Monthly Archives: December 2011

Welcome to our New Website!

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As you can see, we’ve made some changes to our website. We hope that it’s as easy to use as it is informative!

Our new site will give you the opportunity to

  • Search for available affordable housing
  • Purchase documents online
  • Register for Operating Rental Property or First Time Homebuyer courses online
  • Chat with a representative to get Housing Hotline questions answered
  • Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter
  • Stay up-to-date on our latest research initiatives and findings

It is still a bit of a work-in-progress, so your patience is appreciated. If you find that you’re unable to find something or you’ve just got comments or feedback about our new design, please give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to making this site be as useful to you as possible.

-The Housing Council

First Home Club

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Enrollment in First Home Club gives participants:

PERSONAL COUNSELING
Households will be provided opportunities for confidential counseling to discuss personal finances, household budgeting and credit history.

Understanding and completing the requirements of the FIRST HOME CLUBsm
We will review FIRST HOME CLUBsm program requirements with you, including the systematic savings process, homeownership counseling and use of the FHC dedicated savings account.

Mortgage Payment versus Rent
We will realistically assess the issues that should be considered in choosing between renting and owning a home.

Financial Planning for a Home
We will estimate the mortgage a household can or should consider affordable. Provide a guide to credit enhancement and maintenance. Assist each household in establishing a schedule of systematic savings.

Choosing an Affordable Home
We will discuss the procedures in searching, negotiating, and making the offer to purchase.

Create a Monthly Budget
We will help you develop budgeting skills in order to manage money in all aspects of the household’s life. Describe the payments (PITI — principal and interest, taxes, and insurance) and costs of maintaining a home.

Contract of Sale
We will explain the signing of the contract and the professional home inspection.

Mortgage Loan Application
We will assist and explain the application and approval process. Explain verification of income, grants, gift letters, and underwriting procedures.

Downpayment and Closing Costs
We will explain downpayment requirement and the fees paid at closing.

The Closing Documents
We will explain the information provided in the various documents executed at closing and the obligations incurred as a borrower.

The Closing
We will help you understand closing day from scheduling and final to who does what at the closing table.

Life as a Homeowner
We will help you in understanding homeownership issues such as the following: payment due dates; late payment penalties; tax benefits of home improvements; how to maintain and improve the home; refinancing choices; importance of keeping good documentation on capital improvements.

Predatory Lending
We will help you in recognizing and avoiding predatory lending practices before and after purchasing a home. Recognizing traps, scams and costly fees such as private transfer fees (sometimes known as “flip fees”).

Tips For Homeowners Behind on Their Mortgage

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1. CONTACT YOUR LENDER
It’s a good idea to keep the lines of communication open. Your lender can be very helpful in explaining your options for keeping the home OR to stall the foreclosure process. If you continuously ignore phone calls from your lender, they may assume you have abandoned the home.

2. REDUCE EXPENSES
The further behind you become on your mortgage, the more expensive the fees and costs become. Your #1 expense is the mortgage payment.  If it is a choice between paying credit cards or the mortgage, you should pay the mortgage as long as your lender/servicer will accept a payment.  If you fall too far behind, the lender/servicer may not accept a payment, as they will want to start the foreclosure process.  It DOES NOT mean they won’t work with you. The foreclosure process will continue while you are attempting to work out a solution with your lender.   The easiest expenses to reduce are “optional” expenses: cable TV, cell phones, gym memberships, eating out, et

3. SAVE MONEY
If your lender/servicer won’t accept a mortgage payment (typically after 60 days past due) and you have one, save it. Your lender/servicer may require some money as a contribution once you are offered a permanent resolution.

4. OPEN ALL MAIL FROM YOUR LENDER/SERVICER
The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options.  Later mail may include important notice of pending legal action.  In NYS you will also receive a letter about your settlement conference.

5. AVOID FORECLOSURE PREVENTION SCAMS
Many for–profit companies and attorneys will contact you promising that they will save your home.  They may also promise to greatly reduce your monthly payment or interest rate. While most of these businesses are legitimate, they will charge you thousands of dollars for something you can do yourself, or a HUD approved agency will provide for free. Some of these companies may even attempt to try to get you to sign your title over to them.  Never sign any document without reading and understanding WHAT you are signing, or getting legal advice from an attorney.

6. CONTACT A HUD-APPROVED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds free or low cost housing counseling nationwide. Housing counselors can help you understand the legal process of foreclosure, develop a realistic budget, and communicate with your lender/servicer on your behalf.

Settlement Conferences

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A new law passed in February 2010 gives ALL mortgagors the right to a mandatory settlement conference. These conferences are simply a meeting between you, your lender, and a judge/court mediator. The end goal would be to work out an arrangement concerning the delinquent mortgage. The meetings are conducted face to face, and will typically be held in the Supreme Court Chambers of your jurisdiction.

