We're here to provide FREE help with your housing needs!
What is your housing need?
- Do you want to purchase a home? Don’t have enough to pay the down payment you need? Can’t get pre-qualified?
We can help you get your finances under control, improve your credit score, get the down payment assistance you didn’t know about, and find the right real estate professional and lending products to help you. - Has your income been effected by COVID-19?
We can help you gain access to mortgage and rental assistance, free job training programs, and other free resources available to you. - Are you behind on house payments? Worried about losing your home? Overwhelmed by credit card payments?
We provide free housing counseling services to help you get your financial house back in order, build wealth and provide peace of mind. - Have you been a victim of housing discrimination?
We can help you know your rights, whether you may have been discriminated against, and what free resources are there to help you make it right.
Just call us at 203-290-4255 and ask for Lizbeth, Carol, Iris, Beverly or any of us. IT’S THAT EASY!
ERA provides free classes and one-on-one counseling
ERA’s main focus is to educate families to achieve homeownership and self-sufficiency, retain their housing, maintain financial stability, and build wealth. ERA accomplishes this by providing pre-purchase counseling and education, credit repair, and foreclosure and eviction assistance services, among others. If you: want to buy a home, have bad credit, are looking to move, are worried about foreclosure or eviction, believe you have been discriminated against, or need additional benefits, BNT CAN HELP.
Registering for classes can be done easily online, and appointments for one-on-one housing counseling services can be obtained by calling (203) 290-4255. All of ERA’s classes and one-on-one counseling are free and are provided live online. Certain services are also available in person.
ERA provided 5,900 households with FREE housing education and counseling services in 2021!
ERA Programs and Services
- First time homeownership education and counseling
- Help obtaining a mortgage
- Pre-purchase and down payment assistance counseling
- Credit improvement and consolidation and budget coaching
- Foreclosure prevention counseling, education and mortgage assistance
- Fair Housing education and housing discrimination assistance
- Financial literacy counseling and education
- Rental and mobility counseling and education
- Reverse mortgage counseling
- Benefits access
- Assistance with MyHomeCT, Home Bridgeport, Time To Own and other housing assistance programs
Check out our Counseling Services, Classes, and Class Calendar.
And for more information on BNT’s Foreclosure Assistance Services, CLICK HERE.
FAQs about Homeownership and BNT’s Program
Well, that depends on a number of factors, including the cost of the house and the type of mortgage you get. In general, You need to come up with enough money to cover four costs: 1. Earnest money, the deposit you make on the home when you submit your offer, to prove to the seller that you are serious about wanting to buy the house…typically 1% of the contract price. 2. Down payment, a percentage of the cost of the home that you must pay when you go to settlement…e.g. as little as 3.50% with an FHA or CHFA mortgage. 3. Pre-closing costs such as appraisal and home inspection costs…approximately $1,200. 4. Closing costs and pre-paid escrows – the costs associated with processing the paperwork to buy a house such as attorney fees, title search and insurance, credit report, flood certification fees, title transfer taxes, recording fees, tax and HOI pre-paid escrows…approximately 7% of the sale price.
To start, you can use these simple mortgage calculators to see how much mortgage you can afford. If this amount is significantly less than the cost of homes that interest you, then you might want to wait a while longer before purchasing. But before you give up, why don’t you contact one of BNT’s housing counselors for a one on session? We can help you evaluate your loans potential and walk you through the process of getting pre-qualified for a loan. That means you go to a lender and apply for a mortgage before you actually start looking for a home. Then you’ll know exactly how much you can afford to spend, and it will speed up the process once you do find the home of your dreams.
Due to COVID-19, most all of our classes and one-on-one counseling are being done virtually. Class registration can be done easily online. Homeownership counseling sessions are done by appointment only. In certain cases we do in person counseling. To make an appointment, or for more information, please call us today 203-290-4255.
No. All services are provided free of charge.
This class will give you information on the home buying process from “soup to nuts.” This includes info on budgeting and credit and FHA, down payment and closing cost assistance programs, property inspections, appraisal and insurance, the mortgage closing process, steps to protect your largest assets – your home, foreclosure prevention, and predatory lending.
Some first-time homebuyer loan programs, such as Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA Mortgage Programs), along with all Down Payment Assistance Programs, require proof of homebuyer education from a US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Certified Housing Counseling Agency such as BNT.
A home is an investment and a way to build wealth and economic security. When you rent, you write your monthly check and that money is gone forever. But when you own your home, you can deduct the cost of your mortgage interest and property taxes from your federal and state income taxes. This will save you a lot each year, because the interest you pay will make up most of your monthly payment for most of the years of your mortgage. In addition, the value of your home may increase over the years, which builds equity (savings). Finally, you’ll enjoy having something that’s all yours – a piece of the American Dream.
What Our Clients & Partners Are Saying About Us:
"Dear Beverly,
We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the financial presentations you recently delivered to our Career Center clients here at Goodwill. Your expertise and dedication to helping individuals and families improve their financial literacy are truly admirable, & we are grateful for your partnership with us.
Your presentations were clear, informative, and engaging, and our clients learned a great deal from your insights and guidance. Your commitment to making a positive impact in our community is evident, and we are honored to work alongside you in this important endeavor.
Thank you for sharing your time, knowledge, and resources with us. Your contributions are making a real difference in the lives of the people we serve, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Building Neighborhoods Together."
– Mariaelena & Samantha from Goodwill of Western and Northern CT, 8/25/23
"Thank you Beverly! You are one those good people who wants to help! The impressive thing is that you did not forget sending me the referrals. Yesterday I sent you the documents that you requested. Let me know if anything else is needed. Thank you for your great job."
– Garbis, 8/24/23
"Beverly, thank you so much! The class was amazing and I learned so much. The homeownership monster seems so much easier to conquer now! Thank you again! "
– Ashlee, 4/1/23