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CPB Home Press Releases Consumer Links

Building and Sustaining Homeownership

Home Maintenance Series
 
Recognizing that home ownership is not only a dream but also an important responsibility, the New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) is pleased to provide you with a series of resources to utilize while performing the general maintenance necessary for preserving the value and safety of your home.

Sustainable Household Cleaning Solutions - Choosing nontoxic products to clean will make your household safer for your family while helping to preserve the environment. Here is a list of the most common, inexpensive homemade cleaners. Follow all safety guidelines and protect your skin and eyes while cleaning so as not to cause irritation.

CPB Home Maintenance Series - Learn about general maintenance necessary for preserving the value and safety of your home with various resources brought to you by the CPB.

HOMESTAT - Do you remember when you last changed the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? When exactly did you check the water heater for leaks? Keep track of these home maintenance measures and more with this tool. (Printing Instructions: Print the attached PDF, then fold it in half on the short fold and then left to right to create the card.)

APPLIANCESTAT - Keeping track of purchases in and around the home can be difficult, but not anymore. Use ApplianceSTAT to chart purchases for your home.

Foreclosure Prevention

New York State agencies are working together to help homeowners who are having trouble paying their mortgages through a coalition known as HALT (Halt Abusive Lending Transactions).

To register for the next HALT Task Force meeting please click here: http://www.banking.state.ny.us/cshalt.htm.

The Consumer Protection Board and other members of HALT are spreading the message that many homeowners can avoid foreclosure and not lose their homes if they take action now. Free counseling is available from the Homeowners Preservation Foundation at 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) and more information is available on the Foundation's website.

Here are three service announcements and our current print ad that are part of this campaign. La impresión y la version video están también disponibles en español. 		image of house on a roll of dollar bills

As part of the effort to assist homeowners with risky mortgages, the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) is offering a new program to help homeowners refinance their current mortgages with 30-year or 40-year, fixed-rate mortgages at competitive interest rates. This "Keep the Dream" refinancing program will require eligible homeowners to complete a homeowner education course with a federal- or state-approved, not-for-profit organization. To learn more, call the SONYMA Homebuyers Hotline at 1-800-382-4663 and online at www.nyhomes.org. Other resources are available at Home Purchasing Roadmap - Home buying can be difficult, especially if it is your first time. That is why the CPB has developed a new tool that provides "directions" as you travel down the road to home buying. This Home Purchasing Roadmap can serve as your guide in many situations: from deciding if buying is right for your current situation to closing. A complete list of the topics to be covered is noted in this tab. Check back soon for the full toolkit.

Home Purchasing Roadmap: How Much? - Steps towards buying a home, buying
versus renting, figuring out how much.

Before selecting a mortgage and purchasing a home, review and apply the important information found in the CPB's Checklist and Tips on Financial Terms for Homeownership.

Home Improvement Survey Results
 
Each year, the Consumer Protection Board (CPB) receives hundreds of complaints about home improvement and home-repair contractors and finds that complaints of this nature are a leading consumer concern. Below is a link to the 2007 Home Improvement Initiative Survey Results.

Home Improvement Survey Results