Housing Counseling

Pre Purchase Homebuyers Counseling

Pre-purchase homebuyers counseling - covers areas that clients desiring to purchase their housing should know.  Through one-on-one counseling and didactic group presentations/workshops FHP informs and directs clients concerning the types of mortgage assistance available, the financial commitment necessary and an overall understanding of the home buying process.  With our target population in mind it is expected that most clients will not obtain traditional loans.  In turn we also focus on government financed/insured mortgage products.

 

The Fair Housing Partnership provides comprehensive homeownership counseling for first time homebuyers. Through the group and individual homeownership counseling, clients will learn how to manage their income, consolidate debts, save money toward their eventual down payment and closing costs, and apply for a mortgage.

 

Knowledge about homeownership and the home-buying process is the best starting place for families who want to buy a home of their own. Through the efforts of the FHP, Home Ownership Counseling targets low to moderate income families in Allegheny County communities, including immigrant families with limited knowledge of English.  FHP will work with partners to enhance the ability of housing and real estate professionals to understand and meet the housing needs of an increasingly diverse clientele. To reach our goals, FHP works directly in the communities by establishing local classrooms and making alliances with other local groups to make community-based Home Ownership Counseling available.

 

Through Home Ownership Counseling, families become aware of the importance of budgeting, how their credit history can help or hurt their chance to receive a mortgage loan, and steps they can take to improve their credit rating. Families will learn how to establish credit, and every family will understand the dangers of predatory lenders and how to avoid becoming victims – paying outrageous home loan interest rates and fees, or losing their homes through outright fraud. Equally important, the FHP will use education and counseling efforts to help families learn about mortgage loan availability, housing discrimination, their rights under the law, and how to report housing discrimination should they illegally be denied an equal opportunity to buy a home.

 

The following are topics covered through group and/or individual counseling:

• Assessing Readiness to Buy, Owning vs. renting, Debt to income ratios
• Employment stability, Selecting a Home, Realtors, Purchase contracts
• Types of houses, Financing a Home, Process, Loans and mortgages
• Mortgage assistance programs, Budgeting and Credit
• Credit reports and credit repair, Affordability issues
• Successful money management, Lender qualification
• Maintaining a Home/Finances, Mortgage obligations
• Home maintenance repairs, Contractors, Community involvement