Jun 11, 2015 1 min read

Community Action Southwest’s home ownership center offers free, individual appointments with HUD-certified housing counselors trained to assist area residents with the credit repair and home buying processes or, for those who own homes, how to prevent foreclosure.

Counselors work with potential home buyers to determine what they can afford, review their credit scores, determine how credit scores can be improved when needed, discuss options for down payment assistance and explore pre-qualification for suitable loan programs.

For those who already own homes, counselors are available to help with refinancing when needed or feasible and to enroll them in programs designed to prevent foreclosures through the national Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Initiative.

Community Action Southwest also has other support services including its weekly series of financial literacy classes, listings of local realtors, home builders, mortgage lenders and home insurers, plus information about local housing programs including those offered through the Washington County Redevelopment Authority.

Community Action Southwest’s home ownership center receives funding through Washington County’s Local Share Account, the United Way of Washington County, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Additional information is available at 724-225-9550, extension 421.