ORIGN SC December 2017 Newsletter

Check out what's new and exciting at Origin SC this month!

December 2017 Buying Your Home, the Origin Way We interviewed our clients, Mr. Tiko Rouse and Ms. Monica Rouse about their recent success story with Origin SC: Q: What was your first experience with Origin SC? A: My first Origin SC experience was attending a free introduction class that explained all of the homeownership processes.  Q: Was the "Origin Way" of buying a home effective? Was it helpful to have all services available in-house? A: The Origin Way was very effective. From start to finish it only took a few weeks. I also took advantage of having all services available in house. Having realtors already familiar with my family's needs really enabled me to get what I needed fast.  Q: What would you say to a person that is thinking about buying a house? A: I would definitely encourage anyone that is looking to become a homeowner to attend an Origin SC workshop. The knowledge I attained has helped me and allowed me to fulfill my family's goals, and all by the age of 30! Q: Do you have any other comments? A: From start to finish Origin SC has truly been a blessing. Brad Kidd and Debbie Kidd are great agents who seem to genuinely care about my wants and needs. I am grateful to have met and worked with them on this life changing adventure.  For realty services, contact Debbie Kidd at 843-276-8744 or email dkidd@originsc.org                                                                                      Origin SC's Last Minute Holiday Shopping Tips To Keep You Free Of Debt Stress      With the holiday season in full swing it is easy for stressed consumers to stop living within their budget.  They simply pull out their credit cards and assume they will figure out how to pay for things when the bills come in January. For people trying hard to get through the holiday season without incurring additional credit card debt, Origin SC has some last minute holiday shopping tips to keep you free of debt stress.   Origin SC offers educational tips to the many holiday shoppers who will add to the projected holiday sales of $682 billion projected by the National Retail Association.   Tips for last minute holiday shopping tips that keep you free of debt stress: Consider creative gift-giving:  When it comes to gifts, we all know it's the thought that counts. Consider gifts that have a personal touch, such as homemade gifts like cookies, candies or other prepared foods. Consider making a fruit basket, which is both economical and healthy.  And a personal gift certificate good for your time and talents such as baby sitting, washing the car, running errands, or cooking a meal are always appreciated. Make a shopping list and pay with cash.  Stick to your shopping list and spending limit! A realistic budget is essential for keeping spending under control. Pay with cash when possible and leave your checkbook and credit cards at home to avoid temptations for unplanned and unnecessary purchases. Keep track of your spending. Tally the receipts from all holiday expenses, including gifts, postage, meals, entertainment and decorations. Once you've completed your shopping list, stop shopping!  More mall time can amount to more spending. Those who have kept to their budgets will start the year with less debt and less stress. Even those with the best of intentions may end the holiday shopping season with more debt than you planned.  Remember, you don't have to solve your financial problems alone! Origin SC has trained and certified credit counselors who offer financial management and debt reduction services that are low-cost. Origin SC is a nonprofit, community-based organization and a Member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC). For more information, call 843-735-7802 or visit www.originsc.org.  Easy & Affordable DIY Gifts (They'll Actually Want!) As we mentioned above, giving homemade gifts for the holidays is a great way to go. They have a great personal touch and also can save you tons of money. This article will give you lots of good ideas for fun DIY gifts to give to your loved ones this holiday season.  Experience an Origin SC Workshop for Yourself! January 6- Intro to Homeownership (FREE!) January 11- Making Ends Meet (FREE!) January 18- Intro to Homeownership (FREE!) January 20- First-Time Homebuyer Workshop ($49) *Workshops are not held in the month of December* Visit our website to sign up for a class today! Origin SC and NeighborWorks America You may not know that Origin SC is a member of the national NeighborWorks network. We are actually larger and stronger than most local organizations because of our network membership. NeighborWorks America is a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization dedicated to creating places of opportunity across the country. Origin SC is one of nearly 250 members of NeighborWorks America's network, receiving technical assistance, flexible grants, comprehensive and tailored training, and the opportunity to interact with and learn from fellow professionals from a variety of sectors. Over the past 40 years, NeighborWorks and its network have assisted close to 8 million people through affordable housing and counseling. We also have expanded our programs to include more elements required by strong communities: financial coaching, job readiness and placement, healthy housing, and access to educational opportunities. Today, NeighborWorks America training programs for community development professionals are the best in the country, and it continues to adapt them as it learns more from the network about what is effective on the ground. Network organizations like Origin SC are what make NeighborWorks America effective, and we look forward to another 40 years of working together to make every community a place of opportunity.  Keep in Touch in Origin! To stay up to date with what Origin SC is up to all month long, like us on Facebook! Click HERE to check out our Facebook page originsc.org | Origin SC | 843.735.7802 Check us out on our social sites:

