For most of us the price of progress seems pretty high. The purchase of the home you own for the Right of Way to construct a new highway is a very personal price to pay for the progress of our community.

I know first hand the experience of learning that your home will be taken for a new highway and the overwhelming months that follow. My homeplace was taken recently for the construction of US 119. I can tell you that your best source of information and support will be your Relocation Agent. Don't hesitate to call them as often as necessary. You can't expect to absorb all of the information that you will receive during the first meeting with the Buying Agent and the Relocation Agent. You and I are not alone, it is a lot of information to take in all at one time. Just make sure when they leave you have their names and all the phone numbers where you can reach them. Any individual that is involved in this process carries identification with them at all times, don't hesitate to ask them to see it.

Most of the time you will hear about the plans for a new highway through public meetings held in your area. Watch for these to be announced in you local paper. You will notice or have contact with surveyors, engineers and appraisers. A Relocation Agent will meet with you to gather general information about you and your family and any special needs you might have such as elderly or disability issues. This information is used to help locate suitable replacement housing.

Your home will be appraised by a local appraiser and then reviewed for approval. This appraisal sets the price to be offered to purchase your home or property. Armed with this information the Relocation Agent begins to search the selling market for a home as closely matching yours as possible. I know there is no where that can take the place of your home, so we try to match as close as possible the same number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, community, age - these types of things.

The asking price of this home is used to determine your Replacement Housing Payment. You will hear the initials RHP a lot and it simply stands for Replacement Housing Payment.

Now the state is ready to set an appointment with you to present these carefully researched figures. This meeting is a very anxious time. Relax and listen. Nothing will be said that can't be repeated. After the meeting start yourself a list of questions so that anytime you talk to the Buying or Relocation Agent you will have them handy and remember what you wanted to ask. At this meeting the Buying Agent will present to you the states ffer to Purchase. Remember this is the appraised value of your home based on sales in your local area. You will also receive a copy of the appraisal.

Relocation assistance will be explained to you by the Relocation Agent. Unlike the purchase of your home Relocation Funds are set up as reimbursements. In other words you must spend the money upfront and the state will reimburse you. It is very important to work closely with your Relocation Agent so that you do not spend money that cannot be reimbursed.

There are four areas of Relocation Assistance available to you.

1. The Replacement Housing Payment
2. Moving Expense Assistance
3. Mortgage Differential Expense Assistance
4. Incidental Expense Assistance

All of these will be explained to you in detail by your Relocation Agent during this meeting. They are also explained in the "Relocation Assistance Program" Handbook given to you by your Relocation Agent. You can also stop by your local District office and pick one up at your convenience. This book is a handy guide and can answer most all of your questions.

This is a very broad and general look at the process you will experience when your home is needed for the construction of a new highway. Naturally there are issues and topics that we have not covered here such as the process for businesses and for families that rent their home. These can be explained to you by your Buying or Relocation Agent. Remember ask a lot of questions and work closely with you Relocation Agent.

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