The program was created by Tim McEntee's Denver-based division and currently is available to JPI residents in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas City, MO, and Seattle.

The program will soon surface in Minneapolis, where JPI is developing its first project. McEntee is a JPI divisional president and managing partner.

The BEST program or "Build Equity Starting Today" enables JPI residents to apply a percentage of their monthly rent payments toward the purchase of a new or previously owned home. By joining the BEST Program, residents in four JPI metropolitan markets can accrue reserves of 20% of their monthly lease payments and up to 1% to 1.5% of the base purchase price of a newly constructed home or the sales price of a previously owned home. Except for a one-time $50 fee, there is no extra cost to participate in the program. So far, more than 250 JPI residents are taking advantage of the BEST Program, McEntee says.