CONSUMER RESOURCES
HOUSELOGIC* ARTICLES

HouseLogic is a free source of information and tools—from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®-that can help you make smart and timely decisions about your home.  

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Every Real Estate Agent is not a REALTOR®

2-1-1	2-1-1 is Connecticut’s free information and referral service. Call 2-1-1 for your connection to: Mortgage Foreclosure, Mortgage Payment, Predatory Lending & Energy  Assistance; Eviction & Foreclosure Prevention Programs;  Homebuyer Purchase Counseling; Lead Poisoning Screening; Lead Testing; Lead Safe Homes & Treatment Centers; Lead Related Developmental, Educational, Environmental and Housing Information; Suicide prevention;  Senior Services, Veteran's & Disability Services, etc.
10 Rules for Buying	Are you considering buying a home? Please read these 10 rules to follow when buying a home before you begin your search for a home.
10 Rules for Selling	Are you considering selling your home?  Please read these 10 rules to follow when selling a home before you begin the process of selling.
Buyer Information	Review this page for information regarding buyer representation, choosing a lender, home inspection and choosing an attorney.
CAR	The Connecticut Association of REALTORS® (CAR) website offers many valuable resources for buyers, sellers and anyone interested in becoming a real estate agent. searchable Foreign Language Directory you may use to locate a REALTOR® in CT that speaks a particular language, information regarding relocating to CT a real estate dictionary in English and Spanish.
CHFA	The CT Housing Finance Authority is a self-supporting quasi-public housing agency charged with the purpose of expanding affordable housing opportunities for CT’s low- and moderate-income families and individuals.  Please visit their website for information such as a First Time Home Buyer's Guide, to learn about the CTFamilies Program, Rental Housing and much more.
CHFA Articles	Rose Holbrook a Marketing & Consumer Coordinator for CHFA has written several articles relating to housing issues including, Home Owners at Risk of Foreclosure, which you may read by visiting this sections of our website.
CHRO	The State of CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities website has information on filing a employment, housing, public service or places discrimination complaint and much more.
Code of Ethics	Visit this page on the National Association of REALTORS® website to download the Code of Ethics, which REALTOR members must strictly adhere to, in either a Word document or PDF format. The Code of Ethics is available in several languages.
Closing.com	This website has resources for real estate property sellers and buyers. They have real estate search engines for appraisers, notaries, closing attorneys, title insurance, etc.  They also have a Closing Costs Calculator, Learning Zone and a Real Estate Agent Center.
CT Dept. of Banking	This section of the Department of Consumer Protection's website has information regarding the banking industry in Connecticut such as program, services, legal resources, rental security deposits, find a bank or credit union search engine and an online search engine you may use to verify several different types of licenses related to the banking industry in CT, for example, a mortgage broker, small loan lender, mortgage lender, etc.
CT Fair Housing Center	Visit the Connecticut Fair Housing Center website to learn how they investigate claims of discrimination to determine if there is evidence that a violation of the law occurred, for foreclosure resources, etc.
CT Housing Search	You may search for or list properties for free on this website. This is a new service, and properties are being added daily, so check this website often.
CT Real Estate Laws	Use this link to download the State of Connecticut Real Estate Laws and Regulations Concerning the Conduct of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons; this document is in a PDF format.
CT State Website	Visit The Official State of Connecticut Website to learn about CT's government and about working, living, doing  business and visiting in CT.
Emergency Mortgage Asst.	The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP) is administered by the CT Housing Finance Authority, for more information view their webpage.
EQuaility Valuation 9.3.10	This website used to search for real property data and town assessments for certain towns in Connecticut. (Formerly known as Total Valuation.)
Fair Housing	Review this page for information regarding the Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Equal Opportunity Credit Act, equal opportunity in housing rights & responsibilities,  REALTOR® Fair Housing Program and what to do if you suspect discrimination.
Fair Housing Advocate	This site fair housing related press releases, action alerts, case database, recovery database, HUD settlements, statues and regulations, articles and many other resources.
Fair Housing/Disabilities	Visit this webpage of the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities for information about CT's Fair Housing Laws pertaining to persons with disabilities.
Fair Housing Rights	Visit this website for information regarding CT Fair Housing Laws, including a downloadable Fair Housing Guide in English or Spanish.
Fair Housing Video	Please take the time to view this video comprised of clips from our 2010 Equal Opportunity in Housing Program.  The video includes representatives from CT Commission on Human Rights & Opportunities, CT Fair Housing Center, HUD, Torrington Housing Authority, Winchester Emergency Shelter and Senator Kevin Witkos from District #8 discussing fair housing laws affecting CT tenants, landlords and REALTORS®.
Fannie Mae	This site contains information and tools to help their customers transact business with Fannie Mae.   Click here to access Fannie Mae appraisal forms.
Financial Management	In this section includes contact information and links to financial management resources.
Find an Affiliate	Visit this page for a list of Affiliate members of Litchfield County Board of REALTORS®, Inc.  Click on any Affiliate members firm name that has a link to view their website and to see their mortgage rates.
Find an Appraiser	Visit this site to locate an Appraiser or REALTOR® Appraiser via an online search engine.
Find CT Properties	Use this online public search engine to locate Connecticut properties for sale or rent by city, town or zip code.  CTREAL.com is a service of the Connecticut Statewide MLS Inc. and the official public search engine of the Connecticut Association of REALTORS®, Inc.
Find an Inspector	Visit the American Society of Home Inspectors to locate a Home Inspection via an online search engine
Find International Properties	Visit WorldProperties.com to search for international properties and/or professional real estate agents that deal with international properties.
