Financial Counseling
Avesta HomeOwnership Center
The Avesta HomeOwnership Center (HOC) helps renters and homeowners improve their personal financial health to build vibrant communities.
You do not need to be an Avesta Housing Resident in order to receive these services. You must live in Maine. All financial backgrounds welcome.
Assistance We Provide
Buy a Home
Let us help you become a savvy home buyer! Our Home Buyer Education Course is a 8-hour class taught by certified housing counselors and industry professionals with expertise in their fields. The course meets one of the requirements for participants to receive the $5,000 MaineHousing Advantage Grant that they can apply toward their down payment and closing costs.
Participants will learn how to: Navigate the home-buying process, manage money and maximize creditworthiness, qualify for and obtain a mortgage loan, get the most out of a home inspection, and complete the closing process.
Financial Health
Financial counseling can help you:
- Identify and set clear financial goals
- Develop a personalized budget
- Understand your credit
- Manage your debt responsibly
- Evaluate financial products (loans, credit cards, bank accounts)
KEEP YOUR HOME
Our HUD-certified staff will help you:
- Understand your credit and personal finances
- Design a personalized budget
- Establish an appropriate payment plan with property management (Avesta Housing residents only)
- Navigate Maine's foreclosure process (paperwork, mediations, communication with attorneys)
- Review and explain complicated legal documents and programs
- Negotiate with mortgage companies for delinquency workout options
Make contact with us today!
FAQ:
No. This class is designed to provide education about the process of buying a home. Many mortgage loan products require this education, and the First Time Home Buyer class satisfies those requirements. Further, if a student is looking to purchase a home using the Maine Housing First Time Home Loan, this loan product has an education requirement and eligible borrowers can access a $5,000 grant.
Once the course has been completed, all students receive a “lender letter.” When a student goes under contract for a home, that letter will be completed by the loan officer and provided to the HomeOwnership Center. Once it is received, the certificate of completion will be released to the student and the loan officer.
The class costs $30 per person.
You may be able to use the certificate in another state if the loan product being used has an education requirement. The $5,000 grant that is associated with the first home loan cannot be used in another state.
All 1-on-1 counseling is FREE and confidential.
