This pre-purchase homeownership education course is designed to teach participants how to design and deliver impactful homebuyer education in a variety of settings. Become familiar with core homebuyer education content and how to tailor your educational approach to your target audience. Learn to use the best materials and methods to train homebuyers on how to assess readiness, shop for a home, get a mortgage loan, improve their budget and credit profiles, and maintain their home and finances after purchase. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that will help them improve their facilitation skills and deliver interactive training sessions based upon adult education methodology. Participants should be familiar with mortgage industry terminology and processes prior to taking this class. Course HO103, Lending Basics, should be taken as a prerequisite should they need to build their knowledge is this area. This course certifies you in homebuyer education delivery, and a post-course exam is required for all participants.

By providing practical applications, this course equips counselors with the necessary skills, procedures, and subject matter expertise to assist new homeowners in achieving success. Participants will gain the skills to conduct personalized counseling sessions that address money management systems, savings, credit history, and debt obstacles to homeownership. Additionally, you will learn how to utilize state-of-the-art industry tools, techniques, and resources to practice various counseling activities, including mortgage readiness and housing affordability assessment, standardized income calculations, and action plan development. The course includes requirements for housing counseling mechanics such as file management, codes of conduct, and operational guidelines for HUD and the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling. To obtain full certification in pre-purchase homeownership counseling, it is necessary to complete both this course and the Foreclosure Basics course (HO109 or HO109el) and successfully pass the corresponding exam(s).

Upon completing the course, participants will be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out their duties and responsibilities effectively as pre-purchase homeownership counselors.

HO274 Rental Housing Counseling Certification: Part 1

This three-day course is designed to provide housing counselors with a comprehensive understanding of all the aspects of rental housing counseling. Participants will leave knowing how to evaluate a client situation regarding rental housing and how to counsel through current rental, new rental or transitioning to rental situations. The course also creates hands on learning opportunities around the topics of renting obstacles, the leasing process, Fair Housing protections, the essentials of being a successful tenant, how to prevent eviction and tips on being a first time landlord.

The course will present best practices that are being used in the housing counseling industry and unique tools developed especially for rental housing counseling. It will also give the participant an opportunity to learn through a variety of learning methods, including working with a Rental Counseling Process Model and hands on experience with case study examples.

Full certification in rental housing counseling is achieved by completing both this course and the Building Skills for Financial Confidence Course HO208 and passing the exam(s).
 

HO208 Building Skills for Financial Confidence

Are you wondering what skills are necessary for practitioners to effectively work with customers in reaching their financial goals? What behaviors and attitudes can make a person financially confident? What barriers consumers face in working toward long-term financial security? Attend this course to gain the most useful and efficient tools to make a real difference in the lives of your clients. You will learn how to facilitate engaging and candid conversations around using appropriate financial products and services, spending, saving, credit, protecting assets and maximizing income. Develop and build your skills in key content areas that will help consumers put themselves in a better position to withstand economic stresses and achieve financial prosperity. Who should attend: financial coaches, financial and housing counselors, program managers, rental housing counselors, and community development professionals.

This course satisfies training requirements to obtain initial NCHEC certification for Rental Housing Counseling and Financial Capability. It provides 12 continuing education hours for all other NCHEC certifications.