Ventura County residents who are struggling to buy a home can now get some “virtual” help.
Ramiro Lopez lives with his wife and 20-month-old daughter in a small one-bedroom apartment that they rent in Oxnard.
“It would be nice to one day have a place that is ours,” he said.
They can’t afford a down payment for a house. So, they turned to the Ventura County Community Development Corporation, which provides services and resources for prospective homeowners.
“Free time isn’t a big thing right now for us,” Lopez said.
So, he opted for the nonprofit’s new virtual counseling.
Gabriela Santana of VCCDC said its partnership with the Virtual Counseling Network allows her clients to see, hear and interact one-on-one with a specialist from the convenience of their homes.
“Allows people who don’t live near us or maybe just don’t have access to come to our office to still have a very interactive counseling session,” she said.
The "virtual" session gave Lopez and his family a jump-start on their journey to becoming first-time homeowners.
“I think some of the information we received has definitely at least changed our game plan and what we need to do to make it a reality for us,” he said.