LAKE COUNTY – Foreclosure prevention and first time homebuyer assistance are the focus of free workshops on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Lake and Mendocino Fairgrounds.

Legal, tax, mortgage, and individual support and information will be presented by local experts and certified foreclosure counselors from 8:30 am until noon at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds in Ukiah and from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. pm at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.

The forum opens with a panel discussion on such topics as working with lenders, an overview of home ownership, the role of housing counselors, legal rights and scam avoidance.

Mendocino County District Attorney Meridith Lintott, Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins, the Senior Law Project’s Andy Rossoff, bankers Richard Cooper of Mendo-Lake Credit Union and Marty Lombardi of the Savings Bank are among the presenters, as are Realtors Bill Barksdale from Willits and John Bogner from Ukiah.

Albert Anderson, from Consumer Credit Counseling of San Francisco, brings his expertise on the federal Hope for Homeowners program. Roxanne Campanella from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Leah Pears from California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) will talk about state and federal programs.

Local agencies include Northern Circle Indian Housing, Rural Community Housing Development Corporation, the Mendocino County Community Development Commission, and the California Human Development Corporation. They will share information on homebuyer programs and foreclosure prevention.

Lake County attorney, author and radio show host Steve Elias will add perspective regarding the foreclosure process and life after foreclosure. His book “The Foreclosure Survival Guide” will be available. Congressman Mike Thompson and Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro are supporting the day’s events.

Those interested may register through the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco online at www.fhlbsf.com or just show up. If individual foreclosure prevention counseling is desired attendees must bring two current pay stubs, two most current W-2 forms, and four most recent monthly bank statements ( if self-employed), most recent mortgage statement and related correspondence and a listing of all monthly expenses.

The forums are hosted by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Mendo Lake Credit Union, Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority, California Human Development Corporation, Redwood Credit Union, Rural Communities Housing Development Corporation, Savings Bank of Mendocino County and The Bogner Group.