Here's some encouraging news for union members who are shopping around for a new home: Union Plus Mortgage and Real Estate now has more walk-in branch-office locations available to better serve members' face-to-face home buying needs.

The program's walk-in branch option can now be found in Boston, Chicago, Delaware, Detroit, the District of Columbia, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maryland, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Reno, the San Francisco Bay area, Virginia and Washington State.

This option allows home buyers living in these areas to arrange to meet in person with specially trained Union Plus Mortgage and Real Estate loan officers at a nearby branch office--instead of going through the application process exclusively over the telephone. All the member has to do is request the walk-in branch option when he or she places the initial call to the program, and the tele-mortgage representative will arrange a face-to-face meeting with a specially trained mortgage loan officer.

"In the past, members were only able to apply for a mortgage over the phone," said Union Privilege President Charles McDonald. "But now, under the new local branch option, members may meet with a branch loan officer in person. Our goal is to make the home buying, selling and refinancing process as easy and affordable as possible for union members and their families."

The Union Plus Mortgage and Real Estate Program is available to union members, their parents and their children. The program features low down payments, competitive rates, special help for first-time buyers and assistance-fund benefits for members who are laid off or disabled.

To date, the program has provided over $1.3 billion in mortgage loans to union members. For program details, to apply for a mortgage over the phone or to find out more about branch office locations, members of participating unions may call 1-800-848-6466.