Homebuyer Class

The Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. (Bitter Root RC&D) will hold its Home Buyer Education pre-purchase class on Saturday, September 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors building at the corner of 4th and Cherry streets in Hamilton. The Bitter Root RC&D provides the only HUD-approved Home Buyer Education pre-purchase classes in Ravalli County. Sara Ann Briggs, its Housing Counselor, is HUD certified and NCHEC (NeighborWorks Center for Housing Education and Counseling) certified in five focus areas. All presenters are local professionals in lending, real estate, home inspection, etc. The cost for the in-person class is $75 and includes the one-on-one financial counseling session required prior to taking the group class. Attendees must attend the entire session on Saturday (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and participate in a one-on-one intake and financial counseling session to qualify for the certificate. This fulfills the education requirement of government insured or funded loans such as VA, FHA, MT Housing, NeighborWorks, USDA Rural Direct and Guarantee, etc. for first-time home-buyers. A full discussion of all down payment assistance programs and conventional loans are also included. Participants must be fully registered by Thursday, September 5, at 3 p.m. This includes payment in full and return of all completed paperwork. All one-on-one counseling sessions must be completed by Monday, September 9, at 7 p.m. Call 406-363-5450 to reserve your space today and have the required paperwork emailed or mailed to you. The one-on-one may be completed with a phone appointment and is included in the cost of the Home Buyer Education class. Payment in full is required to confirm space, and may be made by cash, check, money order, or MasterCard or Visa. The one-on-one cannot be scheduled until after payment and completed documents are received. If potential attendees are financially challenged, partial scholarships are available for those who qualify. The Bitter Root RC&D office is located at 1709 N. 1st Street in the building adjacent to Mildenberger Motors. This program is designed to help all prospective home buyers navigate the home-buying process. Included will be discussions on mortgage readiness, credit, budgets, getting a mortgage, new loan products and/or changes to current government insured or funded loan products, and getting the house you want.