For the Homeowner

Home Improvement Programs

The HOC offers several home repair and energy efficiency improvement programs for homeowners.  Click here for more information.

Financial Literacy Education

Everyone can benefit from financial literacy. Owning a home and maintaining good money habits can be a challenge to any homeowner. Our financial literacy course will educate you on money management, including how to budget and use credit wisely, and home maintenance.

All customers receiving home improvement services from The HomeOwnership Center are required to take the Financial Literacy Course.

See our financial literacy class schedule.

To help you avoid future problems with your mortgage we have put together a list of helpful suggestions:

HomeOwner's Checklist

Post Purchase Workshops

We offer monthly workshops on topics concerning money management and owning a home, such as insurance, home maintenance, home safety, reverse mortgages, landlord training, saving and investing. These workshops are open to the public and offered at various locations throughout our three-county service area.

Please contact our office for information on upcoming workshops.

Foreclosure Prevention Counseling

It is understandable in an economy that faces some ups and downs that consumers can occasionally fall behind paying bills. It can happen to the best of us for a number of reasons. However, it is important to protect your largest asset – your home! The key is to get help as soon as you know there is a problem. Our HUD certified staff members can assist in budgeting, credit counseling and foreclosure prevention. We work with you and your lender to explore all possible options to assist you in staying in your home.

Before you receive counseling we are required to obtain completed forms from you which you can obtain below.  You can print them and mail them to us or scan the completed form into your computer and e-mail them to us.  Once we receive your forms we will call you to schedule an appointment.

Introduction Letter & Foreclosure Forms

List of Mortgage Servicers and info on participation in Federal programs

Sample Hardship Letter for Mortgage Servicer

Customer Intake Form

IRS form 4506T-EZ

Financial Literacy Requirement

Please complete the forms above and return them to our office:

1611 Genesee Street

Utica, NY 13501

or e-mail to: vsteele@unhs.org

Reverse Mortgage Counseling

As a HUD-Certified Counseling Agency, the HOC provides Reverse Mortgage (HECM) Counseling to those interested in obtaining a reverse mortgage. Because a home is considered to be an asset, there are ways to turn that asset into cash.  A reverse mortgage is one way that seniors can cash in on the value of their homes. 

A reverse mortgage is a loan against your home that you do not have to pay back as long as you live there. There are no credit requirements and no income limits. To be eligible for a reverse mortgage you must own your home and be 62 years of age or older. In order to apply for a reverse mortgage you MUST receive counseling by an approved agency, like the HOC.

How do you decide if a Reverse Mortgage is right for you? Our qualified staff can help with individual counseling that will give you the information you need to make the right decision.

Before you receive counseling we are required to obtain two completed forms from you which you can obtain below.  You can print them and mail them to us or scan the completed form into your computer and e-mail them to us.  Once we receive your forms we will call you to schedule an appointment.  You will also find two informational brochures that you may find useful.  Feel free to print them if you like.

Below are the Adobe PDF files mentioned above:

Cover letter

Intake form (print and fill-out)

Disclosure Statement (print and fill-out)

Privacy policy (information)

Use Your Home to Stay at Home brochure

Reverse Mortgage Counseling Protocol brochure

Please return the intake form and disclosure form to us at:

1611 Genesee Street

Utica, NY 13501

Copyright 2007 Utica HomeOwnership Center Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without authorization.