Devin Black, a Financial Opportunity Coach for the Financial Opportunity Center at Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (GLCAP), has recently achieved certification as a HUD Housing Counselor. Black is set to host a first-time homebuyer class at GLCAP Headquarters on June 28 from 8 a.m. until noon. The class, offered quarterly, aims to equip potential homeowners with the knowledge and tools necessary to successfully navigate the home buying process.

GLCAP, a HUD-approved counseling agency, provides housing counseling services to those in Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wood counties. As part of his role, Black educates potential homebuyers on crucial aspects of homeownership, including building a household budget, understanding credit, determining affordability, obtaining a mortgage loan, shopping for a home, and building equity.

For homeowners facing potential foreclosure, Black emphasizes the importance of early intervention. "To resolve or prevent mortgage delinquency, we provide one-on-one counseling to cover debt restructuring, reinstatement plans, loan forbearance, and household finance management," Black stated. "Counseling also includes direct negotiation with the lender with the goal of preventing foreclosure. Call us immediately if you think you’re going to miss a mortgage payment. We can help you avoid that."

If interested in attending the first-time homebuyer class on June 28, contact Devin directly at 419-332-8263 or email at djblack@glcap.org. For more information about homebuyer counseling, visit www.glcap.org/homebuyer or call 800-775-9767.