What is Homes for Heroes®?
Just the FAQs
Homes for Heroes was established shortly following the tragic events of 9/11 as a way to give back and say “Thank You” to our nation’s heroes. They are the largest nationwide network of affiliate real estate agent, mortgage and local business specialists providing easy ways for heroes to save significant money when buying, selling or refinancing a home; or when making every day home-related purchases.
How do I save money?
When heroes work with our affiliate real estate, mortgage, and local business specialists they receive Hero Rewards®: Contact Libby to find out more.
BUY OR SELL A HOME and receive a check from Homes for Heroes.
Examples:
| HOME PURCHASE PRICE | YOUR CHECK |
| $150,000 | $1,050 |
| $250,000 | $1,750 |
| $500,000 | $3,500 |
| $750,000 | $5,250 |
REFINANCE a mortgage and receive reduced lending fees.
LOCAL BUSINESS SPECIALISTS provide special hero discounts. Libby is your Local Real Estate Specialist.
What if I am already working with a real estate agent or lender?
If you are currently represented by a real estate agent or lender, it is not our intent for you to break that agreement. However, please ask them to contact us for more information on Homes for Heroes and the Hero Rewards we offer.
Step 1: Register
Step 2: Work with our specialist(s)
Step 3: Buy, sell or refinance a home
Step 4: Receive your Hero Rewards!
Contact Libby today at 865-364-0200 for more information or to register or go to https://gghknoxville.com/heroes or scan the QR Code below.
Libby Guthrie
Homes For Heroes Real Estate Specialist 865-364-0200
https://gghknoxville.com/ Libby@guthriegrouphomes.com
Keller Williams 865-966-5005 (office) 11400 Parkside Dr. #120
KNOXVILLE, TN 37934
Qualifying Heroes
If you belong to any of the categories below, you may qualify for the Homes for Heroes program. Contact Libby to find out more.
Military – Active, Reserves and Veterans
Healthcare Professionals
Firefighters/ EMS
Law Enforcement
Teachers
©2021 Homes for Heroes®. All rights reserved. Homes for Heroes, Inc. is a licensed real estate company in the state of Minnesota. *Hero Rewards not available in all states. Hero Rewards offers are limited and/or restricted in Alaska, Kansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. All savings amounts are estimates. The actual Hero Rewards amount may vary based on the services used, sale price of the home (less appropriate credits), and in special circumstances, including, but not limited to, new construction, below average commission, and For Sale By Owner sales. You must be enrolled with Homes for Heroes and be represented at closing by a Homes for Heroes real estate specialist to be eligible for home price savings. You must work with a Homes for Heroes mortgage specialist and business affiliates to be eligible to receive additional service-related savings. Contact Homes for Heroes for further details.
About Guthrie Group Homes, Knoxville TN Real Estate
Guthrie Group Homes comprises the husband and wife team of Libby and Ken Guthrie.
They started working together as a team in 1993.
They each have 30+ years of experience in real estate, so combined they have 60 years’ experience. That’s hard to beat!
How the Team Works
About Libby Guthrie
Libby is the point person and licensed Realtor® who does the bulk of the meeting, communicating, and working with buyers and sellers. She does this all the way through the process of listing or buying a home. She is your Homes for Heroes Real Estate Specialist.
Libby’s Motto is: Real Estate is a Passion, Not a Job
Read more about Libby Guthrie here.
About Ken Guthrie
Ken, a former Sergeant in the Marine Corps and current office manager of Guthrie Group Homes, focuses on doing all the things he can do to give Libby the most time possible to work with active buyers, sellers, and prospective buyers and sellers.
That includes all aspects of marketing properties, putting up and taking down yard signs and lockboxes.
Ken’s Motto is (of course): Semper Fi!
About Ken Guthrie, Libby’s Hero
Here is a short story about Ken’s time in the Marine Corps and why Libby considers him her hero.
Ken “Bad Moon” Guthrie in Vietnam
I was lucky enough to get home alive. The only welcome home I got was from my family.
~ Ken Guthrie
Ken enlisted in the Marine Corps in mid 1965. He did basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.
Ken served in Vietnam in 1966 with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, a rifle company.
While there, his primary area of operation was southwest of Da Nang, mostly near and on Hill 55. There, Ken and his battalion fought the Vietcong and NVA (North Vietnamese Army).
