FREDDIE MAC AND M&T BANK COLLABORATE TO DEVELOP MI CASA PROPIA HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM IN ROCHESTER

Rochester, NY – Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) and M&T Bank announce a new first-time homebuyer campaign in conjunction with Ibero-American Development Corporation and NeighborWorks Rochester. The new education initiative, Mi Casa Propia (My Own Home), involves community outreach, homebuying tips, and free Get the Facts! homebuyer workshops in English and Spanish. The initiative is designed to break down barriers of misinformation that keep many Rochester families from considering homeownership.

The first Get the Facts! workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 1 as part of the day long ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Rally. The rally, hosted by Latinas Unidas, is a public education initiative designed to help Hispanic girls ages 7 to 17 build self-esteem, mental health and provide tips on becoming healthy and successful young adults. Registration for the rally begins at 8:30 a.m. at Hutchison Hall on the University at Rochester Campus.

Through the workshops, participants are provided with straightforward information and advice about all aspects of homeownership, including costs associated with homebuying and credit history requirements. Participants are encouraged to ask questions as workshop facilitators help them separate fact from fiction. By the end of each workshop, it is hoped that participants will feel empowered, with a sense that they might be able to achieve the dream of homeownership.

Ibero-American Development Corporation and NeighborWorks Rochester will offer the free workshops. Representatives from M&T Bank will participate in the workshops, explain how to qualify for a mortgage and take mortgage loan applications for families who are ready to purchase a home.

M&T Bank will provide flexible mortgage financing and closing cost discounts for eligible borrowers who have completed the required workshop, and Freddie Mac will then buy those loans from M&T Bank.

"Financial workshops help educate people about both the benefits of homeownership and the importance of carefully considering different mortgage options to select financing that is in their best long-term interest. By working together with Freddie Mac, the Ibero-American Development Corporation and NeighborWorks we can improve financial literacy in the City of Rochester and help more families achieve the dream of home ownership," said James Condello, regional mortgage manager for M&T Bank.

The strength of this educational campaign is the many public and private organizations working together in the community to address the barriers faced by homebuyers," said Craig Nickerson, vice president of Freddie Mac. "Freddie Mac is pleased to be working with M&T Bank, Ibero-American Development Corporation and NeighborWorks Rochester to reach qualified people who may be facing obstacles to buying a home."

For more information about attending a Get the Facts! workshop, contact the Ibero-American Development Corporation at 585-467-6410 Ext. 21.

Freddie Mac is a stockholder-owned corporation established by Congress in 1970 to support homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac purchases single-family and multifamily residential mortgages and mortgage-related securities, which it finances primarily by issuing mortgage-related securities and debt instruments in the capital markets. Over the years, Freddie Mac has made home possible more than 50 million times, ensuring financing for one in six homebuyers and more than four million renters.

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