Thursday, April 26, 2007

Home Ownership Center of Greater Dayton

Don't miss the May 1, 2007 St. Anne's Hill General Membership meeting. We will have a HomeOwnership Center of Greater Dayton Presentation. The meeting is held at the Liederkranz German Club on East Fifth and High Streets at 7:00 pm the first Tuesday of every month.

The HomeOwnership Center is a program of St. Mary Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to comprehensive community development throughout the Miami Valley. The HomeOwnership Center is located at 371 West Second Street in Downtown Dayton., in the One Stop Center, immediately across from the new juvenile center that is currently under construction.

The mission of the HomeOwnership Center is to empower the residents of Greater Dayton to achieve and sustain homeownership and financial success.

This mission is accomplished by providing personal assistance through credit and budget guidance, classroom training opportunities, and links to loans and other resources.

The HomeOwnership Center recognizes that the ownership of a home is the largest and most important investment that most individuals will ever make.
Homeownership is important in that it
Represents a significant commitment of time and money on the part of the home buyer
Contributes to stability of the individual and family
Builds wealth.

Because of the importance and complexity of the home ownership, both the prospective homebuyer and the seasoned homeowner may have a lot of questions. The HomeOwnership Center is designed to be a one-stop approach, offering training classes, individual counseling from professional staff and a link to valuable resources.

The training classes are designed to enlighten the prospective homebuyer and give the homebuyer essential tools vital to the homebuyer process. The HomeOwnership Center provides classroom training for organizations such as DMHA, Citywide Development, Habitat for Humanity, and the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center.

The first-time homebuyer class walks the prospective homebuyer through the process of successfully purchasing a home, including working with a realtor, negotiating the purchase, selecting and obtaining a mortgage loan, appraisals and inspections, insurance requirements, and the closing process and required documents.

Home maintenance training will teach the homebuyer the basics of caring for both the interior and exterior of the home, with an emphasis on preventative maintenance essential to preserving the investment and making the home a comfortable and safe place to live.

The financial fitness class seeks to impart financial literacy to the participants to prepare them for purchasing and preserving the ownership of the home. Topics discussed include developing a spending plan, and spending habits, banking, and establishing and maintaining a good credit rating.

Individual counseling sessions are also available at the HomeOwnership Center. These sessions provide one-on-one credit and budget guidance for the individual who needs to get the finances in order for an initial mortgage, home equity loan, or refinance. Trained counselors can review credit reports and help individuals work toward improved credit scores. The counselors will work with the individual to develop action plans and spending plans. The counselors recognize that often there is no “quick fix” to achieve sustainable financial security. HomeOwnership Center counselors may work for months or even years to assist an individual to achieve his or her financial goals and objectives.

The HomeOwnership Center serves as a link between participants and valuable resources, with only the best interests of the participant in mind. The Center can help the individual chose the loan product that best fits the individual. The Center can also help the individual find a realtor, a financial institution, down payment assistance, or appropriate social services.

In addition to being affiliate with the St. Mary Development Corporation, the HomeOwnership Center is a chartered member of NeighborWorks America and is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency.

The Center partners with many local jurisdictions, organizations, and financial institutions to better serve the citizens of Greater Dayton.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Free Shrubs

Hi,

We are doing some landscaping at 128 McClure, and have 3 healthy bushes that Jay has dug up, if anyone would like them. I don't know the name, but they are the ones that have the soft, small red berries on them. You can call us at 610-2759, or just stop by they are on the right side of the house.

Thanks!

Sharon