Genworth Financial To Help Hispanic Community Open Doors To Homeownership.

Genworth Financial, Inc. announced the launch of “Tu Casa Ahora” (“Your Home Now”), a new on-line Spanish-language program designed to help Hispanics become homeowners. Available at www.tucasaahora.com, the program also allows users to access up to $2,000 in discounts and special offers on home-related products and services.

Genworth Financial created “Tu Casa Ahora” to help Hispanic buyers make informed decisions regarding what is often the single largest investment an individual or family makes.

The company’s mortgage insurance unit is demonstrating the new program to top real estate executives and agents from across the country at the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) Annual Convention, currently underway in Denver, Colorado. Because the real estate agent plays such a crucial role in the home buying process with Hispanics, as with all first-time homebuyers, Genworth Financial wants to showcase how the website’s educational content can help potential buyers better understand the process and make better decisions.

According to a 2003 study sponsored by the GE Center for Financial Learning, 72% of Hispanic non-homeowners want to buy a home in the near future, but many cited high prices, language barrier and lack of trust as main reasons for not currently owning a home. Fifty one percent of Hispanics turn to their family for financial information, due to a lack of basic information on financial topics.

“We want to be a resource that will help fill that information gap. ‘Tu Casa Ahora’ can help Hispanics start on the road to homeownership, helping them understand the mortgage process and make smart decisions about how much house they can afford,” said Kevin Schneider, President of Genworth Financial’s U.S. mortgage insurance business.

The program includes step-by-step instruction on the mortgage process and easy-to-use interactive tools to help users calculate payments and analyze rates. ’Tu Casa Ahora’ also will help users find lenders that are familiar with the needs of the Hispanic community and that offer Spanish language service.

“The U.S. Hispanic community is growing at a remarkable rate, and we look forward to working with our lender partners to create the products and services needed to meet its homeownership needs,” Schneider said.

Program users can access offers and discounts up to $1,500 on home-related products and services provided by leading retailers. Included are offers from Home Depot, GE Appliances, Avis, the Dish Network and others. New homebuyers also may be eligible for a gift card worth up to $500 at leading retailers such as Best Buy, The Home Depot or Target if they close a mortgage loan with a “Tu Casa Ahora” participating financial institution and that loan carries Genworth Financial mortgage insurance.

Directly available through the website, www.tucasaahora.com, the program will be promoted via a multi-faceted network, beginning with local Telemundo station websites in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. “Tu Casa Ahora” also will be available through links participating lenders. To preview the program, visit the Miami Telemundo / Tu Casa Ahora site at: www.Telemundo51.com/tucasaahora.

“’Tu Casa Ahora’ will provide Hispanics with reliable information from companies that speak their language and understand their needs,” said Ibra Morales, President, Telemundo Television Stations. “This collaboration with Genworth Financial is part of our on-going commitment to the U.S. Hispanic community.”