Creative Compassion, Inc. (CCI) began with the goal of increasing the number of quality homes in Cumberland and surrounding counties for low-income households.  We pursue this goal by building modest single family homes, ranging in size from 1000 – 1680 square feet, 3-4 bedrooms. Since 1992, we have added 186 homes to the Upper Cumberland.

You don’t need to have your own financing or land secured before you come to us, but if you do, we will certainly look at the possibility of using either!  We help mortgage applicants apply for USDA 502 Direct financing right here in our office. Once we help you obtain a mortgage approval, we discuss what size house we can build for you. We will also show you what land we have in our portfolio. The land we have purchased is property that we have already determined to meet our feasibility standards: septic permit, survey, and environmental assessment. Remember, you can choose your realtor to help you purchase a home already on the market if you decide that building is not what you want to do. It is up to you!

When you build with us, we pay up to $4,000 of your closing costs.

All of this means that a majority of our homeowners move into brand new homes with little-to-no money out of pocket!

Interested in building a modest home? Start by applying for mortgage financing here.

Up to date photos of current projects can be found in our monthly newsletters. Click here to view it.

You can join our monthly Newsletter to receive updates straight to your email by visiting our home page and scrolling to the bottom.

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We will help you obtain a mortgage pre-approval before you begin construction or begin working with your realtor to find a home on the market.

Pros of Mortgage Pre-Approval:

• Shows sellers & realtors you are serious about buying a home
• Gives you a good idea of what you can afford to spend
• Strengthens your position as a buyer when you make an offer

The loan product we love is the USDA 502 Direct. It has been around a long time and is only available to low-income homebuyers who wish to buy a home in a rural area. Some households can also qualify for what is called “payment subsidy,” which means you could very well get payment assistance on your monthly mortgage payment. This may go diminish or go away if your income increases from year to year, and you may be required to give a portion of this assistance back should you ever sell your home in the future. It is a great tool to get buyers to their goal of homeownership!

The program has competitive interest rates, too.

Interested in applying?  Start online by clicking here.

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Since 2009, we have helped 110 households pay for repairs to their homes. We offer several programs to help homeowners pay for home repairs, both large & small. Available financing may be in the form of a low or no interest loan or a *grant. (*Eligibility for grant assistance or no interest loan can ONLY be determined by turning in a completed application.)

Base requirements include:

• You or at least 1 applicant must have ownership in the home and must live there
• The repair(s) being requested must be necessary to maintain the home’s habitability.
• Must be low-income or very low-income (this number changes yearly and is based on family size, so please let us determine this through an application)

Interested in applying for this program? Start by clicking here.

**If you are a low-income veteran living in a rural area, you may qualify for an additional type of repair assistance if we have it available. Click here to visit this program’s specific page information and application.

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Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Payment Assistance

This program began in 2022. We currently help families in Cumberland, Fentress, Overton, Putnam, and White County, TN, stay up to date on their housing and utility payments. Housing means rent or mortgage; utility means electric, water, gas, or internet bills.

Basic requirements include:

• You must submit the latest mortgage statement or current lease and be the person listed as the owner or current renter of the residence (if asking for housing payment assistance)
• You must submit the latest utility billing statement and be the one listed on the utility bill and address must match (if asking for utility payment assistance)
• You must identify and provide proof of an eligible circumstance that led to you being unable to stay up to date on your bills. Examples of eligible circumstances can be found here: https://ccihomes.org/examplesrupa
• You must not have received assistance from this program in the last 18 months from the date we helped you last

Interested in assistance with your housing or utility bills? Start by clicking here.