Self-help information through various links, documents, publications, etc. Check the Community Directory Channel for more resources.
There are 34 resources
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Mortgages and Loans
Abusive Lending Website of the Federal Trade Commission
(Separate Website)
This web site contains documents relating to: (1) home equity loans, home equity credit lines and common home equity scams, (2) high rate, high fee mortgages, (3) reverse mortgages, (4) payday loans, and (5) mortgage discrimination. You may view the documents on-line and print them out or print them in PDF format.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Affordability Calculator: How Much Can You Spend to Buy a House?
(Separate Website)
This web site allows you to calculate how much you can afford to spend on a home.
By: Ginnie Mae
Applying for a Loan
(Separate Website)
Once you have negotiated a final purchase offer with the seller, you are ready to finalize the loan application process. Under RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act), lenders are legally required to provide you with a good faith estimate within three days after receiving your application. The information gives you an estimate of your closing costs and monthly payments. This good faith estimate does not require lenders to provide a detailed breakdown of the closing cost items or to identify the persons responsible for the payments. Therefore, it is important for you to work with your real estate agent or attorney to understand all the closing cost fees. This will ensure that there are no significant surprises related to your final closing costs.
By: Ginnie Mae
Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages
(Separate Website)
With a fixed-rate mortgage, the interest stays the same during the life of the loan. But with an Adjustable Rate Mortgage, the interest rate changes periodically, and your payments may go up or down. This brochure helps you to understand Adjustable Rate Mortgages.
By: Federal Reserve Board
Definitions and Terms used in the South Carolina High Cost Mortgage and Consumer Home Act of 2003
(Separate Website)
Slide presentation. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Fast Facts - Predatory Lending (The South Carolina High Cost and Consumer Home Loan Act)
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
By: SC Department of Consumer Affairs
Federal Mortgage Programs
(Separate Website)
This document contains information about federal programs to help you purchase your own home with a low-cost mortgage.
HUD's Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has mortgage insurance to help you become a homeowner. FHA doesn't actually make loans. Instead, it insures loans so that if buyers default for some reason, the lenders will get their money. This encourages lenders to give mortgages to people who might not otherwise qualify for a loan. You may be able to get an FHA loan 3% down, or even less! Talk to an FHA-approved lender about itto see if an FHA loan might be right for you.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
High-Cost Home Loans: Don't Be a Target
(Separate Website)
Homeowners Beware! You may be a target for abusive lenders trying to sell you a loan you can't afford. If this happens, you may unable to make the high payments and lose your home at a foreclosure sale or spend all of your spare cash paying off a loan you didn't need or want.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Officer Next Door Homeownership Opportunity
(Separate Website)
The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) wants to make American
communities stronger and to build a safer nation. Public safety improves when police
officers live in a neighborhood. The Officer Next Door (OND) program helps make this goal
a reality by making homeownership faster and more affordable for Law Enforcement
Officers.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Overview of Predatory Lending Law
(Separate Website)
Report on current laws regarding predatory mortgage lending. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
SC High Cost Mortgage and Consumer Home Act of 2003
(Separate Website)
Report on high cost mortgage loans and laws protecting consumers, presented in a slideshow format. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
South Carolina's Predatory Lending Laws Brochure
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Other Resources
100 Questions and Answers About Buying a New Home
This web page from the web site of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, answers common questions about buying new homes.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Other Formats:
Separate Website
Buying a Home
This document describes the basic process for buying a home, answering the following questions: What kind of property should you buy? How do you look for a house? What are the steps you must go through before you buy a house? What are the usual terms you find in a real estate contract? How do you pay for your new house?
How do you check the title for the property you are buying? What happens if you can't repay the loan? The document is an excerpt from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004).
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Buying and Selling Real Estate
(Separate Website)
Lawline FAQ: This information emphasizes the buying and selling of residential real estate. Many would be home buyers use the services of a real estate agent. Although the use of a real estate agent is not required, he or she can help by handling some of the details involved.
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Buying vs. Renting a Home
(Separate Website)
There are many advantages to buying a home versus renting one. This web site helps you compare the two situations. View these advantages in the Buy vs. Rent Comparison Chart, or view a financial comparison of buying versus renting in the Buy vs. Rent Calculator.
By: Ginnie Mae
Buying Your Home and the Law
(Separate Website)
Buying a home involves complex considerations. Once you have decided on the area in which you wish to live, you can save time and frustration by working with an experienced real estate broker. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Common Questions of First-time Homebuyers
(Separate Website)
This document contains frequently asked questions that first-time homebuyers have about purchasing a home.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Adobe Acrobat Reader required. (If you are using a screen reader that does not support PDF format, copy the PDF link, and use the Access Adobe online form to convert this file to HMTL text.)
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