JACKSONVILLE, Fla \u2013 A Jacksonville couple said they\u2019re working to help families displaced by the Highway 82 wildfire in Brantley County get stable housing again by securing mobile homes at reduced cost and connecting victims with financing options.<\/p>\n
Michael Fader, a licensed mobile-home dealer and real estate investor, said he and his wife, Amanda, reached out to News4JAX after seeing the devastation left behind by the wildfire.<\/p>\n
Fader said the effort is intended to extend beyond a single household.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are trying to contribute 100 homes, said Fader. It\u2019s a lot of homes, but it\u2019s very possible with community effort.” <\/p>\n
One of the families Michael Fader is helping to provide a mobile home to is Edward Ryle and his 87-year old mother Pattie, who lost their 1978 home in the Brantley County Wildfires. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo we all had to leave\u2026 We lost everything,\u201d Edward said. Ryle\u2019s mother, Patti, said the loss still feels unreal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a dream,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not even a reality to me yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fader said he works with manufacturers to try to bring replacement homes to fire victims at a lower cost than typical retail.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re working with the manufacturers to replace these homes at better than manufacturer costs,\u201d Fader said. A home like this to the retail public would probably be about $90,000. We are able to get this home below $50,000 for them.<\/p>\n
Fader also said they can help connect displaced families to what he described as reputable, non-predatory lenders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are lenders that we know of that are non-predatory lenders\u2026 that can lend these folks money,\u201d Fader said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have financing, if you don\u2019t have insurance, we\u2019re gonna be able to assist you\u2026 on all fronts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fader said the work isn\u2019t limited to securing the homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need as much help as we can get,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need plumbers, we need septic folk, we need electricians.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he hopes to coordinate with Brantley County officials to streamline the process for displaced residents seeking replacement housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to talk to Brantley County to see if we can streamline some of this process for folks because people are going to want to get back to their homes fast,\u201d Fader said.<\/p>\n
Fader said families looking for help can contact him directly at (904) 453-7968.<\/p>\n