Chris Zeigler launches HOME Initiative to boost Black homeownership

Chris Zeigler, owner of a Frisco, Texas insurance agency, has launched the HOME Initiative and a companion podcast to connect housing professionals and give families earlier education on buying and keeping a home. The effort aims to help narrow long-standing Black homeownership gaps through collaboration, financial literacy and community partnerships.

Why it matters: - Black homeownership remains about 30 percentage points below non-Hispanic White homeownership, based on recent U.S. Census data. - Zeigler is betting that a more connected network of housing professionals can help families get support earlier in the homebuying process. - The effort links homeownership education with financial literacy, credit, insurance and long-term wealth building.

What happened: - Chris Zeigler, owner of the Chris Zeigler Agency in Frisco, Texas, launched the HOME Initiative. - Zeigler also launched The Home Team Podcast to extend homeownership education beyond live events. - The initiative is designed to bring together Realtors, mortgage loan originators, title professionals, home inspectors, appraisers, financial educators, credit specialists, nonprofit organizations and community leaders. - The goal is to expand sustainable homeownership through collaboration and education.

The details: - HOME stands for Housing Education, Ownership Opportunities, Money & Mentorship, and Economic Empowerment. - Housing Education focuses on preparing families before they start shopping for a home. - Ownership Opportunities is about connecting aspiring homeowners with trusted professionals, programs and resources. - Money & Mentorship covers budgeting, credit, life insurance, financial literacy and long-term wealth building. - Economic Empowerment centers on partnerships that help families build and protect generational wealth. - The Home Team Podcast features interviews with professionals across the homeownership journey. - Episodes cover topics such as preparing for a mortgage, understanding title insurance, protecting a new home, using life insurance in a broader financial strategy and navigating the housing market. - Zeigler said the homebuying process starts years before a purchase contract through education, planning, financial literacy and relationships. - The Chris Zeigler Agency serves North Texas with auto, home, renters and life insurance. - Zeigler is active in both the North Dallas and South Dallas chapters of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. - Zeigler also hosts quarterly networking events that bring together Realtors, mortgage professionals, insurance advisors, title companies, financial educators, inspectors and community organizations.

Between the lines: - The initiative broadens an insurance business into a community-based homeownership platform. - Zeigler is framing insurance as part of a wider financial-readiness conversation, not a standalone product. - The strategy assumes more collaboration among housing professionals can improve outcomes for families who are often left to navigate the process alone. - The podcast and networking events give the initiative a channel beyond one-on-one client conversations.

What's next: - The Chris Zeigler Agency is inviting housing professionals and advocates across North Texas to collaborate through the HOME Initiative, join quarterly networking events and appear on the podcast. - Consumers can request a complimentary auto, home or renters insurance policy review and learn more about life insurance, financial literacy and community events at more information. - Zeigler says success will be measured by stronger partnerships, more informed families and more people moving from renting to owning.

The bottom line: - The HOME Initiative turns a local insurance agency into a connector for the people, resources and education that shape whether families can become homeowners and keep building wealth.