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Local Homeownership Resources for:
Puget Sound: King, Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties
Become
Educated About the
Home Buying Process
The
Washington Homeownership
Center strongly recommends
that all potential homebuyers
attend a First-Time Homebuyer
Education Seminar, sponsored
by the Washington State
Housing Finance Commission.
These seminars provide
an overview of the home
buying process, allowing
you to be more educated
as you begin on your
path towards homeownership.
Many of the down payment
assistance programs require
all homebuyers who are
applying for a loan complete
a First-Time Homebuyer
Education Seminar.
Local
Resources:
Washington
Homeownership Center
(WHC) is a non-profit
agency that helps low
to moderate-income households
achieve the dream of
homeownership. We provide
a clearinghouse of information
for first-time homebuyers
who often face multiple
barriers to homeownership.
WHC provides monthly
homebuyer education seminars.
Call 877.894.4663 to
find out when classes
are offered, or click
here for a current schedule.
Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) sponsors free 5-hour seminars that are taught by industry
professionals (lenders, non-profits, real estate
agents) in an unbiased,
non-sales oriented format.
These seminars give an
excellent overview of
the various steps involved
in purchasing a home
and help the participant become familiar with the industry’s jargon. A certificate is given upon completion of the class
and is valid for 2 years. This
certificate is required to
qualify for several first-time
homebuyer loan programs. A current schedule of classes can be found by clicking here or visit www.wshfc.org
Solid Ground is a non-profit
organization that provides
Mortgage Default Counseling.
The counselors work with homeowners
in King, Snohomish, Skagit
and Whatcom counties to avoid
foreclosure. Counselors provide
information on the foreclosure
process, can provide one-on-one
assistance to secure community
resources, develop a household
budget and negotiate with lenders
for repayment strategies. For
more information call 866-297-4300 or visit
the website.
HomeSight,King and Snohomish County, is a non-profit organization that provides homebuyer education, one-on-one financial counseling,
purchase assistance loans, newly built affordable homes for purchase, and other community development services. HomeSight’s
homebuyer financial education
series includes: Money For
Nothing: Predatory Lending
Tactics; Legal Documents and
Mortgage Default Prevention;
Financial Road Mapping; and
Home Maintenance. HomeSight
is designed to walk those who
want assistance through the
purchase process and purchase
assistance. HomeSight is a
HUD Certified Counseling Agency
and Equal Housing Opportunity
Provider. To begin the education
program call 206. 723.4355,
1.888.749.4663 or visit www.homesightwa.org for more information.
Kulshan Community Land Trust (CLT),
Bellingham, is a non-profit
organization working to provide
affordable homeownership throughout
Whatcom County for low to moderate-income
households, using the community
land trust approach. To attend
a WSHFC free seminar or for
more information, call 360.671.5600
or visit www.kclt.org.
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle -- The Urban League
offers budget and credit counseling,
pre-purchase counseling, mortgage
default counseling, and links
to various other affordable
housing programs. For more
information call Linda Taylor
at 206.461.3792 or visit www.urbanleague.org/programs.html
Multi-lingual
Resources
El Centro de la Raza
The Latino Homeownership Program will
assist you in getting information
on how to qualify for a loan,
how to build credit, down payment
assistance programs, mortgage
default counseling and the
steps to homeownership. They
have monthly homebuyer education
seminars in Spanish and English.
For more information call Arturo
Gonzalez at 206.329.7960 or
visit www.elcentrodelaraza.com
International
District Housing Alliance
Homeownership 1, 2, 3 program provides multi-lingual services for low-income Asian and Pacific Islanders including
pre-purchase counseling, WSHFC First-Time Homebuyer Education Seminars, community outreach, translated materials, and
interpretation services in Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin),
Tagalog, and Vietnamese. For more information call 206.623.0122.
WHC provides our materials in
the following languages upon
request: Afan Oromo, Ahmaric,
Cambodian, Chinese, Korean,
Spanish, Tagalog, Russian and
Vietnamese. Please contact
us at 206.587.5641 or 800.317.2918
to receive materials in any
of these languages.
The
Federal Fair Housing Act
Being
educated on the Fair Housing
Act will help to prevent discrimination
in the home buying process.
Click here to learn more about who
is protected under the Fair
Housing Act and for statewide resources.
Local
Resources for Fair Housing violations:
King
County Office of Civil Rights
Yesler Building
400 Yesler Way, Room 260
Seattle,
WA 98104-2683
206.296.7592
TTY
206.296.7596
Seattle
Office of Civil Rights
810 Third Avenue, Suite 750
Seattle,
WA 98104-1627
206.684.4500
TTY
206.684.4503
Predatory
Lending
Predatory
lending takes advantage of
borrowers by charging higher
fees and hidden costs. Every
borrower is at risk, however
the risk increase for people
of color, the elderly and those
with less than perfect credit.
Click to learn more and steps for
avoiding predatory lending.
Local
Resources:
Information,
Referral and Education about
Predatory Lending
• Washington
Homeownership
Center
206.587.5641
877.894.4663
(toll-free
in
Washington
State)
In
Spanish
contact:
• El
Centro
de
la
Raza
206.329.9442
In
Vietnamese,
Cambodian,
Chinese
or
Tagalog
contact:
• International
Housing
District
Alliance
206.623.0122
To
File
a
Complaint
Against
a
Lending
Institution
• Washington
State
Department
of
Financial
Institutions
800.372.8303
www.dfi.wa.gov
• Seattle
Office
for
Civil
Rights
206.684.4500
• King
County
Office
for
Civil
Rights
(Outside
Seattle)
206.296.7592
Free
Legal
Advice
If
you
are
low
income
and
need
legal
advice
contact:
CLEAR:
• 888.201.1014
• 888.387.7111
(Age
60
or
over)
www.nwjustice.org
• King
County
Bar
Association:
206.624.9365
(King
County)
Learning About Credit
Credit is one of the most important components when applying for a mortgage. The more you understand your credit, the more likely you are to receive a mortgage that fits your situation.
Click here to understand the importance of credit in the home buying process and steps to improve your credit.
Local non-profit agencies that can assist with credit counseling
The following agencies, located in Seattle, can help you with developing a budget, defining financial goals and tracking your expenses and rebuilding your credit:
International District Housing Alliance
206.623.0122
El Centro de la Raza
206.329.9442
Solid Ground
206.694.6700
HomeSight
206.723.4335
Urban League
206.461.3697
Financial Literacy Education
Skagit County Community Action Agency offers the Financial Advancement Community Empowerment (FACE) program. The program is designed to help people set and reach their financial goals and help them plan for the future. It is a combination of financial training, debt elimination, better budgeting, home ownership and leadership training. For more information, call 360.416.7585.
Consumer Education and Training Services (CENTS), is a non-profit organization the empowers consumers of every age to take control of their finances and avoid preventable money issues through education and training. CENTS is also committed to assisting consumers who are already suffering from financial challenge. CENTS provides financial education seminars, money management training, debt counseling, referrals, and legal services. For more information, call 206.267.7017, or visit www.centsprogram.com
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