Welcome to Zigas and Associates, LLC

Zigas and Associates LLC helps organizations develop sound strategies, build effective leadership, and create innovation that produces results.  Zigas and Associates LLC works with both for profit and nonprofit organizations.  The firm brings to its engagements a robust understanding of organizational growth and development; a deep expertise in how policy and practice interact to create effective results; a passionate commitment to effective strategies that improve peoples’ lives; and a practical, market oriented approach to social ventures.  Read more >>  

About Barry Zigas

With more than 30 years of leadership in diverse roles in housing, community and economic development, Barry Zigas has a unique blend of for-profit and nonprofit experience.  This includes leading organizations and workgroups ranging from more than 200 national and regional staff members as a Senior Vice President at Fannie Mae to leadership of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, with 16 staff.  He has effectively articulated and promoted innovative public policy solutions to pressing social concerns.  Read more >>

Zigas Blog

With millions of families displaced by foreclosure, and their homes often sitting vacant and vandalized while the torturous process of foreclosure grinds on, new ideas have emerged about how to make better use of this inventory, especially to provide afforable rental housing while preserving the homes and preventing further deterioration of neighborhood values and conditions.  Literally billions of dollars in new investor equity has been marshalled in anticipation of bulk property sales that could provide bargain-priced homes that could be repurposed to rentals and eventual sale when markets improve.  Locally, “mom and pop” investors are bidding for these homes, and new would-be property owners/investors are showing up on courthouse stairs to bid for these properties.

At the federal level, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is pushing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to experiment selling some of their REO in bulk to investors who would convert the properties to rentals.  

Bank of America recently announced its own “Lease for Deed” pilot to allow curernt delinquent homeowners to swap their ownership for a long-term lease.  The program could lead to these families having the opportunity in the future to buy back the homes, as well.  If the pilot shows promise, BofA says they will expand it.

I was recently a guest on KCRW’s To the Point broadcast, which you can listen to here.

 

 Read More...