Get help with your mortgage at Woodstock church forum

As part of the National Save the Dream Campaign, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Woodstock will host representatives from the National Assistance Corporation of America to provide help to parishioners, neighbors and communities in restructuring their mortgages to affordable rates.

The HomeSave program will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at the church, 221 Dean St.

The vast majority of homeowners who go through the NACA program get their mortgages reduced below 5 percent. For thousands of at-risk homeowners, NACA has permanently reduced their payments to achieve affordable mortgage payments based on their current budget without additional closing costs, fees, or adding time onto the length of their existing mortgage.

NACA is a national, nonprofit HUD-certified counseling organization providing the most effective solution for at-risk homeowners. For the first five months of 2010, there were close to 300 families in Woodstock facing imminent foreclosure, and Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills are in worse shape.

Mortgage modification through the bank involves large, up-fronts costs and often future "adjustable" rates and short sales end up taking care of real estate agents and lawyers, but the real winner is the IRS a few years down the road.

The HomeSave workshop program is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. Homeowners-occupants with no other properties who are dealing with illness and increased medical costs, going through a divorce, or loss of additional income are eligible.

To register for the Woodstock workshop, call (888) 302-NACA or visit NACA.com.