Departmental News

Consumer mortgages to be focus of UW housing conference keynote speaker

            An explosion in mortgage products mixed with unscrupulous practices can make homebuyers pay a steep price for owning a piece of the American Dream, noted Allen Fishbein of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA).

            Fishbein is the keynote speaker at the upcoming 2006 Consumer Issues Conference.

            The conference, “Home on the Range,” is 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Wyoming Union and is open to the public.

            Fishbein, based in Washington, D.C., said he will focus on new challenges for consumers posed by new developments in the home finance industry.

            “This is an exceedingly important area of concern for consumer advocates as  interest rates rise, housing markets across the country soften, and increasing numbers of borrowers have a harder time making their monthly payments,” he said.

            Other topics at the conference include landlord and tenant issues, overcoming barriers to housing opportunities, rights of mobile home dwellers, and what everyone should know about zoning.

            Conference information is available at http://www.uwyo.edu/consumerconference/    

            Other conference presenters include:

            * Dr. William H. Thomas of Sherburne, NY, an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare. He serves as president of The Center for Growing and Becoming, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and developing constructive, holistic approaches to aging and the care of elders.

            * Dee Pridgen, associate dean and professor in the UW College of Law. She has taught at the college since 1982.  Her subjects include consumer protection, contracts, Antitrust, communications law, constitutional law, and Internet law. 

            * Alan Romero, an associate professor of law in the UW College of Law. 

            * Gay Woodhouse, in private practice in Cheyenne in Gay Woodhouse Law Office, P.C.  She is active in civil and criminal litigation.  Woodhouse was an assistant United States Attorney for five years, Chief Deputy Attorney General for three years and was appointed as the first female Attorney General in the state of Wyoming from 1998-2001. 

            * Cole Ehmke, an extension specialist with the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service. His work covers personal resource management topics as well as agricultural entrepreneurship.

###

University of Wyoming Homepage
College of Agriculture Homepage
Family and Consumer Sciences Homepage