NORTH LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – For many families across South Florida, the dream of owning a home feels out of reach. But for eight families in North Lauderdale, that dream has become a reality after they took part in building it with their own hands.<\/p>\n
Organizations like Habitat for Humanity of Broward County and generous local business partners made homeownership a reality. After months of hard work<\/a>, eight homes are now complete, providing several families the chance to say \u201cHome Sweet Home.\u201d<\/p>\n One of those families feeling the happiness is Nicole Goodwill and her children. 7News cameras captured the happy family walking into their new place, which they now own interest-free.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, I would not be able to get an affordable home. I would actually have to go out of state to be able to get something within reason that I would love,\u201d said Nicole.<\/p>\n The families were selected through an application process and had to help build the homes themselves. Over a couple of months, the Goodwills provided 300 hours of sweat equity alongside volunteers, completed educational programs, and saved for the down payment to receive their new home.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve worked hard on the job site. You\u2019ve put in your sweat equity hours, you\u2019ve attended educational classes, and you\u2019ve saved money to put down when your home is completed,\u201d said home sponsor Nancy Daly.<\/p>\n Just 10 months ago, the land was vacant. But many business owners, including Rita Case of Rick Case Automotive Group, came together to transform the plot of land into a neighborhood of homes.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a year ago, this was just vacant land, and now today we\u2019re celebrating eight duplexes. It\u2019s going to be amazing for this community of eight families to really have their own home,\u201d said Case. \u201cHomeownership is even getting more increasingly difficult for those. I am so excited about this project.\u201d<\/p>\n