Last week Oakland County introduced a plan to help get some of the vacant foreclosed homes off the market in select Oakland County communities.  Their press release follows.

I need to call the county and ask some questions.  The program seems very generous and should help sell some foreclosed homes.  I am not sure why some communities were left off of the list.  For example, Birmingham is on it, but Beverly Hills is not.  Royal Oak Township is on, but the city of Royal Oak is not.  No go for Bloomfield Township, but a yes for Troy.  This has me questioning how communities became eligible.

As much as I know the foreclosures need to get off the market, this gives them a steep advantage over the regular resale homes that are already severly challenged for finding buyers.  The foreclosures are selling, for the most part, without much additional help.  Low prices do that. 

"Pontiac, Michigan, February 17, 2009 -- More families in Oakland County may be able to find homeownership within their means thanks to a new program administered by the Oakland County Community & Home Improvement Division. The Oakland County Home Buyer Program is aimed at helping low and moderate income families take ownership of vacant, foreclosed single family homes and condominiums as their primary residence.

An informational workshop for prospective homebuyers will be held Saturday, February 28, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd., just west of Telegraph Rd., in Waterford. Pre-registration is not required.

"Families who thought they could never afford their own home now have the best opportunity to become homeowners through this unprecedented program," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said.

Oakland County can provide no-interest loans for down payment assistance, closing costs, home improvements or other financing. The homebuyer must prequalify for a fixed rate mortgage loan from a lending institution. This loan represents 51% of the purchase price. Oakland County will finance the remaining 49% of the purchase and rehabilitation costs up to $100,000. The homebuyer must also provide $2,000 to initiate the purchase. The homebuyer only pays on the conventional mortgage obtained from their lender. Payment on the down payment and home improvement loans is deferred until the property changes ownership.

Homebuyers with incomes at or below 120% of Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible for assistance. For example, a family of four earning up to $83,900 per year is eligible under this program.

Funding for the Oakland County Home Buyer Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). This one-time $17.4 million emergency funding supplements the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to purchase foreclosed homes at a discount, and rehabilitate or redevelop the homes to stabilize neighborhoods impacted by foreclosure and abandonment, and reverse the decline of neighborhood housing values.

The Oakland County Home Buyer Program covers properties in select Oakland County communities. Contact Farmington Hills, Pontiac, Royal Oak, Southfield, or Waterford directly to inquire about home buying assistance programs in their communities."

You can find more information on the programs on the county's web site.  If you need a Realtor to guide you through your purchase, I would be happy to assist you.