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Done Your Taxes Yet?
If you made under $58,000 last year you can do your taxes yourself for free. Find out more or start your return today by visiting the Beehive.
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Stay Updated!
Want to know what's happening in the housing industry? Want to share your success story? Then find 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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Local Homeownership Fairs
Mark your calendars for these upcoming Homeownership Fairs!
5th Annual East Portland Homeownership Fair
Saturday, April 24th 2010 from 10am-2pm
Ron Russell Middle School
3966 SE 112th Ave Portland, OR
12th Annual Latino Home Fair
Sunday, May 23rd 2010 from 10am-4pm
Oregon Zoo
4001 Southwest Canyon Road Portland, OR |
Last week was National Consumer Protection Week. Even though the week is over, its never too late to become a better informed consumer. Visit the website for valuable information and resources on topics ranging from Banking to Identity Theft. There's great information for all ages, including resources for helping your children become savvy consumers too. Check out the website to learn more!
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Greetings!
It's spring time again, and it's a great time to start (or continue) working toward your goal of homeownership. We've dedicated this newsletter to sharing resources, both for first time homebuyers and consumers in general. We wanted to share information about all the wonderful homeownership fairs that are coming up this season, as well as a valuable web resource on everything home related, HOWNW.com. We've also included information on National Consumer Protection week and their website. We hope you enjoy all these valuable resources, and remember that Portland Housing Center is always here to be a resource as well. Be sure to utilize our services throughout the homebuying process, and share our information with friends who could use our services. You can start by sharing this email with them.
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Homeownership Resources on the Web
Looking to purchase a home? That's our cue to introduce you
to a fantastic resource: HOWNW.com™. No more trolling through multiple
websites, all with different answers on how to buy a home. No more painstaking
searches for resources that can help you snag your piece of the American Dream.
It's all available at this comprehensive public service website.
HOWNW.com™ walks
consumers through the homebuying process and includes features such as 100
questions and answers for buying a home, information on finding a loan, a real
estate glossary and much more. In addition, information on consumer issues such
as predatory lending, avoiding foreclosure, finding a healthy home and credit
is provided to help educate potential homebuyers.
Best of all, HOWNW.com™
contains a searchable, multi-lingual database of homebuying programs available
in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties. Enter the area you wish to
live in, number of people in your household, and your annual income to discover
what financial programs and resources are available to help you become a
homeowner.
Some loan and
assistance programs may require you to undergo homebuyer counseling in order to
qualify -- no problem! HOWNW.com™ contains a list of homebuying seminars that meet
those requirements.
This consumer
website also provides information on Avoiding Foreclosure & Rescue Scams
in an effort to provide consumers with legitimate guidance resources in order
to keep their homes.
If you think that
help isn't available to purchase your own home, if you find the whole process
overwhelming and confusing, if you don't know where to start-please do yourself
a favor and visit www.HOWNW.com.
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Owning a Home is for "Adults"
Amy moved to Portland seven years ago and loved the life she found here. She lived near Hawthorne Street and thought it was fun, but noisy. She hadn't really considered purchasing a home because she thought that home ownership was for "adults" and beyond her reach. She then learned about Proud Ground and through them she found out about the Portland Housing Center (PHC). She figured she would try to learn more about the homebuying process because she envisioned herself owning a home someday in the future.
She took the HomeBuying 101 Class and discovered that home ownership might be something she could accomplish sooner rather than later. The class opened her eyes to the importance of a good credit score and introduced her to the IDA program. She signed up for Financial Fitness and her counselor was great. He gave her advice that helped her bring her credit score way up. He checked in with her regularly to make sure that she was on track with her savings program and to answer any and all of her questions.
"The PHC was so pro-active. I really appreciate the time that they gave me. I am now much more assertive with my finances and I fight to correct any errors right away. I can't say enough about the PHC."
Once Amy got her finances in order, she was ready to buy a house. She found her realtor and mortgage lender through the PHC and felt confident that they were giving her good advice. It took longer than she thought it would to find a place to purchase, though. She found that despite the overall softening of the real estate market in Portland, the market for small starter homes was very competitive. The tax credit for first-time homebuyers caused a flurry of activity. Amy also found that she was competing against investors who were willing to pay cash.
Amy expanded the limits on her search and finally found a cute little house with a big yard on a quiet street. She met her neighbors right away and found them to be very friendly and welcoming. She is slowly learning her way around the neighborhood. Best of all, the mortgage payments are comparable to the rent she was paying.
"I wanted to buy a house on my own and I am thankful for this opportunity. I would definitely recommend the PHC to others."
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