Below are a few photos of Ken in Vietnam. Click on each image to view full sized.
Click the images to view full sized
Ken Guthrie Receives the Purple Heart
On June 22, 1966, while on patrol across the river from Hill 55, Ken was wounded by what is now called an IED.
They medevacked Ken out of Vietnam, to Japan, and eventually to the U.S. for recovery.
After Ken’s Recovery
After recovery, Ken served at Headquarters Regiment, Camp Pendleton, in Regimental S-3 for a period of time before being accepted for embassy duty. S-3 is typically an intelligence unit. However, at Camp Pendleton, it was a training unit.
After successful completion of Embassy School in Washington, D.C., he was assigned to the American Embassy, Belgrade, Yugoslavia. His tour there was for one year, from January to December, 1968.
Embassy duty in a Communist country was considered a hardship post, so the tour there was one year. He was then posted to the Embassy in Vienna, Austria. Ken was there from January to December, 1969.
The photos below are of Ken and others at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball at both embassies.
Back then, the Marine Corps Birthday Ball was the biggest social event of the embassy. Invitations were highly sought after by people in the foreign service personnel and military attaches of many other embassies.
Belgrade Ceremony 1 is Ken on the right and Chuck Wells on the left. They are entering the gathering to lead the Marines in and begin the ceremonies.
Belgrade Cermony 2 is the Ambassador, C. Burke Elbrick, making the toast to open ceremonies. Ken is standing second from the left.
Vienna 05 is a shot of the receiving line. The Marines would be the receiving line for all the guests. Ken is the one shaking the hand of the lady.
Vienna 11 is the entire Marine detachment at the beginning of the opening ceremony.
Vienna 17 is a group of the entire detachment with their dates. Ken is the second Marine from the right front row, with his date.
After Embassy Duty, Ken returned to the U.S. and received his separation from active duty.
Ken was honorably discharged on May 5, 1971.
Note: The photos of Ken have been restored from the original photographs and some of the images have been colorized from black and white.
After Service
As the saying goes, once a Marine, always a Marine!
Ken continues to honor active military, veterans, and friends who didn’t make it home.
The name on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall panel Ken is pointing to in the photo above was Ervell Guevara. Known as just “Guevara” to the guys. He was in Ken’s squad and killed the same day Ken was wounded.
The wall is known as “The Traveling Wall.” It travels around the country for people to visit who can’t get to Washington D.C.
It is smaller in scale than the actual wall, so it can be transported. This photos was taken when it came to Knoxville in 2022. Also traveling with it is a semi trailer that has been turned into a Vietnam War museum.
This is Ervell Guevara, a grenadier in Ken’s squad. Just called “Guevara” by everyone.
Here you see him preparing a C-ration meal near Hill 55. Ervell was a great friend and a fine Marine. He was one heck of a grenadier! Ken still misses him very much.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day, 2021.
Here is a photo of Danny Redhorse who served in the US Marine Corps with Ken in Vietnam.
Danny was a Native American (Lakota Sioux) from South Dakota.
According to Ken, Danny had an infectious good humor and positive attitude, which can be difficult to come by in a war.
Danny was also totally fearless. He won the Silver Star single handedly silencing an enemy automatic fire position that was causing considerable difficulty. In that action, Danny was wounded. Fortunately, he emerged from the skirmish with only minor wounds.
Sadly, Danny has passed now. But Ken thinks about him and all the others often, even after all these years.
Thank you all Veterans for serving our County!
A Memorial Day Tribute
Ken remembers “the guys” most days, not just Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, he likes to share about one of the guys who did not come home. That way, you get to know more about the person, not just a name that is on the Vietnam Memorial.
A Brave Marine, Ralph (Willie) Williams (1947-1966). He served with Ken in Vietnam and gave the ultimate sacrifice at 19.
Ken and Libby had the privilege of visiting his gravesite in Burns, Oregon in September of 2019. Ken had this plaque made to honor Willie and his ultimate sacrifice.
Rest in peace Private Williams and Thank You for your service to our country.
U.S. Marine Corps Ball
The two photos below are of the 245th Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Marine’s Memorial Club Hotel in downtown San Francisco in 2019.
You can connect with Ken on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ken.guthrie.54
To find out more about the Homes for Heroes program, scan the barcode below or contact Libby Guthrie here.
