Iowa’s long winter and recent spring rains can really take a toll on homes, especially older ones with aging roofs, siding or windows. If your house is in need of essential repairs this spring USDA Rural Development has low-interest loans and grants available to help eligible families make needed improvements. Loans have a fixed interest rate as low as one percent and typically may be repaid over a term of 20 years. An abundant amount of loan funds is available to assist rural Iowans.

Grants are available to help applicants who are 62 or older, and who cannot repay a loan, remove health and safety hazards or to make the home accessible for a disabled family member. Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, said the loans and grants help eligible families make needed repairs that they otherwise couldn’t afford.  Through this program a family can get a $3,000 loan that has a monthly payment as low as $13.80.

Examples of eligible projects include repair/replacement of storm doors, windows, steps, furnaces, water heaters or roofs. Funds can also be used for insulation, electrical, plumbing, septic and water systems, and to provide accessibility for persons with disabilities. Homes repaired with these funds must be located in communities of less than 20,000 people or in rural areas.

To be eligible for a repair loan, the family applying must own and live in the home to be repaired, lack personal resources to pay for needed repairs, have a good credit history, limited assets and have repayment ability. To qualify for assistance household income must fall under income limits for the county and household size. For most counties, a one-person household must have an adjusted income of $20,950 or less, and a two-person household must have an adjusted income of $23,950 or less. Limits increase for larger household sizes.

Along with loans and grants to repair homes, USDA Rural Development has two low-interest, no-down-payment loan programs to help eligible families purchase new homes. In most cases a family of four with an adjusted annual income of up to $74,050 may qualify for the agency’s guaranteed home loan program. If that same family of four’s adjusted annual income is less than $47,850 they may also qualify for a direct loan from the agency. These income limits increase in communities located near metro areas.

Homes can be existing or new construction. Existing homes must be structurally sound. Also, the property cannot have any income-producing outbuildings. Residents in Adams, Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Taylor Counties are served by the USDA Rural Development office in Atlantic. For more information please call (712) 243-2107 ext. 4 or visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/ia.

(Press Release)

The well-known Danish traditional musicians Jensen & Bugge return to the Danish Windmill stage on Wednesday, June 12^th, at 7-p.m. Mette Jensen and Kristian Bugge come from South of Vejle, Denmark and they will be performing with master button box accordion player Dwight Lamb of Onawa, Iowa.

It will be a lively evening of long lost Danish Folk Music that Dwight Lamb had learned from his grandfather who had immigrated to the US in the late 1800’s and his great grandfather. Dwight plays traditional Danish music on his button accordion that he learned from his grandfather who emigrated from Denmark more than a hundred years ago.  Jensen & Bugge are enthusiastic and experienced dance musicians and have played at numerous dances, workshops and concerts in Denmark, Scandinavia and the rest of the world.  In 2011 their 10^th Anniversary was celebrated with a number of concerts in Denmark and abroad and by several CD releases.

The 165 year old Danish Windmill in Elk Horn, Iowa, is located 6 miles North off I-80, exit 54 in the Danish community of Elk Horn Iowa. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and dress for the weather. A Danish Hot Dog meal will be for sale at the concert and a free will donation will be taken for the concert to help offset the costs.

(Press Release)