Information for Homeowners

Know Your Rights

• Home A Loan: A Quick Guide on Reverse Mortgages for Senior Advocates

  A reverse mortgage is a type of loan that allows senior homeowners to convert the equity in their homes into a source of income, without having to sell the home. Content Detail

  By:

  National Consumer Law Center

• Home Repairs - How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off

  This document discusses basic issues relating to home repairs and helps you avoid getting ripped off. Content Detail

  By:

  Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.

• Mortgage and Foreclosure Relief: Answers for Reservists, Guardsmen and Other Military Personnel

  Information for service men and women about how the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act helps with mortgage relief, lease termination and eviction issues. Content Detail

  By:

  U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• Reverse Mortgages

  A reverse mortgage is a loan against your home that you do not have to pay back for as long as you live in your home. With a reverse mortgage, you can turn the value of your home into cash and not have to make monthly repayments. The total loan must be paid back when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or permanently moves away. Reverse mortgages are quite a bit different from other types of debt. These loans can be complicated, and you have a lot at stake. So be sure to investigate reverse mortgages carefully before deciding if one makes sense for you. Content Detail

  By:

  AARP Legal Services Network

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• The Making Home Affordable Program

  Find out if you qualify for the new Making Home Affordable Refinance and Modification options. The Making Home Affordable program will offer assistance to as many as 7 to 9 million homeowners making a good-faith effort to make their mortgage payments, while attempting to prevent the destructive impact of foreclosures on families and communities. Content Detail

  By:

  financialstability.gov

• After a Disaster: Repairing Your Home

  This website from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency offer tips for consumers who may be facing major repairs after a disaster hits home. Content Detail

  By:

  Federal Trade Commission

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• Georgia Department of Banking and Finance Website

  The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department) is the state agency that regulates and examines banks, credit unions and trust companies which are chartered by the State. The Department also has regulatory and/or licensing authority over mortgage brokers and lenders, check cashers, sale of check companies, money transmitters, international banking organizations, and bank holding companies conducting business in Georgia. Content Detail

  By:

  Georgia Department of Banking and Finance

• Home and Personal Property Disaster Loans

  This document addresses the requirements for eligibility for financial assistance from the US Small Business Administration if you are in a declared disaster area and are the victim of a disaster. Content Detail

  By:

  U.S. Small Business Administration

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• Mortgage and Real Estate Loans Information from the Federal Trade Commission

  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. Content Detail

  By:

  Federal Trade Commission

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• What You Should Know About Refinancing

  Refinancing is a process in which you pay off one or more existing debts with a new home loan. If you have perfect credit, refinancing is sometimes a good way to obtain a lower interest rate or to convert a variable rate loan to a fixed rate. However, if you are in the midst of financial difficulties, if you have too much debt, or if you have bad credit, refinancing is loaded with pitfalls. We recommend that you be very careful when refinancing debts. Many refinancing loans hurt consumer. Here are twelve things to consider before refinancing. Content Detail

  By:

  National Consumer Law Center

• Frequently Asked Questions about Homeowners' Insurance

  This web page answers common questions about homeowners' insurance. Content Detail

  By:

  Georgia Department of Insurance

• Georgia Consumer's Guide to Home Improvements

  This document provides some things to consider when making improvements to your home. Content Detail

  By:

  Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• Home Improvement Scams Alert

  This document discusses how to avoid scam artists who target low-income elderly homeowners and the tactics they use. Content Detail

  By:

  National Consumer Law Center

• Repairs and Mechanics' Liens in Georgia

  This document discusses repairs and the mechanics' liens that a someone repairing your auto or home can can levy on the property they repaired. The document is excerpted from An Introduction to Law in Georgia, Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004). Read More

  By:

  Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

  Read this in:

  Spanish / Español

• EarnBenefits Online

  How to get free checking accounts, homebuying resources, repairing your credit Content Detail

  By:

  Seedco