LOOKING FOR YOUR OWN PRIVATE OASIS? Barb Ferguson

Dear
Homebuyer
Education
Graduates:
NeighborWorks Great Falls
509 1st Ave South
Great Falls, MT 59401
406-761-5861
August 2014
Many of you are
sending a child off to college this
summer. This is a bittersweet time
for all. I have a child headed to
college myself and she said “now
you can do what you want and
only worry about yourself.” I had
to laugh out loud; as a parent we
never stop worrying.
Since working at NeighborWorks I
have learned the value of good
credit and am passing on that
knowledge to my children and to
all of you who attend homebuyer
education.
Now that you all have been
through the first-time homebuyer
class and have learned so much
information I hope you pass on all
of your knowledge.
Remember to do something for
yourself now that you have the
free time.
Sincerely,
LOOKING FOR YOUR OWN PRIVATE OASIS?
NeighborWorks Great Falls is building what could be your NEW HOME!
We have 2 new homes currently under construction. Each home has 3 bedrooms, 1 bath
and cathedral ceiling in the living rooms. (see more details below)
 Down payment assistance will be available as a deferred mortgage up to $50,000
for qualified first-time home buyers.
 All buyers must complete the first time homebuyer class. In addition to our new
construction, we have several properties to suit everyone's needs.
Contact the office for more details and to be added to our mailing list to be notified
when these homes are ready. You can also view our homes for sale listings on our
website at nwgf.org.
Barb Ferguson
Do you want to buy a
home, but don’t have a
down payment?
Enroll in our matched
savings program. If you
save $1,000 we will match
you $4,000. That’s $5,000
for a down payment!
Call Barb at 761-5861
for more information.
NEW CONSTRUCTION: 509 8TH AVE SOUTH - $143,000
This Energy Star certified starter home has 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, 1,090 sq. ft. of
living space, a 20’x20’ parking pad and 8’x12’ shed
NEARLY NEW: 707 7TH AVE. S. - $143,000
This starter home has 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, 1,136
sq. ft. of living space, on-demand water heater, off
street parking, and a 8’x12’ shed.
NEW CONSTRUCTION: 606 5TH AVE SOUTH - $143,000
(SAME LAYOUT AS ABOVE HOME)
Mom, I’m Going to College and I need a Credit Card
Is someone in your family going off to college soon? Here’s some credit
advice to pass along to the college-aged loved ones in your life.
A minor has three main options to secure a “standard credit card”:
Did you know 1 in 4
people have inaccurate
information on their
credit reports?
If your child is over 18 they
should be pulling a credit
report at least once a year.
This can be done through
annualcreditreport.com
This is a free service and
does not hurt your
credit score.
H om e bu yer Ed u c a ti o n
Vo l u n t e e r
Kim Martin,
Dahlquist Realtors
Kim began her real
estate career in 2002
and her Broker’s
License in 2009 and
currently, serves as
Chair of the Realtor Flag Project and Vice
President of the Great Falls Association of
Realtors. This profession has its ups and
downs like any other, but can be quite
rewarding, especially when working with
first time home buyers. It’s nice to see
someone realize the “American Dream”.
Thank you, Kim,
for over 6 years of educating our
first time homebuyers.
1. Apply as an individual applicant and show proof of income or a means
of repaying the debt that meets the card issuer’s criteria.
2. Apply jointly—where typically a parent or guardian (or someone at
least 21 years of age co-signs—meaning they are contractually liable for the
debt) with the applicant for the credit card. If approved, both the applicant
and the co-signor are contractually responsible for the credit, and account
performance is reported to the credit bureaus on both, thus helping the
applicant to build a credit history.
3. Be placed as an authorized user on a parent’s existing credit card
account. There no approval process in this option, the existing card holder
contacts the credit card company and request the minor be placed on the
account as an authorized user. This is one of the best ways to establish
credit without having to apply for your own card since there’s no credit
inquiry and your credit report will reflect the same credit utilization rates as
your parent’s card.
Matched Savings Accounts for Education
Montana Education Savings Account (MESA)
program was created for students pursuing higher
education who need more funding than they receive
through federal aid and family contributions. With
student debt numbers rising students need innovative ways to cover
college costs and reduce student debt. The MESA program includes: Carroll
College, Gallatin College, University of Montana, Montana Tech, and
Montana State University.
A main goal of the MESA program is to provide each participant with a set
of tools that will enable them to make well-informed choices and
continue to build their assets long after the program ends. We believe
that developing savings habits and increasing financial literacy now will be
useful throughout a student's lifetime. For more information on the
MESA program, go to www. montanacreditunions.coop/matched-savingsaccounts.
Find More Free Money – This can be the key to saving
you thousands of dollars in interest you would need to
pay later. There are billions of dollars available to those
who put in the effort to apply. Check out these sites:
https://www.salliemae.com/plan-forcollege/scholarships/scholarship-search/
and https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college.
Upcoming Homebuyer
Education Classes
Tell Your Friends To Join Us
Pre-registration is required
406-761-5861
August 27 & 28
September 27
or visit
Questions?
www.nwgf.org