Elko – Home At Last, a program of the Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA), has presented Rick Smith, host of the Rick Smith Show on Ruby Radio in Elko, the Very Important Partner (VIP) Award for Eastern Nevada.
The VIP award is given to professionals who help NRHA and the Home At Last program fulfill the mission of promoting, providing and financing affordable housing opportunities for all rural Nevadans. The Home At Last program offers customized assistance solutions to homebuyers, and Smith’s support through sharing important program information with the Elko community makes him the first radio host to receive the VIP award.
“Elko County residents have learned about the benefits of our programs because of the outstanding partnership we have with Rick,” said Diane Arvizo, NRHA Director of Homeownership Programs. “For many people, one of the bigger purchases of their lives is a home. Having an on-air platform like the Rick Smith Show allows us to discuss how our exclusive homeownership programs can open the door for people to purchase their own home.”
The most recent on-air partnership program occurred in March when the Home At Last team joined Smith’s show, providing listeners with statistics that highlighted value of homeownership in a community such as Elko:
• A homeowner’s net worth is 45 times that of a renter.
• Homeowners are 28 percent more likely to vote than renters.
• Homeowners will live in a community four times longer than renters will.
• Homeowners are three times more likely to own a business.
“It’s great having the Home At Last team appear on-air because they do such a great job explaining the process to my listeners,” Smith said. “It’s an honor to earn this award. I’m grateful and happy to help.”
Smith comes from a radio broadcasting family. His father was a prominent radio voice in Southern California for more than 50 years. Smith followed in his father’s footsteps and worked in the California cities of San Clemente and Monterey before moving to Winnemucca in 2004. He worked at Ruby Radio – Winnemucca for several years before moving to Elko in 2016 to become the program director of KZBI.
About Home At Last™
Home At Last™, a Program of Nevada Rural Housing Authority: Home At Last™ provides eligible homebuyers “customized” assistance options up to $22,655 to help more Nevadans become homeowners. The assistance is provided as a 3-year forgivable, 0% interest, no payment second loan that is paired with a 30-year first mortgage with a fixed interest rate. There are NO separate applications to fill out. All homebuyers prequalify with a Home At Last™ approved lender. For more information, visit www.HomeAtLastNV.org.
About the Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA)
Rural Housing Authority (NRHA): Nevada Rural Housing Authority’s mission is to promote, provide and finance affordable housing opportunities for all rural Nevadans. NRHA does this through homeownership programs, rental services, community development initiatives and an exclusive Weatherization program. The Authority serves Nevada’s 15 rural counties and the rural portions of Clark and Washoe Counties – a coverage area of 110,000 square miles and home to more than 1.3 million Nevadans. For more information, visit www.nvrural.org.
About Ruby Radio Corporation
Ruby Radio started in 2002 in Elko, NV with only a construction permit. From that inauspicious beginning, Ruby Radio has built Mix 96.7, the #1 station in the market for 13 years running, and has added BIG Country 103.9 and KZBI-FM, the area’s strongest signal and #1 station among Men 18+. In 2013, Ruby Radio expanded west to Winnemucca, NV with Mix 102.7 FM and added BIG Country 94.3 FM. Together, Ruby Radio covers 300 miles along Interstate 80 from Lovelock to the Utah border. For more information, visit www.rubyradio.fm/index.php.
###