The Housing Council has the ability to help homeowners obtain legal counsel in this matter. The majority of our clients end up being referred to Empire Justice, Volunteer Legal Services, or Legal Aid Society.  We are very successful in obtaining legal counsel for the majority of our clients.

What to Expect During Your Foreclosure Prevention Appointment

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1.   To get started you can call us at 585-546-3700 x3015 or toll free at 866-669-1688. The intake specialist will set up an appointment for you to meet with a Foreclosure Prevention Counselor.  At that time, the intake specialist will send you a confirmation and a list of items you should bring to your appointment.  Note. If you prefer a phone appointment, the paperwork would need to be sent to us before we can schedule an appointment. Download Intake Forms

2.    During the appointment your counselor will discuss your situation with you including:

  • What caused (is causing) your hardship
  • We will help develop a budget to determine the best resolution (it will be helpful to know your monthly expenses before you meet with your counselor)
  • We may make suggestions of ways to increase income/decrease expenses.
  • We will explain the New York State Foreclosure Process and explain the varying workout options to stay in your home or transition out.

3.    At the end of the appointment the counselor will give you a client action plan.  This plan summarizes your situation, states the course of action and lists some strategies for you.

4.    After the 3rdparty authorization is set up with lender/servicer, your counselor will contact your lender/servicer to discuss your situation and options. If applicable, you and your counselor will gather the necessary documents to submit to your lender/servicer. The counselor will assist in submitting the application; they will also follow up on the status of your application until a plan has been set up.  Please keep in mind that the process of review can be long (60-90 days on average).

5.    Your counselor will continue to keep you updated on the progress of your application. Your file will remain open with your counselor through the entire process. And they will be able to answer ANY questions you have during this process.

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, 2005

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The Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice 2005 is a cooperative undertaking of three entitlement communities in metropolitan Rochester: Monroe County, the Town of Greece and the Town of Irondequoit. Both HUD and these participating jurisdictions recognize the benefits of this approach, including creating opportunities for collaboration in increasing housing choice, the opportunity for countywide initiatives to address identified barriers to housing choice and the increased likelihood that a variety of municipalities, as well as the entitlement communities themselves, will successfully engage members of the private sector. Fair Housing Planning Guide . (FHPG 2-11).

“Communities have authority and responsibility to decide the nature and extent of impediments to fair housing and to decide what they believe can and should be done to address those impediments.” (FHPG, i) HUD fair housing planning defines a four-step process. The first is to complete an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice. Its audience is the jurisdictions themselves. Step two is to develop strategies to overcome identified impediments and ways of measuring progress in doing so. The third step is to implement the strategies, and the fourth step is to measure results.

The County of Monroe and the Towns of Greece and Irondequoit, NY jointly contracted with The Housing Council to complete the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice 2005. The Analysis of Impediments (AI) is a review of impediments to fair housing choice in the public and private sector.

The analysis involves:

• An assessment of conditions, both public and private, affecting fair housing choice for all protected classes

• A comprehensive review of the jurisdiction’s laws, regulations, and administrative policies, procedures and practices

• An assessment of how those laws, etc. affect the location, availability and accessibility of housing

• An assessment of the availability of affordable, accessible housing in a range of unit sizes

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, 2005

ROC The Day on December 8th!

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The Housing Council in Rochester, NY is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and one of New York State’s most active HUD-approved housing counseling agencies.

We provide free and low-cost services along the entire continuum of housing and homeownership, whether you are a prospective homebuyer, current homeowner, tenant or landlord. We work hard to assist low and moderate-income households access the housing opportunities that they deserve, and that will provide critical stability in their lives.

On Thursday December 8th, the United Way is giving non-profits like the Housing Council a chance to reach out to individual donors and ask for financial support during “ROC the Day,” a one-day only, online giving event.

On December 8th, I’m asking you to support the Housing Council with a donation for as much or as little as you’re able to give so that we may continue to build on the strong programs that have helped our clients lead healthy, stable, and sustainable lives. The Housing Council maintains a 7% administrative costs rate, meaning that 93 cents of every dollar spent at the Housing Council is dedicated to direct services.

The Housing Council provides:

- Rental assistance to households experiencing financial emergencies
- Training, support and information to landlords and property managers
- Housing counseling to homeowners in danger of foreclosure
- First-time homebuyer training and education
- Fair housing information to tenants, homeowners and landlords

Click here to make a donation: http://roctheday.org/agency/TheHousingCouncil

We wouldn’t be here without our clients who we are proud to serve, and I’m asking for your help so that we can continue to offer high quality, free service to our clients well into the future.

Thank you for any amount of support you’re able to give!

*Like us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/thehousingcouncil

 

 

I need information on evicting a tenant.

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Good information runs a good business. We have been helping landlords know their rights and be successful business owners for decades. We operate the free Landlord Hotline, Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM, to answer your eviction questions. We also sell the fill-in-the-blank legal forms you’ll need if you have to go to court and an Eviction Guide book. Call our Landlord Hotline at 546-3700 or email us landlords@thehousingcouncil.org.