Counseling Center Helps Home Buyers Get Loans

If you’re a first-home buyer and puzzled about some aspect of the loan process or if you’ve been thinking about refinancing your home and need some guidance, you may find the answers by calling the Home Loan Counseling Center.

The center provides its services free of charge in what its manager described as a “non-intimidating, non-institutionalized meeting place” where qualified buyers can be matched with available mortgage money.

It also serves as a clearinghouse on special loan availability, including government- and municipal-sponsored programs, home-improvement and rehabilitation loans.

Founded in 1977 by members of the savings and loan industry, the center handles an average of 500 phone requests a month for home loan process information, and its two Los Angeles-based offices interview about 70 loan applicants by appointment every month.

“Our role is primarily that of demystifying the home mortgage process for home buyers, and we especially encourage single-family, owner-occupied home ownership,” said Gloria Ancira, office manager and a counselor for the center.

The center has two Southland locations: 163 S. Avenue 20, Suite 201, Los Angeles, Calif. 90031, (213) 224-8011, and 1115 W. Adams Blvd., Suite 106, Los Angeles, Calif. 90007, (213) 747-0807.

Among the 22 participating associations are Home Federal, American Savings, Glendale Federal, Great Western Savings, Home Savings, First Federal Savings, Coast Savings, First Nationwide Savings and Gibraltar Savings.