Frank Webster, 35-year mortgage lender and Business Development Officer for Virginia Housing, gave a presentation lasting about 20 minutes in the Historic Masonic's Underground during the Homebuyer's Workshop on June 3rd.

Homebuyer Workshop held in Historic Masonic Theatre Underground By Jennifer Bailey Staff Writer   Clifton Forge, VA (June 4, 2026)— The town of Clifton Forge, spearheaded by Dr. Maria Saxton, held a Homebuyer's Workshop in the underground of the Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge. The purpose of the workshop was to inform the public of the various grant options available to them when seeking home ownership. Saxton was first to speak, noting the importance of owning one's home. "...Home ownership remains one of the most effective ways for families to build wealth and to establish roots in their community, yet many people who could qualify for housing assistance don't always realize it." Saxton then introduced Frank Webster, a 35-year veteran in mortgage lending and Business Development Officer for Virginia Housing. "My job is to focus on the underserved region of Western Virginia to help motivate and support all homebuyers, but especially first-time homebuyers to be able to overcome their obstacles that get in the way of becoming homeowners," said Webster Wednesday night. Webster then gave a presentation lasting about 20 minutes long which highlighted the financial difference between homeowners purchasing a house without assistance from Virginia Housing as opposed to assistance with Virginia Housing. The example given was a $260,000 home having three members. According to Webster and this example, the cash to close amount would be around $18,595.08, with monthly payments being around $2,137.37. However, with the maximum amount of grants and assistance available, the homebuyer could close with about $2,595.08, or even $0, as Virginia Housing would work with the homeowner to take care of the remaining closing costs. Additionally, monthly payments could go as low as $1,866.65, saving the homebuyer $270.72, or more than $3,000 annually. The Journal was on-hand to capture a few photos, as well as the entirety of the evening's presentation, which will be made available soon on our Facebook page. Dr. Maria Saxton also shared a few words on Wednesday evening, highlighting the importance of homebuying and reminding guests that many homebuyers aren't aware of the assistance they may qualify for. This slide was among several other slides shown during Webster's presentation. In it, the potential homebuyer can see the benefits of no assistance, some assistance, and the maximum amount of assistance available to those who qualify.

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