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Do you want to support Portland Housing Center?
Portland Housing Center is a 501(c)3 organization, so all donations you make to our work are tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation, you can either visit our website to make an online donation, or you can contribute in person by visiting our office.
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Stay Updated!
Want to know what's happening in the housing industry? Want to share your success story like Mauricio? Then join us on Facebook, Twitter, MiGente, or BlackPlanet! Stay in the loop, and learn about what's going on at PHC and in the industry. Also post comments, photos, and discussions about homeownership and what PHC has done for you! |
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If you are a current homeowner the loan consultants at Portland Housing Center may be able to assist you with refinancing your loan. Whether you're looking to lower your payments, take cash out, or get into a fixed rate loan-we may be able to help!
503-282-7744 |
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New Way to Save During Tax Season
Income tax time is fast approaching! The IRS has now made it easier than ever to save all or part of your 2009 tax return. You can have your refund directly deposited into one or multiple savings accounts, including retirement savings vehicles. In addition, you can now use all or part or your refund to purchase US Savings Bonds. It's hard not to save your refund with all these great new savings options! Check out the IRS website or consult your tax preparer for more details. | |
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Greetings!
Happy New Year from the Portland Housing Center! What's your resolution this year? Ready to become a homeowner? We're here to help! Let Portland Housing Center help you achieve your resolution this year. We're here to guide you through the process and help you prepare for homeownership. We wanted to share some upcoming learning opportunities with you, as well as share some valuable information about upcoming credit card law changes.
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 Mauricio Carvajal Finds a Home to Make his Own
Mauricio began thinking about purchasing a home in 2005. He wanted to make an investment as well as have the freedom to make adjustments that would fit his lifestyle. He did some research on homebuying and began his search for the perfect place, but he felt the ground continue to shift beneath him as different lenders gave him different information about what he could afford and constantly changed the rates that they offered him. After losing bids on a couple of different homes, he took a step back.
A friend told him about the Portland Housing Center (PHC) and he signed up for the HomeBuying 101 class. He found the class to be exactly what he needed. The instructor was well-informed and provided a great deal of information in a way that was not intimidating. He felt safe asking questions about all of the new terms and acronyms that were being thrown at him. He also took the Financial Fitness class and when he met with his counselor, he felt confident that he now knew what he needed to have in place to purchase a home. He started participating in the IDA program and when the tax incentives for first-time homebuyers were announced, he knew that the time was right.
"The Portland Housing Center was the cornerstone of my success in being able to purchase a home." Everyone he met at the PHC had a positive attitude and did whatever they could to help him continue on his path to home ownership. "Their kindness kept me afloat."
The PHC also helped him put together a team of professionals that were on his side as he went through the process of finding and purchasing a condo that is just 4 blocks away from his new employer's office. He was especially impressed with the home inspector that he found through the PHC. He has had no problems at all since he moved in.
After closing on the condo, Mauricio immediately began to remodel the space to reflect his personality. He painted every wall and made it his own. He loves the freedom of owning his own space. He also appreciates that every improvement he makes to his home is not just an expression of his personality, but also an investment.
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The New Credit CARD Act
Last May an important new consumer rights bill was passed through Congress and signed into law. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (Credit CARD Act) contains many new provisions to help consumers better understand their credit cards. While some of the provisions went into effect in August 2009, and some will not be in effect until August 2010, the majority of the provisions will be taking place on February 22.
Some of the key provisions include:
These are only a few of the big changes that have been made under the Credit CARD Act. For more information on the changes check out these articles.
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Want to Learn More about Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning?
Join attorney and author Richard Schneider at the Belmont Library on February 3rd to learn the basics of these and other issues.
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