Foreclosure crisis in Ohio? There are so many layers and levels to this issue it’s impossible to tackle it all right now, however, the one issue that most concerns me today is education.
If you read this blog frequently, you know that education is important to me. I want my clients, my customers, and readers to be educated. There is no more pressing issue to me than to make sure people know what they are doing when they are buying a house. Whether or not I’m representing you- please know what you are doing.
I’ve been accused of giving out too much information! Huh? You kiddin’ me? Someone is about to make what is likely the biggest financial decision of their life, how in the name of all that is good and just in the world can I give them too much information?
A story: I once had clients who were purchasing a derelict property in Dayton. A whole house inspection is always recommended, but obviously with this property it was imperative. So they contracted with 1st Inspection Servicesto do the inspection. Paul Updyke spent a few hours at a 1200 square foot house crawling around, over and under this property, sweating like a pig, to give my clients a thorough inspection: Photos, examples, taking the time to show my clients every little thing he could find “wrong” with this property. That’s what he gets paid to do. Every house has flaws, inspectors get paid to find flaws, you want to know the flaws. Trust me on this, you really want to know the flaws. Anyway, within a day we had the report. 60 pages of report for a 1200 square foot home: Photos, comments, recommendations; a very thorough and concise record of this home and it’s flaws.
I’m concerned. I want to make sure my clients understand what this means so I sat down with them and we went through the report. They were none too happy about this. They wanted me to gloss over the bad stuff and even asked me if I was trying to persuade them to back out of the contract. You know what? I’m okay with them asking that- it means I’m doing my job. My job is to do what is in your best interest. To me, that includes educating you as best I can so that you understand what you are doing when you buy a home.
A real estate agent, me, is hired for a myriad of things: Experience, knowledge, ability. A real estate agent might have all of those in abundance, but if they are not sharing it with you, if they are not educating you during this most important purchase… Well.
What does this have to do with foreclosures? We have reached that place in real estate history where a crisis has occurred. Crisis is painful, but crisis forces change. You, as a real estate consumer, will no longer be comfortable taking someone else’s word for it. You will no longer blindly accept that all the people involved in this transaction are looking out for your best interests. The vast majority of us are looking out for your best interest, by the way, but you will no longer blindly accept that. You are going to want information, statistics, knowledge. You are, in other words, going to want demand to be educated. For real estate agents like me, this can’t come soon enough.
Indulge me another story: My broker, David Cooper, and the brokerage, EXiT Realty Central, have nothing to do with this blog. This blog is me, Theresa Lussier. I had this blog before I started working with EXiT Realty and, since real estate agents are independent contractors, I don’t check with them before I post. Everything you see here is me, so much so that David recently told me that he was a bit uncomfortable with the information I was giving here. The information I share here is not wrong, or illegal, or unethical. And he’s okay with me giving out this information, he’s simply not accustomed to seeing a lot of real estate information given out. You know what? I’m okay with his discomfort.
Which brings me to Ohio foreclosures. While I think that the Governor’s smiling head shot has no business beaming back at you on a foreclosure crisis website, the fact is that the Save the Dream website is a wealth of information, education, and a consolidated place to go if you find yourself in trouble, or hopefully to prevent you from finding yourself in trouble. There are phone numbers, website links, videos, articles- it’s a good place to go to get educated. The information is easy to obtain, easy to share, and can prevent crisis.
Yes, all this information given before a purchase would have prevented this crisis. Yes, everyone involved in real estate transactions, everyone, has a part to play in creating this crisis. But you know what? Whatever we are going through right now, we won’t get fooled again.
From the Save the Dream site; foreclosure counseling in the Dayton area:
- HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies
- Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP)
Phone number: 216-361-0718
http://www.esop-cleveland.org
- Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Phone number: 614-552-2222
Toll Free number: 800-355-2227
http://www.cccservices.com
- Community Action Partnership of the Greater Dayton Area
Phone number: 937-341-5000
http://www.cap-dayton.org
- Dayton Urban Ministry Center
Phone number: 937-278-1167 or 937-278-9231
- Graceworks Lutheran Services
Phone number: 937-534-7900
Toll Free number: 800-377-2432
http://www.graceworks.org
- Helping Hands Community Outreach Center
Phone number: 937-268-6066
http://www.firstgiving.com/helpinghands
- Holt Street Miracle Center
Phone number: 937-222-7420
- Lutheran Social Services of Midamerica/Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Miami Valley
Phone number: 800-377-2432
Toll Free number: 800-377-2432
http://www.graceworks.org
- St. Mary Development Corporation
Phone number: 937-853-1600
http://www.homeownershipdayton.org
- Wesley Community Center
Phone number: 937-263-2556
http://www.wesleycenterdayton.org
- Legal Services
- Equal Justice Foundation
Phone number: 614-221-9810
Toll Free number: 800-898-0545
http://www.equaljusticefoundation.com
- Advocates For Basic Legal Equality
Phone number: 937-228-8088
Toll Free number: 866-837-8832
http://www.ablelaw.org
- Legal Aid of Western Ohio
Phone number: 937-228-8088
Toll Free number: 800-867-9431
- Community Organizations
- Montgomery County Save Our Homes
Phone number: 937-496-7752 or 937-225-4912
- United Way’s HelpLink and 211
Phone number: 937-225-3000
Toll Free number: 800-917-3224
http://www.dayton-unitedway.org
- Additional Resources
- AARP
Foreclosure and Reverse Mortgage Information
Toll Free number: 800-209-8085
http://www.aarp.org
- Department of Job and Family Services
Prevention Retention and Contingency Program
Phone number: 937-496-6720
http://www.thejobcenter.org
- Montgomery County Veteran’s Service Office
Phone number: 937-225-4801
- Ohio Benefit Bank
Toll Free number: 800-648-1176
http://www.obb.ohio.gov