ORIGIN SC November 2017 Newsletter

Check out what's new and exciting at Origin SC this month!

November 2017 Finding Your Home, The Origin Way We interviewed our client Ms. Amanda Nadel about her recent success story with Origin SC.  Q: What was your first experience with Origin SC?  A: The First Time Homebuyer Workshop is the first experience I had with Origin SC from a personal perspective. It was an amazing experience. I've known about Origin SC and the amazing services they provide from my professional experiences working in the community.  Q: Was the "Origin Way" of buying a home effective?  Was it helpful to have all services available in-house? A: The "Origin Way" was extremely effective for me. I'm a single parent, work full time, and attend school part time. I never feel like I have enough time to do much of anything outside of that. The idea of homeownership seemed way too daunting for me in the beginning. I truly thought that homeownership would be many years down the road for me, if ever. Having all of the services available in-house was incredibly helpful for me. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I worked with Debbie Kidd and she helped me to understand every step of the process. She conducted a class that I think every potential homeowner should attend. At this point in my life, I wouldn't have been able to handle the stress of buying my first home if i didn't go through Origin SC. I am truly grateful for this experience.  Q: What would you say to a person that is thinking about buying a home? A: I would tell them they should do it! My mortgage is cheaper than my rent was and it's mine. It's money back into my pocket. It's the best decision I've ever made when it comes to spending my money. I would also highly recommend that everyone look into Origin SC if they are interested in purchasing a home. I have watched friends who go through the process on their own and it seems to be way more stressful that way. I appreciated being able to rely on Origin SC to not only help me through the process, but also for explaining everything to me as it happened.  Q: Do you have any other comments? A: Becoming a homeowner has changed the course of mine and my child's life. I always felt like I was barely treading above water and this decision has not only provided me with better financial stability, but it has also given me better self-esteem. I am so grateful for my experience with Origin SC and I hope that more people look into the amazing programs that Origin SC offers to our community.  When buying her home the "Origin Way," Ms. Nadel put  ZERO money down AND received money back at closing too! For Realty services contact Debbie Kidd at 843-276-8744 or email dkidd@originsc.org Experience an Origin SC Workshop for Yourself!  November 18- First Time Home Buyer Workshop ($49) November 25- Intro to Homeownership (Berkeley Prosperity Center) (FREE!) *Workshops are not held in the month of December* Visit our website to sign up for a class today! Borrower Lending Support Services with    Making the decision to become a homeowner is very exciting, yet can feel intimidating.  We are here to help.  Our Borrower Lending Support Services are designed to ease the overwhelming times by answering your questions and concerns.  We will help you navigate through each step in the mortgage application process.  Our hands-on approach has been proven to reduce the time a lender may need to close your loan.  We have the experience and ability to understand your lender's requests and assist you in your responses to them efficiently and accurately to help keep your loan on track. There is a $750 Document Preparation fee associated with this service that will show up on your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure under "Services You Can Shop For".  This fee is only paid when your loan closes, and, in most cases, this fee is covered by the seller's contribution to your loan. Enrollment in this service is entirely voluntary and there is no restriction to which lender you choose when utilizing this service.  You are not required to use any other of our services in conjunction with this service. For more information about Origin Lending contact Stephanie Reed, MLO #934045, Director of Lending Services at 843-735-7810 or sreed@originsc.org. Origin SC NMLS #: 377117 Secret Black Friday Shopping Tips Revealed Christmas shopping season has arrived! The idea of shopping for Christmas, especially on Black Friday, can seem like a very daunting task. If you want to know how to get the most out of your shopping and save as much money as possible on Black Friday, check out this article. It provides you with great tips to make shopping on the craziest day of the year easier.  originsc.org | Origin SC | 843.735.7802 Check us out on our social sites:

