Help for Inland Empire Homebuyers

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - April 20, 2017 - PRLog -- Help is on the way for homebuyers seeking to purchase their first home or return to homeownership in the Inland Empire. Two local non-profit organizations, credit.org and Springboard Home Loans have joined with Freddie Mac to sponsor Own IE – a free event designed with everything a new or returning homebuyer needs to know to be successful homeowners.  All are welcome to attend the event, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2017 at University California Riverside.

Own IE offers attendees a complete HUD-approved home buyer education course, plus information about federal, state and local programs designed to help eligible buyers with down payment funds, closing cost assistance, flexible home loans including a little-known program that provides eligible borrowers a federal tax credit worth about $1,500 each year of home ownership.  What's more, attendees will hear motivational messages from recent successful homebuyers and everyone will receive a personalized home buyer action plan and home loan pre-qualification worksheet.

The April 29^th event is free to the public and will include breakfast refreshments and lunch.  In order to guarantee a space at the event, interested homebuyers should register at www.OwnIE.org or call (855) 494-4716. The Own IE event has caught the attention of local leaders including Riverside City Councilmember Paul Davis (Ward 4) who said, "expanding home ownership opportunities is one of the best ways local governments can stabilize neighborhoods and help individuals and families build wealth and economic stability - the Own IE event will give Inland Empire home buyers the resources and support they need to succeed."

Springboard Home Loans is a non-profit lender that works to bridge the wealth gap in America by providing access to low-cost home loans and special homebuyer assistance programs; with a focus on serving first-time home buyers, people of color and rural communities. "In 2017 we plan to sponsor 27 Own events throughout the State because we've seen that it is possible for someone to arrive at the event in the morning with just a general interest in the homeownership process and leave fully armed with the knowledge, resources and confidence to immediately enter and succeed in the local home buying market," said Springboard's President Gabe del Rio.

Credit.org the co-sponsor of the Own IE event is a non-profit, HUD-approved housing counseling agency and will issue all participants completing the course a certificate that satisfies the education requirements for first-time home buyer and down payment assistance programs. Credit.org's Chief Relationship Officer Melinda Opperman noted that "the goals of the Own IE event mesh perfectly with our mission of improving lives and financial well-being of individuals and families through education and counseling."

Some of the topics to be covered at the Own IE event include:  Five insider tips to building a mortgage-ready credit profile; six little-known government programs for first-time homebuyers; a simple strategy anyone can use for beating out cash buyers and getting your purchase offer accepted; and how to qualify for a $15,000 forgivable loan that can be used for down payment and closing cost assistance.

Opperman reminds everyone that space is limited and that the best way to secure a reservation is by visiting www.OwnIE.org or by calling (855) 494-4716.

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About credit.org

Credit.org® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 with a mission to help strengthen communities and improve the lives of individuals and families by providing financially focused counseling and coaching that promotes financial education, empowerment and health. Credit.org is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Credit.org offers personal financial education and assistance in credit counseling, housing counseling, debt and money management, student loan counseling, pre-bankruptcy counseling and debtor education through educational programs and confidential coaching. Credit.org is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, signifying the highest standards for agency governance, fiscal integrity, counselor certification and service delivery policies. Counseling is available by telephone nationwide or in-person at office locations in California, Arizona, and South Carolina. For more information on credit.org, please call (800) 449-9818 or visit their web site at www.credit.org.

About Springboard Home Loans

Springboard Home Loans is a specialized community-based nonprofit financial institution whose mission is to deliver affordable credit and capital to minority and economically distressed communities underserved by traditional lenders, and are committed to helping clients secure the best mortgage financing options on the market. See more at: www.springboard.org.