NHS Provides the Tools for Successful Homeownership and Empowers People for the Future

Submitted by: The Lending Department, NHS of Baltimore

Oct 7, 2008 NHS of Baltimore had a family referred to us who was interested in buying a home, but whose credit was in such bad disrepair, their current mortgage company was not willing to help or counsel them. The Smith family had several blemishes on their credit record that required immediate attention and reconciliation before they would be ready or capable of owning their first home. When they first came in to see us for help, their situation looked pretty dire, but they were very willing to do what needed to be done in order to resolve their credit issues, so we decided to work with them.

We began working with the Smith family one-on-one, identifying the key problems with their credit and advising them on debts that needed to be paid first. We were then able to negotiate cooperation from their creditors, as well as the credit bureaus in allowing them to pay off and expunge the debts. From this point, it was our job to keep in touch with the bureaus and fax over proof of payment so they could remove the blemishes from the Smith’s record entirely.

The lending department worked tirelessly with the Smith family over the course of five months to help them reconcile their debts. They purchased their first home on February 25, 2009 with a fixed, 30 year mortgage of 5.25%. The loan was serviced by us through Provident Bank, which we are proud to say was successful. Not only did it take patience from our end, it took dedication and willingness on the Smith’s end. So many times, clients seek NHS of Baltimore’s services thinking we are some kind of miracle workers. But we tell people, ‘you have to be willing and able to do it yourself. All we can do is guide you in the right direction.’

Being a non-profit, homeownership organization, we pride ourselves on providing people with responsible help that will guarantee successful and sustainable homeownership. We won’t put people in a loan if we don’t think they are prepared or capable to own a home.
In the Smith’s case, they overcame many obstacles to becoming homeowners, and with our support they were able to embrace the American dream.

Note: For our client’s protection, we have kept their name anonymous. The “Smith family” is an anonym.