Homeownership Phone Counseling and Certificate
Learn about the home buying process
Clients in the process of buying a home may be required by their lender to register for a pre-homeownership or landlord course. This is a self-paced learning opportunity that concludes with a content review, a brief phone interview with a trained, certified counselor, and the issuing of the required certificate.
The goal of reading and studying these materials is for a prospective homeowner to learn:
- How to shop for a home
- What brokers do and their role in home sales
- How to know whether a home is affordable
- How a lender decides whether to offer a loan
- How to choose the best type of mortgage loans
- The purpose of the various contracts involved
- What points and closing costs are
- What contingencies are and how they protect buyers
- The importance of a home inspection
- The pros and cons of owning versus renting
- Routine home maintenance tasks and their cost
Steps in the process:
STEP 1) Read and study the appropriate pre-homeownership education materials, either online or download and print the manual.
ENGLISH: Pre-Homeownership Education Manual
Please Complete the Month Expense Analysis and Course Content review in preparation for your phone interview.
SPANISH: Pre-Homeownership Education Manual Part 1 and
Pre-Homeownership Manual Part 2
Spanish Monthly Expense Analysis
BECOMING A LANDLORD
Becoming a Landlord (Fannie Mae).
STEP 2) Register for a phone interview either online or by fax
These forms are used in the process. NOTE: ALL four forms must be completed in full before the interview can begin. If you need help please call 336.896.1191.
English
1.Register Online (to submit electronically)
2.Printable Registration Form (to print or fax)
Spanish
1.Registrarse en línea (para enviar electrónicamente)
2.Formulario de Registro Español (para imprimir o enviar por fax)
3.Curso de Español Revisión de contenido
4.Análisis de gastos mensuales en Español
Online: Together the lender or real estate broker and the aspiring borrower complete the registration form and submit it on-line. Then print the course content review and monthly expense forms and retain these two forms for use at the time of the phone interview.
Via Fax: download the registration form, course content review, and monthly expense analysis forms. Complete and fax the registration form to 336-896-1927.
For Landlord Counseling, register either online or by fax using the steps and forms. Be sure to check the “Landlord Counseling” box on the registration form.
STEP 3) When the completed registration forms are received, a Housing Counselor will contact the borrower at the time selected on the form and conduct the telephone interview. If the completed form is received before noon, counseling the following business day may be possible. The interview will last approximately 20-30 minutes. The counselor will ask additional questions to verify understanding of the homebuying process. Counselors are trained to be knowledgeable in all aspects of the homebuying process and committed to making this a respectful, positive learning experience.
STEP 4) Once the interview is successfully completed, a Certificate of Completion will be forwarded to the lender/broker listed as contact person on the registration form.
For more information on appointments or interviews, or to get an additional copy of a certificate, call toll free at 1-877-367-7642 or email dhile@centerforhomeownership.org.
COST
A fee of $125 is charged to the lender or broker listed on the Registration Form at the onset of the process. All counseling requires prepayment. If we have made several attempts to reach the borrower for the interview and learn that the interview request has been cancelled but we have not been notified, a $30 charge will apply.