The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.
Housing Counseling
Homebuyer/Home Purchase Counseling
Programs that help people who want to purchase a home evaluate their readiness for homeownership, shop for housing that meets their needs, resolve potential credit problems, analyze specific home purchase offers, obtain a mortgage loan with advantageous interest rates and an affordable monthly payment, and complete the paperwork to close the loan and complete the sale. Also included are programs that provide assistance for people who want to refinance a home.
Predatory Lending Awareness Programs
Programs that provide information and guidance which protect consumers who are considering homeownership, refinancing a mortgage loan or making major repairs from unscrupulous lending institutions which attempt to pressure them into signing loan agreements they cannot afford thus putting them at risk of losing their homes. Predatory lending tactics include high pressure sales techniques; misleading or fraudulent direct mail campaigns; failure to disclose unusually high interest rates, hidden transaction costs, excessive fees and punitive penalty clauses such as balloon payments; and loan agreements that are based on home equity rather than a realistic ability to repay. Predatory lenders frequently target the most vulnerable consumers including older adults, low-income individuals, minorities who are struggling financially, and people residing in communities underserved by traditional banking institutions.