Financing for first-time home buyers
In our last blog we reminded you that as a non-profit organization, we at NeighborWorks are dedicated to helping Grays Harbor with its housing needs. Our aim is to help create safe and affordable housing opportunities for all residents of Grays Harbor County.
We also mentioned that home-ownership has been proven to stabilize and strengthen communities and that our specialty is helping people get ready to become home buyers – even if that means starting by getting spending under control or helping strengthen credit scores.
Today we want to get you up to speed a bit on our current housing situation and give you the specifics of becoming a home buyer.
A COUPLE UNIQUE HOUSES
The Grays Harbor residential real estate market is healthy, with demand for new homes the strongest in the East County market.
We think home ownership is so helpful for a community that over the years NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor has partnered with the carpentry classes at Grays Harbor College to create new homes. This win-win partnership means that local folks are learning the building trades under close supervision while new housing stock becomes available for home owners.
Someday soon why don’t you take a drive to see the latest of such houses. This three-bedroom, two bathroom open-concept home at 701 2nd Ave., in Aberdeen is waiting for just the right buyer.
In addition, we’ve recently refurbished an older home at 27th and Pacific in Hoquiam to make it ready for new owners. This three-bedroom, one- and-a-half-bath house has all new electrical, appliances, flooring, weatherization and painting.
And these are just a couple of the homes available in the Aberdeen/Hoquiam area, where demand for houses is continuing to rise, as the economy improves and more people discover what a great place this is to live. However, recently, many homes came on the market in Aberdeen and Hoquiam from the estate of a major real estate investor, so the number of houses available in this market, should increase some.
GETTING PREPARED TO BUY
As we hinted at earlier, not everyone who wants to be a home owner has the finances or know-how to do it. That’s where we come in!
First, we can help you with budgets to save money to make purchasing and maintaining a home a fiscal possibility. Second, we can show you how to strengthen your credit and your credit scores. And third, we actually have a revolving loan fund which could help your dream of home ownership become a reality for first-time home buyers potentially up to 100 percent of the cost of the home, including closing costs if the appraisal allows the inclusion!
PRE-QUALIFY FIRST
When you contact our Housing Counselor, Julie, at (360) 533-7828, one of the first things she will advise you to do is to pre-qualify for a loan. Even if we’re the ones loaning you the money, you need to pre-qualify. And, if you don’t go through us and choose to get a loan from a financial institution, being pre-qualified fast tracks the process. There is no cost to you for the housing counseling.
So, if you are a first-time home buyer, the way to go is the internet education platform at eHomeamaerica.org. For just $50, this course, which is also available in Spanish, is available online so you can complete it at your own pace. When you are done with the course, we – again, at no cost – are available to make sure you understand the material.
We are a member of a Washington collaborative called HomeSage.org dedicated to offering access to eHome America to every corner of this state. At National Industry Standard, this home buyer education course results in a certificate which is required for some of the best loan deals in the state and country. It is an excellent resource for potential homebuyers and is the first step in the home-buying process.
When you’ve completed the course and optional counseling session, you will receive a certificate of completion, which is accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Washington State Housing Finance and other lenders that require you to have completed a home-buyer education course to take advantage of their loan products.
CALL US MONDAY- THURSDAY
Our business hours are 8 to 5 Monday through Thursday. Call us at (360) 533-7828 to make a housing counseling services appointment. We want to help
