If you know someone who is ready to buy a home, it’s a great time to share with them why working with Idaho Housing — just like you did — is easier than ever.

Idaho Housing offers some of the lowest interest rates in the state and can help potential homeowners buy a home with a low down payment. In fact, they’ll likely discover that a monthly mortgage payment may be less than what they’re paying in rent.

Only Idaho housing offers loan options with closing-cost assistance, low or no mortgage insurance, and homebuyer tax credits. Best of all, you can be confident that your friends and family will always

enjoy prompt, top-notch customer service from a company that’s been in Idaho for more than 40 years. Their loan will never be sold to a third party and they’ll always be able to reach a real person when they call, email or stop by with a question.

When you help make someone’s dream an affordable reality you also could help make them a winner.

Have them check out Idaho Housing’s unique loan products and see how much they can afford at idahohousing.com. Once there, they’ll have a chance to participate in our “housie” contest. People who like Idaho Housing’s Facebook page and send us a picture of themselves in front of the house of their dreams by June 10 will be eligible for a $2,000 gift card to spruce up their home. The contest is open to any legal Idaho resident who is 18 years or older.*

Information for IHFA Homeowners Summer 2014

Share the Benefits of Homeownership

idahohousing.comShare the joy of homeownership, not your loan information.

HomeSenseProtect Yourself From Money ScamsWe want to help protect you against potential scams regarding your mortgage payment. One such scam involves prepaid credit cards like the Green Dot MoneyPak card. These cards can be a convenient way to pay bills and make purchases online, but they can be used to con unsuspecting consumers.

Criminals claiming to be from Idaho Housing and Finance Association could call or email you and ask you to preload a card and provide them with the card’s 14-digit code. If you provide it, crooks get instant access to the money on the card.

To Protect Yourself:DO NOT■■ Don’t provide debit or credit card numbers to make your mortgage payment. Idaho Housing does not accept payments made by debit or credit card.■■ Don’t trust caller ID — even if the call appears to come from Idaho Housing. Criminals have tools to manipulate caller ID information.■■ Don’t give personal information such as loan or Social Security numbers over the phone or email.

DO■■ Do hang up and call us back if you are suspicious about a call from Idaho Housing. Look up our number at idahohousing.com or in the phone book. Do not get the number from the caller or caller ID. ■■ Do make your mortgage payment through our secure site, idahohousing.com.■■ Do make your payment by automatic bank draft. Find the form at idahohousing.com by clicking on “Make a Payment.”■■ Do mail your payment according to the instructions on your payment coupons. *Employees of IHFA, their immediate families, and people living in their households are not eligible. Complete contest rules are available by following the link at idahohousing.com.

Do you know someone who is still renting? How about someone who doesn’t seem to want to break free from his or her parents’ nest? There’s a good chance that person needs a “rentervention.”

Send us your “housie” and you could be a winner! Find out how at idahohousing.com.

To view past HomeSense newsletter issues, please visit the newsroom at idahohousing.com. To order additional copies or to offer comments, please contact the IHFA Marketing and Communications Department at 208.331.4858 or marcomm@ihfa.org. For questions about your home loan, contact IHFA Mortgage Services at 800.526.7145.

Published three times a year by Idaho Housing and Finance Association

ProgramSenseWin $100 By Making Your Mortgage Payments Online

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Connect with us!

Connect with Idaho Housing and Finance Association on Facebook at facebook.com/idahohousing, on Twitter at @idahohousing, or on YouTube at youtube.com/IDhousing.

Paying your Idaho Housing mortgage online will save you money on postage and save you the time it takes to write a check. It also could make you a winner. If you make your payment online and on time for three consecutive months, you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing to receive a $100 gift card to a home improvement store near you in IHFA’s online payment promotion.

Recent winners Chad and Michelle of Coeur d’Alene started making their mortgage payments online immediately after moving into their new home a year ago. “It’s really convenient and we just don’t use checks

anymore unless absolutely necessary,” Chad said.

It’s easy to join Chad and Michelle. Make sure you know your loan and Social Security numbers, then go to idahohousing.com and click on “Home Loans.” From there, click “Make A Payment” and you’ll be able to sign up.

Chad and Michelle of Coeur d’Alene

Every Idaho county has an assessor, an elected official whose primary function is to assess the market value of all properties in the county and maintain property ownership

records. Each year around June, property and tax assessment notices are sent to all property owners to make them aware of the information on file concerning their property.

You should to review the information you get from your county assessor before you file it away. Make sure that your home has not been overassessed and

that if you qualify for the homeownership exception it’s in place. (Some counties have explanations online on how to read assessment notices.) Although there may be differences by county, after you receive the assessment notice, you can also find information online on how the assessor collects, calculates, maintains, and distributes this information as well as deadlines to contest and respond to those mailings.

If you have any questions after reviewing your assessment notice, you should contact your county assessor’s office.

Link to your county’s website at www.idcounties.org

or www.idaho.gov/aboutidaho/county/index.html.

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QuickTipWorried about your mortgage payment? Free help is available.Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) offers free HUD-approved housing counseling to any consumer statewide, regardless of whether your loan is with IHFA.If you think you might be unable to make a payment, visit preventforeclosurenow.org. Or, you can call 1.877.888.3135 or email mortgageserv@ihfa.org to discuss your situation and talk about what options might be available. The sooner you get in touch with a housing counselor, the more time you have to address your concerns.

Visit preventforeclosurenow.org today.

It’s Almost Time to Review Your Property and Tax Assessment Information

Understand Fair Housing RightsFour animated videos brought to you by Idaho Housing and Finance Association will help you understand the basics of fair housing, recognize discrimination, report possible violations, and promote accessibility. The videos, in English and Spanish, are available at idahohousing.com (search for “fair housing videos”) and fairhousingforum.org.

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