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What services do you offer?
¿Ofrecen sus servicios en español? Do you offer your services in Spanish?
I don’t earn a lot of money. Can I still buy a house?
I earn an above-average income. How can you help me?
What do your services cost?
What if I don’t know if I can afford to buy a house?
Do you offer financial assistance?
Can you refer me to a lender or realtor?
What if I have credit issues?
Are there special loan programs for people with lower income?
Are there any programs for people with disabilities?
Is there any help for seniors who have trouble making ends meet?
I’m behind in my mortgage payments. What should I do?
How are you funded?
How do you work with employers?
What services do you offer?
Click here for a list of services.
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¿Ofrecen sus servicios en español? Do you offer your services in Spanish?
Ofrecemos nuestra educación y asesoría financiara y ayuda para prevenir el embargo inmobiliario en español. Para más información favor de comunicarse con Neal McKeever, 360-694-4496 x 102.
We provide financial management and foreclosure prevention counseling in Spanish. For more information, please contact Neal McKeever, 360-694-4496 x 102.
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I don’t earn a lot of money. Can I still buy a house?
Most of the potential first-time homebuyers the Community Housing Resource Center serves earn between 50% and 80% of the area median income for their family size. There are still affordable houses available in Clark County and other parts of SW Washington. Several loan programs are designed specifically for lower-income households. Each person’s circumstances are different, but the best way to find out if you can afford to buy a home is to call for an appointment.
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I earn an above-average income. How can you help me?
The process of buying a house is very complex. It requires interacting with experts who speak specialized languages and engaging in processes that most of us find to be foreign to our daily lives. Information is power. Even though you may not qualify for loan programs aimed at lower-income households, talking to a counselor or attending a class can help you understand the process and take charge of your own transaction.
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What do your services cost?
Services of the Community Housing Resource Center are available for $25.00. CHRC Access Fee (married couples or single individuals) and $50.00 (unmarried couples) which gives the client unlimited access to all of the above services (including a credit report) for 2 full years. Reverse mortgage counseling costs $125.
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What if I don’t know if I can afford to buy a house?
Many people come to us not knowing whether they can afford to buy. A CHRC orientation and an assessment counseling session will help you answer that question. It will also provide you with a plan of action, including any steps you may need to take to be ready to buy.
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Do you offer financial assistance?
No. We offer information, including information about public loan programs that are available to lower-income families and individuals.
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Can you refer me to a lender or realtor?
No. Much of our financial support and volunteer expertise comes from people in those industries. We are totally committed to being a neutral, impartial source of information, so we do not refer. However, we can help you understand how realtors and lenders work, and we can help you know what questions to ask in seeking good realtors and lenders on your own.
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What if I have credit issues?
Many people who seek our services have had problems with their credit, or have not established a credit history. Our staff and volunteers can help you understand your credit and how to repair or establish it through one on one counseling session or our CreditSmart® Workshop. Credit issues are one of our specialties.
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Are there special loan programs for people with lower income?
Yes. There are publicly funded loan programs for both first mortgage and down payment assistance, only available to people of lower income. Also, many lenders offer their own special programs (be sure to ask them—remember, we don’t refer).
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Are there any programs for people with disabilities?
Yes. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission has a down payment assistance program just for people with disabilities. This program can often be combined with other programs that are aimed at lower income households to create real opportunities for people with disabilities.
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Is there any help for seniors who have trouble making ends meet?
If you are a senior with significant equity in your home, you may be able to enter into a home equity conversion mortgage (“reverse mortgage.”) Each month you would receive cash toward your monthly expenses, but your equity in your home would decrease. To learn more about how reverse mortgages work, and to see if one is right for you, please call for an appointment to speak with a counselor.
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I'm behind in my mortgage payments. What should I do?
First, talk to your lender and explain your situation—keep that communication open! Read and download important information on our website under Mortgage Default. Next, come to a Mortgage Default Intake Orientation which takes place every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. To attend, you do not need to make a reservation. We are a HUD-certified mortgage default prevention counseling agency.
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How are you funded?
We are a non-profit organization exempt from federal taxes under section 501 (c)(3) of the IRS code. We receive donations from both private and public sources. All donations to the Center are tax-deductible.
For a complete list of our donors for the year of 2010, please click here.
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How do you work with employers?
We make our pre-purchase services available in the workplace for employers who wish to offer their employees assistance with becoming home owners as a fringe benefit. We can offer presentations about home ownership that can fit into an employee break, lunch hour or staff meeting. We can also offer pre-purchase counseling and homebuyer education at the worksite. For more information about workplace services, contact Teri Duffy, our Executive Director.
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