. Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is not making any endorsements in the race as it works to rebuild itself. This will be the last year a mayoral election happens in an odd-numbered year in St. Paul. In 2024, voters approved a measure to shift the election to even-numbered years when other major contests are on the ballot. The mayor is typically elected to a four-year term. But because of the change, the next election will be in 2028. The winner of this year's election will only serve a three-year term. Under St. Paul's ranked-choice voting system, voters can rank candidates in order of preference. Related Articles Here's who is running for St. Paul mayor Down to one board member and short on cash, St. Paul DFL goes on hiatus Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Southern border wall will be painted black to make it ‘even harder for people to climb,' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says
If you see black, head back. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the entire southern border wall will be painted black, in an effort to make the structure too hot to scale when the sun is beating down on it. The new paint job for the roughly 700 miles of border wall along the US-Mexico boundary, which the administration aims to dramatically expand, was ordered by President Trump himself to further deter illegal crossings, Noem revealed during a press conference in front of a section of the barrier in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Advertisement 3 The idea is that black paint will absorb more heat, making it too hot for would-be illegal border-crossers to scale. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'It's tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb, almost impossible. It also goes deep into the ground, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to dig under. And today we are also going to be painting it black,' the DHS secretary said of the steel structure behind her. 'That is specifically at the request of the president, who understands that in the hot temperatures down here, when something is painted black, it gets even warmer, and it will make it even harder for people to climb,' Noem continued. Advertisement 'So we are going to be painting the entire southern border wall black to make sure that we encourage individuals to not come into our country illegally,' she added. The coat of black paint will also help prevent the steel structure from rusting, Noem said. Additional technology, including cameras and sensors, will also be deployed to further thwart illegal border crossings, which have plunged to the lowest levels on record under Trump. It's unclear what the full cost of the paint job will be. Advertisement 3 Noem said the black paint would also help keep the steel wall from rusting. ABC News 3 The entire southern border wall will get the new paint coat, according to Noem. AFP via Getty Images A total of $46.5 billion was earmarked for border wall construction in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the White House estimated would fund an additional 700 miles of wall along the 2,000-mile stretch of land and water that divides the US and Mexico. 'With the OBBB we will be able to finish the border wall system started under President Trump's first term. Due to an active procurement process to finish the wall it would be irresponsible to the American taxpayer to release the numbers as it may impact future bids,' a DHS spokesperson said when asked about the pricetag. Advertisement During his first term, Trump reportedly preferred border wall prototypes that had bollards painted 'flat black' to absorb heat and render them too hot to touch. The president, at the time, also reportedly told a group of officials and engineers that the border wall should have sharp spikes at the top to appear more intimidating.
