Path to Homeownership

Your journey towards homeownership begins with a single step.

We provide homeownership counseling, financial access and neighborhood development.

Homeownership remains a cherished goal in achieving the American Dream. But buying and sustaining a home is complicated. Let us help you understand what may be the largest purchase you will ever make. Follow our path to ownership below.

Complete/submit intake application and disclosure forms.

Our Client Services Representative will send an application link to the email address you provide. The Representative will also schedule your first appointment with a Homeownership Advisor and provide you with a list of financial documents which you will need to bring to your first appointment.

Confirmation of first scheduled appointment with Homeownership Advisor.

Our Homeownership Advisor will follow up with you to confirm your scheduled appointment and remind you to bring any requested documents.

Prepare for first appointment by collecting financial documents requested by Advisor.

It is very important to bring the financial documents requested by your Advisor. Your Advisor will need all the documents requested to help you achieve your goal of becoming a homeowner, sooner rather than later.

Create Action Plan during first appointment. Goal: Get you mortgage-ready!

Your Advisor will work with you to create an Action Plan to remedy any credit or budget challenges.

Enroll in/complete Financial Coaching workshops.

If you need to improve your budgeting and/or credit repair skills, your Advisor will ask you to sign up for some Financial Coaching workshops.

Schedule subsequent appointment(s) with Advisor.

Your Advisor will schedule follow up appointments with you until all credit and/or budget challenges have been addressed.

Enroll in/complete homebuyer education class.

Once your credit and/or budget challenges have been remedied, your Advisor will ask you to sign up for a homebuyer education class. This 8-hour class will arm you with the knowledge you’ll need to be an informed homebuyer. You will learn many important things, including how to comparison shop for the best mortgage loans and how to select the right Realtor to represent what’s best for you in your home purchase transaction.

Obtain conditional first mortgage loan approval.

After you complete all counseling sessions, workshops and classes, your Advisor will submit your file to our Lending Department for conditional loan approval. Our Lending Department will schedule an appointment with you to tell you how much home you can afford based on your household income.

Obtain conditional down payment assistance approval.

After you complete all required counseling sessions, workshops and classes, your Advisor will submit your file to our Lending Department for conditional down payment assistance approval, if you’ve requested assistance. Approval is always contingent on availability of funds and income eligibility requirements. There are varying eligibility requirements depending on the assistance program, but household income is always a primary factor. Most assistance programs target low-to-moderate income households.

Shop for your home with the help of your real estate agent.

We have real estate agents who you can work with to help you find a home that’s right for you. With your approval, we will share information about how much house you can afford based on the loan amount you’ve been conditionally approved for by your first mortgage lender and we will also share the amount of down payment assistance you qualify for if you do qualify for assistance. This information will help your realtor target your search based on this information. Our Real Estate Development Department will also contact you to find out if you are interested in purchasing a home built or rehabbed by us.

Close on your loan.

Before you close on your loan, your Advisor will schedule a final appointment with you to help you review your loan documents before you actually sign them to make sure you are completely comfortable with all the terms and conditions in the documents. We never want you to sign loan documents that you don’t fully understand.

Move into your new home!

Now you’re a homeowner – congratulations! Job well done! Though we will be celebrating with you, we hope this will not be the last time we see you. We will continue to reach out to you to in the future to make you aware of other services available to you even after you become a homeowner. For example, we offer post-purchase financial coaching workshops if you want continuing help with personal budgeting. We can even help you should you decide it’s time to move. And, finally, we can help you refinance your home should you determine that this is something you would like to do in the future.

Path to Homeownership​