RACLT

Rockingham Area Community Land Trust started the NeighborWorks® HomeOwnership Center of Southeastern Vermont in 1998. In 2004 RACLT partnered Windham Housing Trust to expand homeownership center services throughout southeastern Vermont. In 2007 we began working with Twin Pines Housing Trust and Upper Valley Housing Coalition to expand services to the Upper Valley.

The Center provides education; counseling and access to affordable mortgage products that assist first-time home-buyers buy a home. Each year we help 60-70 Vermonters buy their first home; 20-25 people get home repair loans; and help 50-60 people deal with mortgage delinquency and avoid foreclosure. Annually our workshops are attended by over 100 families.

The Center’s nationally certified staff provides unbiased information on home-buying, lending and resolving credit issues. Qualified buyers can then gain access to affordable mortgages. For lenders, real-estate agents, and insurers, the HomeOwnership Center offers mortgage-ready customers, standardized homebuyer education, time and cost savings, and access to special sales outlets including affordable single-family homes land-banked through the Land Trust’s shared equity program.

HomeOwnership Center Services and Products:

• Realizing the American Dream Homebuyer Workshop – Participants learn how to determine affordability, rebuild credit, reduce debt, become mortgage-ready, select an appropriate lender, pre-qualify with a lender, select a house, negotiate a purchase price, and access down-payment and closing cost assistance that can help them get the most home for their money. At least one eight-hour workshop is scheduled each month.
• One-on-One Personal Assistance – Our certified HomeOwnership counselors provide confidential assistance and work with each customer to develop a personalized home-buying plan.
• Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance – We have funds available to help buyers cover down payment and/or closing costs. Our workshop is also a requirement for many lenders’ and insurers’ assistance programs.
• Shared Equity Homeland Mortgage Grant – We can provide grants up to 20% of purchase price for income eligible buyers interested in buying a home through the land trust. Grant recipients agree to a restricted resale price to create permanently affordable single-family homes.
• Home Rehabilitation Loans – We provide loans to help income-eligible buyers make improvements and repairs to their homes.
• Delinquency Prevention – Our certified HomeOwnership counselors provide confidential assistance to help anyone who is having trouble making ends meet and thus is in danger of falling behind in their mortgage.

For more information call (802)885-3220 to speak with our knowledgeable staff.