FINANCE AND HOUSING PROGRAM
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First Time Homebuyer's Class
A Home of Your Own is a first-time homebuyer class open to all individuals interested in buying a home. If you are seeking to apply for the Osceola County S.H.I.P. Downpayment Assistance program or Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), this class is a pre-requisite to qualifying for assistance. All applicants, co-signers and spouses will need to receive a class certificate.
Please Note: This class does not guarantee that you will be eligible to receive funds towards purchasing a home, but rather helps you meet one of the requirements to apply for NSP.
ONLINE registrations only. We accept debit or credit card through Eventbrite - no cash or checks accepted.
2024 A Home of Your Own Class Schedule - Virtual Classes
Tuesday(s), October 1 & 3, 2024 (2 Evening online class) 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (English only)
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 (1 Day online class) 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Spanish only)
Thursday(s), October 17 & 24, 2024 (2 Evening online class) 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (English only)
Monday, October 21, 2024 (1 Day online class) 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Spanish only)
Thursday(s), November 7 & 14, 2024 (2 Evening online class) 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (English only)
Wednesday/Thursday, November 20 & 21, 2024 (2 Evening online class) 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (Spanish only)
For questions or more information, please call (321) 697-3000.
- Money Management/Upcoming Classes
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Save Your Home From Foreclosure
Having trouble paying your mortgage? Don't wait until it's too late! UF/IFAS Osceola County Extension Services can help! Our certified housing counselors work with homeowners to assess their immediate needs and look at possible solutions to prevent foreclosure. ALL counseling services are FREE and confidential. Call the UF/IFAS Extension in Osceola County at 321-697-3000 to speak with a HUD certified counselor about your options or attend a Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Clinic.
Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Clinics
Thursday, April 24, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Extension Services, Osceola Heritage Park
1921 Kissimmee Valley Ln.
Kissimmee, FL 34744To expedite your free services please have the following information ready.- Most recent mortgage statement
- 2 months recent pay stubs for all household earners and bank statements
- Last 2 years taxes
- Household budget
- List of all debt and minimum payment amounts
- Intake application
New Attorney General's Foreclosure Settlement Could Help You
By now you may have heard of the $25 billion National Mortgage Servicing Settlement. With the cooperative efforts of 49 state attorney generals, the Federal government reached an agreement that is holding the nation's five largest loan servicers (Ally Financial, Bank of America, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo) accountable for their actions. The settlement is requiring them to provide relief to distressed homeowners and those who lost their home from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2011.Foreclosure Prevention Options
Foreclosure Rescue Scam: Homebuyer Beware (en espanol)Making Home Affordable
The Making Home Affordable Program is helping millions of homeowners either refinance into more affordable monthly payments or offering loan modification options. For more information, click here.Consider working with a HUD Certified Counselors. They Can:- Evaluate your current situation and ability to repay
- Help you establish a monthly budget
- Contact the lender to help negotiate options
- Help you evaluate all options and explain each one
To find out if you qualify for the Making Home Affordable Program or to speak to a HUD-certified counseling agency, call (888) 995-4673.Renter's Rights
For information pertaining to Renter's Rights and Foreclosure, click here.
Local Programs to Help Prevent Foreclosure
The Osceola County Human Services department offers a one time grant of up to $5,000 to for those eligible. For more information call (407) 742-8400.
For questions or more information, please call (321) 697-3000.
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Renter's Rights and Foreclosure
Until recently, the lease that you signed with your landlord would have ended with the foreclosure. The following provides useful information to help a renter who is living in a foreclosed property understand their rights under Federal law.
What Should I do Now That My Property is Being Foreclosed?
Your landlord’s lender, usually a bank, takes possession of the house or sells the home in a public auction. Sometimes this happens even before the foreclosure is finalized. The first thing a bank usually does is start the process of evicting any tenants and emptying the house so that the house can be turned around and sold as quickly as possible. During this time, the new owners of the property usually do not make repairs or pay the utility bills so that any remaining occupants are “persuaded” to leave.
Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009
This law protects renter’s interest (including Section 8 tenants) during a foreclosure process in one of two ways:
- Renters with no lease or a month to month lease must be given at least 90 days notice before they are required to vacate the property.
- If the tenant has a lease lasting longer than a month, the renter is permitted to remain in the home for the duration of the lease. Only after their lease expires can the evictions proceed. There is an exception made for buyers of the foreclosed property who intend to live in the home. For these cases, only 90-days notice must be given before breaking the lease.
Please note: If the state of Florida law provides better protection for renters, then the state law overrides the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009.
If you are thinking of moving out early, one option to consider is “cash for keys”. With cash for keys, the new property owner pays you to leave the property before the end of your lease. If you leave the rental clean and in good condition, you can receive anywhere from $250 to $2,500. This sum usually depends on the value of the house, what items you agree to leave behind and the new owner.
What Should You do About Your Previous Landlord?
A starting point for talking with your previous landlord would be to discuss what to expect and the possibility of recovering deposits as early as possible. After the landlord and the tenant sign the lease, they have a legally binding document. The landlord is legally bound to deliver the rental during the lease, which was violated when the property went into foreclosure. Because of this, the tenant can sue their former landlord for moving and house-searching costs, application fees and any differences in rent you might incur by having to move. Also, beware for an unscrupulous landlord who will continue to collect their tenant’s rent payments, even after they are no longer the legal owners of the property. If this happens, you may want to explore your options with filing a small claims case in court. Keep in mind that your original property owner is probably hard-pressed for money right now and that awards for cases like these are usually relatively small. However, with a little time and effort, you could eventually get all that is owed to you.
Conclusion
Foreclosure can be an extremely disruptive process, but being prepared with the knowledge of what to expect can help you manage it and minimize any potential hazards. If you have any further questions, visit HUD’s website for:
Renting: http://www.hud.gov/renting/index.cfm.
Foreclosures: http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm
For questions or more information, please call (321) 697-3000.
- Home Safety Checklist
CONTACT US
Johanna Gomez
Extension Faculty
Finance and Housing
Email: jgramirez@ufl.edu
Amy Canar
Administrative Secretary
Email: acanar@ufl.edu