Find a REALTOR®	Are you trying to locate a REALTOR in Litchfield County, then visit this page for a list and contact information for REALTOR® members of Litchfield County Board of REALTORS®, Inc.
Find a REALTOR® Office	Are you trying to locate a REALTOR Office in Litchfield County, then visit this page for a list and contact information for REALTOR offices associated with Litchfield County Board of REALTORS, Inc.
Find U.S. Properties	Use REALTOR.com an online search engine official site of the National Association of REALTORS® to locate properties, within the United States, for sale or rent by state, city, town or zip code.
Foreclosure	Don't lose your home due to foreclosure!  Please review this section of our website for a list of resources that may assist you from preventing foreclosure.
Foreign Language	Visit this page on CAR's website to search for a REALTOR® that speaks a foreign language.
Fredie Mac	This site contains information and tools to help their customers transact business with Freddie Mac.
Great Schools.net	Prospective homebuyers can log on to this site to review school ratings for public and private schools and get data on test scores, student/teacher ratios, and other information.
HERC	The Housing Education Resource Center services include tenant and landlord education and counseling, housing mobility support services, relocation assistance, tenant selection, home ownership counseling and foreclosure prevention services.
HouseLogic	HouseLogic is a free source of information and tools—from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®—that can help you make smart and timely decisions about your home.  With content covering home improvement, maintenance, taxes, finance, insurance, and even ways you can get involved in and enrich your community, HouseLogic can help you increase and protect the value of your home by helping you make confident decisions.
Housing Discrimination	Are You a Victim of Housing Discrimination? Read this pamphlet provided by HUD for information about housing discrimination and a form to file a complaint with HUD.
HUD	Visit the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development website for valuable resources pertaining to home ownership, renting and much more.
HUD Forms/Posters	This page on HUD's website contains downloadable HUD forms from 90003 - 999.  On this page you will find applications, posters, reports, worksheets, etc.
HUD Settlement Costs	(Booklet Takes Time to Load, Please be Patient) This booklet will help you become familiar with how interest rates, points, balloon payments, and prepayments penalties can affect your monthly mortgage payments. In addition there is important information about your loan after settlement, including how to resolve loan servicing problems with your lender, and steps you can take to avoid foreclosure.
Legal Assistance	The Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut (LARCC) advocates legislatively and administratively for policies which benefit low-income people.
License Lookup	Check or verify a real estate salesperson (RES) or broker's (REB) license and other various permit and/or registration held by individuals and businesses regulated by the State of Connecticut.
Links-Misc.	Visit our Links page for a list of websites such as an online English dictionary, online computer dictionary, online community events calendars, CT Dept of Safety, CT Tourism, various state and national organizations, etc.
Making Home Affordable	On February 18, 2009, President Obama announced his Making Home Affordable Program, designed to help up to 7-9 million families avoid foreclosure by restructuring or refinancing their mortgages. For more information please visit www.makinghomeaffordable.gov.
Mass. Real Estate	This site contains information regarding Massachusetts real estate licensing, such as, rules & regulations, license applications, fees, real estate license search engine and other useful information for real estate agents and consumers.
Mortgage Calculators	This site features over 100 mortgage calculators, such as, Interest Only, Mortgage Pay-Off, Refinance, etc.
Mortgage Fraud	The Mortgage Fraud Against Lenders Resource Center provides alerts on new scams, news and updates, advice for combating fraud, state and federal contact information for reporting incidents, and information on educational programs.
National Assoc. REALTORS®	The National Association of REALTORS®  website contains many valuable resources for buyers, sellers and anyone interested in becoming a real estate agent such as home cost analysis reports, cost vs. value remolding report, buyer and seller guides, etc.
Own It, Keep It	The mission of this website is to promote wise and responsible decisions regarding owning and keeping a home by offering information and resources to prospective home buyers and home owners alike.
Predatory Lending	Do you want to learn what predatory lending is and how to avoid? View this page for a list of predatory lending and subprime resources.
Private Listings	Read this article written by Christopher Ashe for answers to questions regarding private listings.
Real Estate Terms	Visit this page on CAR's website for a download dictionary of real estate terms, available in English or Spanish.
Relocating to CT	Are you thinking of relocating to CT? Visit this page on CAR's website for links to information about CT's municipalities, newspapers, schools, economic data and much more.
Rental Laws	Visit this page of the CT Judicial Branch Law Library for resources for Connecticut law about tenants and landlords.
Rental Security Deposits	Visit this page of the CT Judicial Branch Law Library for resources about rental security deposits.
Right to Equal Opp. Housing	Review this brochure provided by the State of CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities to learn about Your Right to Equal Opportunity Housing.
Seller Information	Review this page for information regarding seller representation, property condition, preparing for a showing and choosing an attorney.
Senior Housing	Visit this page on HUD website for information and resources regarding Senior Housing, such as HOPA Q&As, Housing Discrimination Complaint Form, Senior Housing Options, etc.
Septic Inspection	This page contains Connecticut's Department of Public Home Buyers Guide " What a Purchaser Should Know Before Buying a Home Served by a Septic System".
Sex Offender Registry	For information and/or to search the State of Connecticut Sex Offender Registry visit this site.
Unfair Hidden Tax	Visit this page to learn about Connecticut's Conveyance Tax charged to Connecticut property owners at the time of closing.
VA Loans 6.28.10	Visit this page on the Dept. of Veteran Affairs website for information and resources regarding VA loans.
Vision Appraisal	This website used to search for real property data and town assessments for certain towns in Connecticut.
Well Water Testing	Download this guide to water quality testing for private wells.
Why Use a REALTOR®	Visit this page to learn what a REALTOR® can do for you, how to choose one, etc.