Agency Offers Counseling on Home Buying and Foreclosures

An agency has opened in Forest Park that will provide counseling to people interested in buying a home or wanting help with foreclosures.

The West Cook Home Ownership Center moved its offices from the Oak Park Regional Housing Center in Oak Park to 7740 W. Madison St., to accommodate a number of programs.

For anyone interested in purchasing a house, staff will take clients through the nuts and bolts of choosing a real estate agent. They also will help them sift through the maze on brokerage fees, the fine print on mortgages and help them spot a predatory lender. Counselors also will help clients assess if they are qualified to get money toward a down payment, said Marz Timms, the center's director.

Once they decide on home buying, clients will get help figuring out the best strategies for remaining in their investment. They'll get tips on money management, home upkeep and re-financing, among other issues, Timms said.

Similar information will be offered to first-home buyers during a seminar conducted the fourth Tuesday of every month at Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St.The next one will be Sept. 25.

The center also will help folks struggling with the pain of foreclosure. The center is a sponsor agency for Illinois Hardest Hit Fund, a state-federal partnership offering temporary mortgage payment help to households struggling with income loss because of unemployment or underemployment. Timms said the money families can get could be used to help them catch up on their mortgages or help them pay their mortgage going forward.

The center is a housing counseling agency certified by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development. It is free.

The agency is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 708-771-5801.