You Can Be Home Owner!!!

Is buying a home the right decision for you? How do you get started? How much house can you really afford?

Our Money Place in conjunction with the Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation offers a free 12 - Session Home buyer workshop series. The sessions start in the fall every year. Learn about:

1. Home buying incentives,
2. reading your credit report,
3. saving and budgeting,
4. working with a real estate agent,
5. getting a loan the home inspection process, and
6. settlement.

Receive a home buying certificate upon completion of all 12 classes.

If you are looking to start the home buying process before the classes, sit down with us for a one-hour consultation. It will be the best $80 you have ever spent.

Call 410-362-3801 for more information

10 Tips On Being A Smart Consumer from The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development

1. Before you buy a home, attend a homeownership education course.
2. Interview several real estate professionals (agents), and ask for and check references before you select one to help you buy or sell a home.
3. Get information about the prices of other homes in the neighborhood. Don't be fooled into paying too much.
4. Hire a properly qualified and licensed home inspector to carefully inspect the property before you are obligated to buy. Determine whether you or the seller is going to be responsible for paying for the repairs. If you have to pay for the repairs, determine whether or not you can afford to make them.
5. Shop for a lender and compare costs. Be suspicious if anyone tries to steer you to just one lender.
6. Do NOT let anyone persuade you to make a false statement on your loan application, such as overstating your income, the source of your downpayment, failing to disclose the nature and amount of your debts, or even how long you have been employed. When you apply for a mortgage loan, every piece of information that you submit must be accurate and complete. Lying on a mortgage application is fraud.
7. Do NOT let anyone convince you to borrow more money than you know you can afford to repay. If you get behind on your payments, you risk losing your house and all of the money you put into your property.
8. Never sign a blank document or a document containing blanks. If information is inserted by someone else after you have signed, you may still be bound to the terms of the contract. Insert "N/A" (i.e., not applicable) or cross through any blanks.
9. Read everything carefully and ask questions. Do not sign anything that you don't understand. Before signing, have your contract and loan agreement reviewed by an attorney skilled in real estate law, consult with a trusted real estate professional or ask for help from a housing counselor.
10. Be suspicious when the cost of a home improvement goes up if you don't accept the contractor's financing.