FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Libby Lane (850) 222-6609 ext. 104

Thursday, May 30, 2013

New, Innovative Affordable Housing Program for the Big Bend Region

Event Hosted By Tallahassee Lenders’ Consortium,

TLC Housing Services, LLC and the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce

TALLAHASSEE — The Tallahassee Lenders’ Consortium (TLC) officially launches an exciting new and innovative affordable housing program for the Big Bend region with a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, June 5 near Crawfordville in Wakulla County. According to TLC Executive Director Libby Lane, the program will turn vacant foreclosed housing intorehabilitated affordable homes.The Wakulla house is the firstofmanyhomesTLC hopes to acquire, rehabilitate and sell in theLeon,Wakulla,Gadsden,JeffersonandMadisoncounty area. "This project is a mutually beneficial, win, win, win situation for all concerned'" says Lane. "Itwill place qualified low and moderate income families in nice, affordable housing while, at the same time, returning a restored vacant house to the local tax roll."

The Tallahassee Lenders’ Consortium (TLC) along with TLC Housing Services LLC and the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce invite you to attend the ribbon cutting to be held at 22 Iroquois Road, Crawfordville, Florida at 11:30am on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. TLC Housing Services LLC, a single member LLC, was created by TLC to acquire, rehabilitate and resell homes to low and moderate income families. TLC Housing Services LLC received its first home through a donation from Chase Bank and is selling the refurbished home to John and Sara Simmons through the assistance of Donna Dickens, Ocklockonee Bay Realty and Patti E. Ketcham, of Ketcham Realty Group. Dustin Grubbs, Centennial Bank, is providing the financing. The closing will take place at Smith Thompson Shaw Minacci and Colon, P.A.

“We are proud to be a part of building stronger communities, one family at a time” said Lane. “The creation of the LLC expands the services we can provide to low and moderate income families.” TLC provides essential programs and services in Wakulla County by helping low income families purchase their first home and by helping families of any income range avoid foreclosure. TLC’s counseling and education equips families to make the best decisions for themselves and reduces the possibility of future delinquency and default. Through TLC’s credit counseling, TLC helps families rebuild and restore their credit. Through budgeting counseling TLC helps families learn how to live within their means. Through TLC’s delinquency counseling program, TLC helps families keep their homes and avoid foreclosure. TLC’s foreclosure rate is a low 1.56%, for clients who have received both counseling and down payment assistance through the program TLC administers for the City of Tallahassee.

About TLC: TLC is a not-for-profit organization, created in 1993 by the City of Tallahassee and local lenders. Its mission is to make the dream of affordable homeownership a reality by improving people’s ability to obtain and retain safe, affordable housing through: creating housing options; providing homebuyer education; and providing access to affordable financing. Since its establishment in 1993, the TLC has assisted over 1750 families and disbursed more than $10,721,092.32 in Tallahassee and Leon County in down payment and closing cost assistance. These funds generated over $129,733,641.00 in real estate sales. In January 2012, TLC expanded its services to include Gadsden, Wakulla, Jefferson and Madison Counties.

TLC is a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency and a licensed Mortgage Broker, NMLS #372580.

TLC is part of the national NeighborWorks® network, an affiliation of more than 230 nonprofit organizations that increase homeownership, produce affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods in more than 4,400 communities across the nation. In 2011, the NeighborWorks® network generated more than $4.2 billion in total direct investment and helped more than 272,474 low- to moderate-income families purchase, improve and maintain their homes. The NeighborWorks® network was founded and is supported by NeighborWorks® America, which strengthens the network through training, technical assistance and funding.

NMLS #372580

###