AmeriDream Unveils Downpay/Jobless Program

AmeriDream Inc., a downpayment assistance provider based in Gaithersburg, Md., has launched the DreamKeeper Mortgage Payment Relief Program, which combines mortgage payment protection against involuntary unemployment and disability with the downpayment gift.Unlike similar products, it offers homebuyers fully paid principal, interest, taxes, and insurance for up to nine months if borrowers lose their job or become disabled, and allows for extended coverage of up to five years after a six-month vesting period. "Many mortgage protection programs in our industry only cover the first year following the purchase of the home," said Ann Ashburn, AmeriDream's president and chief executive officer. She added that, according to HUD's 2003 delinquency and foreclosure report to Congress, these defaults occur mostly between the second and fifth years of homeownership. "We designed DreamKeeper so it would benefit people when they need it the most," she said. The company can be found online at http://www.ameridream.org.