ORIGIN SC October 2017 Newsletter

Check out what's new and exciting at Origin SC this month! October 2017 Finding Your Home, The Origin Way We interviewed our client Mr. Marion Crider about his recent success story with Origin SC.  Q: What was your first experience with Origin SC?  A: My partner went through a program back when it was Family Services Inc.  When we both started talking about getting a house we figured it probably happen in about a year. We decided to go to a First Time Home Buyer class with Origin SC. About just 50 days later we closed on our house. Q: Was the "Origin Way" of buying a home effective?  Was it helpful to have all services available in-house? A: Most definitely.  The Origin way is the only way I would ever want to buy another home in the future.  Each person that I talked to in each department was an expert in their field. It was a very high-end service experience for a very affordable cost.  Everything is very cut and dry and to the point.  They tell you exactly what you need to do and help you along each step of the way. Every time I got a call regarding our closing date, the closing date was always moved forward, never backward.  That meant a lot to me as I know people that have had issues with closing dates continuously being moved back. Q: What would you say to a person that is thinking about buying a home? A: Attend an Origin SC class and be ready to hear the words "yes you can".  There is so much more that is in reach than you realize. You might actually qualify for way more than you ever thought. Q: Do you have any other comments? A: I would recommend Origin to anyone I know that is looking to buy a house.  I can't imagine doing it with anyone else or any other way. It was a life changing experience.  Also, to anyone that currently lives in an apartment and is currently thinking about buying a house, it is so much better! It's great to not hear your neighbors constantly walking above you anymore.  Experience an Origin SC Workshop for Yourself!  October 2- Intro to Homeownership (FREE!)  October 3- Credit Improvement Workshop (FREE!)  October 7- Intro to Homeownership (FREE!)  October 21- First Time Home Buyer Workshop ($49) Visit our website to sign up for a class today! Are You Worried About How the Equifax Data Breach May Affect YOU??? The first thing you should do if you suspect your data was compromised is place a security freeze on your credit file. These freezes are useful to stop new accounts from being opened in your name, and are FREE. You'll need to place a freeze with each credit reporting, make sure you keep the PIN you're given somewhere handy and safe. If at any point you need to access your credit report or open a credit line, you would contact the reporting agencies again to temporarily lift or permanently remove the freeze. More info on security freezes and how to contact each reporting agency can be found HERE. More info on identity theft and protection can be found HERE. Responsibly Using Credit An article on CNN Money noted that a Texas woman, because of poor credit, had a credit card with an APR of 79.9%!  Having missed a payment, the creditor increased her APR from 29.9% to 79.9%. This is the horror of mismanaging a credit card.  Some cards have fees such as $45 for processing to open a new account, plus an annual fee of $30 that can increase each year, and a monthly service fee of $6.25.  Credit cards are a wonderful and useful tool for establishing and rebuilding credit, however, on the opposing end, they can cause untold misery if they are not managed responsibly. Tips for successfully managing a credit card include: Select the right card - be absolutely sure to read all of the terms and conditions for using the card so that there will be no surprises. Create a budget - make a list of your monthly income and expenses- expenses should never exceed income. Pay your credit card debt on, or before the due date - budget so that you can pay the full balance. If you carry a balance, you should make it a priority to pay off that balance as quickly as possible to avoid additional interest charges. Do not use your credit card for cash withdrawals - the fees are exorbitant and will be applied until the full cash debt is paid off in full. While helping to build credit, a credit card is convenient, offers security and can be used for emergency situations.  The key is to be responsible in using the credit entrusted to you. To learn how we can help get you on the path to financial stability, click here. . Introducing Our New Arrival... We are excited to announce our new arrival, our Lending Department is now open! We are available to help with various Down Payment Assistance Programs and Loan Packaging.  For more information contact Stephanie Reed, Director of Lending Services,  at 843-735-7810 originsc.org | Origin SC | 843.735.7802 Check us out on our social sites:

Origin SC, 4925 Lacross Rd. Suite 215, North Charleston, SC 29406 SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER HERE!