NeighborWorks Offers Homeowners Energy-Saving Tips for Your Home and Family

As the seasons change, it pays to be more energy efficient, which is why NeighborWorks America is now offering homeowners tips to improve the way your home and family use energy.

From simple tasks like turning out lights not in use and meal planning, to installing ceiling fans and storm doors, NeighborWorks outlines ways your home and your family can become more energy efficient and save money in the long run.

Download the tip sheet.

Actions to Protect Foreclosed Homes From Deteriorating Your Neighborhood

Vacant or foreclosed homes can diminish an area's quality. As they deteriorate from neglect, these homes become eye sores that drag down the property value of other homes in the neighborhood.

In an article appearing in Yahoo Finance, NeighborWorks America says there's danger in doing nothing. Several measures that individuals and communities can take to stabilize their neighborhoods and protect property values are laid out in this article.

Let us know some of the things you or your neighbors are doing to safeguard and invest in your neighborhood. Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

CNN Feature Demonstrates Importance of NeighborWorks Counseling

According to the IRS, 1.4 million people have taken advantage of the homebuyer tax credit, and Valatisha Jacinto, a Waco, Texas school teacher, was one of them. Jacinto and the credit counseling she received from NeighborWorks Waco were featured in a CNNMoney.com article on how the homebuyer tax credit has helped individuals buy a home.

NeighborWorks America supports the homebuyer tax credit and urges all homebuyers to seek homeownership education from a HUD-approved nonprofit organization — like NeighborWorks Waco — before purchasing a home. Jacinto’s story demonstrates the importance of this counseling. By working with NeighborWorks Waco to clean up her credit, Jacinto was ready to take advantage of the homebuyer tax credit when it was announced last February. She now owns an affordable three-bedroom, two-bath home, which she purchased with a 4.9 percent FHA-insured 30-year loan.

The tax credit was set to expire in December 2009, but it was expanded and extended through April 30, 2010 so more individuals could take advantage of the program.

NeighborWorks’ Achieving Excellence Program Named Finalist for National Housing Conference “Pioneering Housing Strategies” Award

Today NeighborWorks, the nation’s leading trainer of community development professionals, announced that its Achieving Excellence program was named a finalist for the National Housing Conference’s “Pioneering Housing Strategies” award. The award acknowledges forward-thinking strategies that are changing the way the industry approaches affordable housing and community development initiatives.

“We are delighted the National Housing Conference has recognized the NeighborWorks Achieving Excellence program. Achieving Excellence is an innovative organizational investment program that transforms the way community development nonprofits do business. As a result, nonprofits are better equipped to increase the availability of quality affordable housing, stem the tide of foreclosures, and revitalize communities,” said Ken Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America.

NeighborWorks is currently accepting applications from nonprofit leaders for the 2010-2011 Achieving Excellence class. The application deadline for the Achieving Excellence program is March 15, 2010. Applications, as well as additional program information, are available online at www.nw.org/ae.

NeighborWorks America COO Eileen Fitzgerald Urges Homeowners to Watch Out for Loan Modification Scams

In an interview with nationally syndicated Home and Family Finance Radio, NeighborWorks America COO Eileen Fitzgerald talked about a growing problem across the country: homeowners facing foreclosure losing their money and their homes to loan modification scams.

She urged homeowners to be cautious about whom they go to for help when facing foreclosure and described some of the warning signs that a scam may be taking place. Fitzgerald directed homeowners to http://www.loanscamalert.org/, the Web site of a national campaign that Congress asked NeighborWorks America to launch to raise awareness of this national problem. She also said homeowners in trouble can find free, trusted help by going to http://www.findaforeclosurecounselor.org/ to locate a HUD-approved housing counselor.

Listen to the interview here. It is the first Home and Family Finance podcast listed and the segment starts about 10 minutes into the broadcast.