Published By Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
People still want to own a house. This is a part of the American Dream and is a symbol of success. Many are nervous about buying a home and no one can blame them. The cost may be a financial wellness challenge.
The Significant Cost
A house is one of the largest, if not the largest, expense an average person will have. The down payment required for a home mortgage can be 5% to 10% and the sum may be in the five figures. The house mortgage will need a financial commitment of up to 30 years and is a monthly expense.
Real estate operates in an environment all its own. There are activities most people do not understand and the means to control costs are confusing. Few people want to risk their financial wellness and therefore delay buying a property. That can be a mistake in some markets where prices are going up. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services appreciates the problem home-buyers face. We have a Financial Wellness benefit that can help.
Learning Real Estate
The rules of real estate aren’t that difficult and real estate terminology is not obscure. The average consumer can learn. Our self-study course, “Make Your Move”, is an easy to understand educational tool that helps in the learning process. The shared information enables a plan member to make better purchasing and financing decisions.
A Little Help from a Professional
The financial side of buying a house is frightening. A person is worried about how to afford paying the mortgage. Foreclosures have been common in the past ten years and consumers worry a bit about them. We offer sensible assistance that relieves anxiety.
The Countrywide network of certified counselors has the task of providing financial wellness support to plan members. These professionals understand what it takes to get ready for the purchase of a house. The first issue may be finding enough money for a down payment. The counselor will do an asset inventory of a plan member’s financial situation, looking for those items such as stocks or collectibles which might be sold to get down payment money.
A major worry is if a plan member can afford the monthly mortgage. Some first-time homebuyers honestly don’t know if they can afford the payments, because they are not sure of their budgets. A Countrywide counselor will do a budget analysis for the Financial Wellness Plan member. The analysis identifies how much cash is available for a mortgage. The counselor then makes suggestions on how to revise the budget, including credit card payments, to release the necessary money for monthly mortgages. Some suggestions on how to negotiate a reasonable interest rate are provided along with valuable insights from the counselor.
Relying on a Client
We assist organizations of all sizes and types. Our wide experience does not mean that we know everything about a prospective client’s workforce. Decision-makers in that organization know better than we do. Countrywide encourages clients to choose those benefits which will be part of their Financial Wellness Plan. We will not insist on any one option. We want the client to tailor a plan which best suits their employees. A measure of success is the number of employees who actively use the Countrywide benefit.
Clients can always count on superior member services. This is more than our standard efficient administration. Our counselors are known for their levels of empathy. No one is lectured about fiscal responsibility nor is anyone shamed because they don’t know something. Our responsibility is to provide help, not harsh criticism. We do our best for clients and their employees.
Owning a home is more than just a dream. A plan member can make it a reality with the help of the Countrywide counselor. There are other financial issues where we can provide the necessary assistance. We invite prospective clients to contact us at their earliest convenience and ask questions about Countrywide’s benefits and service. We believe that what they hear from us will be very pleasant surprises.