If you grew up in Salisbury or sought a mortgage from NBT Bank to buy a home, you may know Kevin Cantele. Kevin grew up in Salisbury and, after leaving for college, returned home to the town he loves. He lives here with his wife Lauren, a nurse practitioner at Salisbury School, and their 2-year-old daughter. Kevin’s love of our town and concern for its future have motivated him to volunteer for the Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission.
As a residential lender, he has first-hand experience with people hoping to buy a home in our town. He says, “I understand the financial difficulties many families face every day. I see first-hand just how hard it can be to not only buy a house but also afford the cost of living in this town.”
In January, the 12-month median, single-family residential price reached an all-time high of $945,000. He says “most homes selling at a price point that is affordable need work which, again, makes them unaffordable when you look at the all-in cost.” Many first-time homebuyers struggle to save enough money for the standard 20% down payment, which does not include real estate taxes, homeowners insurance, and other closing costs. As a result, many people are priced out of home ownership.
Kevin says, “I think anyone feeling the stresses associated with the cost of buying a home would embrace the opportunity to live in affordable housing. Affordable rentals are a highly desired housing option for people of all ages, particularly for people who work in town. I’m also sure many people would be happy to live in affordable housing while they save money to buy a house. We need younger families and people across all demographics, to be able to live, work, shop, and dine in this town, supporting the local businesses as patrons, and in many instances, as employees. This cannot happen without affordable housing being an option.
When the people who spend five days a week or more working in Salisbury, or a younger couple looking to live and start a family in Salisbury, are priced out of living here, it hurts the local economy and the town as a whole. It is imperative to maintain and expand affordable housing in Salisbury so we can continue to thrive as a community.”
