Saturday, November 18, 2017

Classes set for first-time home buyers


The West Side and Black Rock-Riverside Neighborhood Housing Services, 359 Connecticut St., held its monthly homebuyer education course recently.  Homeownership Counselor Lauren Jednak, right, teaches the class not only to people interested in living on the West Side but also to people looking to buy a home around Western New York. The class is for first-time homebuyers and is highly recommended, or in some cases even required, by banks to receive a mortgage loan. “We spoke about preparing for homeownership, like getting your credit score where it needs to be,” Jednak said. “Banks want to see a 620-credit score in order to get a mortgage.” The class costs $65 to attend, and residents who plan on going need to pre-register as spaces are limited for the course.  Lackawanna resident Tamra Hughes, left, and other residents of Western New York completed the class and received a certificate of completion for the course, which is valid for one year.  Jednak mentioned that the  nonprofit organization not only teaches this class but offers free homebuyer orientation courses. The orientation courses are held to answer any questions that residents have about buying homes. The education courses are held once a month, and the orientation classes are twice a month. The next orientation course will be on Nov. 22.  The last homebuyer education course of 2017 will be on Dec. 2.  Homebuyer education classes will resume once again monthly in January 2018.  By Alyssa Brannigan and Talyor Carruth