Pathway To Homeownership

Pathway To Homeownership is our 12 course certified mortgage readiness education program providing students with a vast knowledge of the home buying process and homeownership responsibilities.  First 8 classes are pre-purchase courses designed to prepare the participant for home ownership.  The final 4 classes happen after purchase and are a guide to settling in your new home.  

Class 1: Money Literacy

Taught using the FDIC Curriculum, teaches students the importance of money and how to make money, grow money, and save money. In this course, students learn what the internal and external influences are as it pertains to how they spend and save their money. Students are empowered to evaluate how they spend and save their money and are encouraged to use the best practices to maximize their money.

Class 2: Financial Literacy

Taught using the Federal Reserve Curriculum, teaches students the importance of budgeting, assets, liabilities, and knowing your net worth. This course empowers students to create and manage their financial portfolio in order to always have an understanding of their financial situation. During this course, student’s breakdown their own assets and liabilities to determine their net worth and set goals on how they aim to build their net worth.

Class 3: Credit Literacy

Taught using the Underwriting Guidelines of Lender Partner, students learn to understand, correct, update, build, and read their own credit report. In this five-part course students will see the before and after effects of credit literacy and how to maintain their new higher credit scores. Students start the course reviewing and if necessary correcting their current credit report and after 30 days they return to class to review the changes made, reflect on their new scores, and learn how to continue to increase their score. 

1. Understanding Your Credit Report
2. Correcting Your Credit Report
3. Updating Your Credit Report
4. Building Your Credit Report
5. Seeing Your New Scores

Class 4: Rental Readiness

Taught using the requirements of Rental/Lender Partner, explains to students the importance of the relationship between a landlord and a renter and how this relationship translates to the relationship between a mortgage lender and a homeowner. In this course students go over an actual lease from both the landlord and a renter’s perspective. Many students have reported that this course empowers them to promote homeownership to family and friends rather than continuing to rent.

Class 5: Mortgage Readiness

Taught using the Underwriting Guidelines of Preferred Lender, explains why the below items are needed, what they are there for, and how these effect their mortgage long-term. This class is taught in partnership with a banking mortgage lender and their specific mortgage programs.  The non-profit also has volunteers such as a realtor, appraiser, title company, and insurance agent teach this class, so that students can learn from industry experts.

1. What is a Mortgage? 
2. Appraisal? 
3. Title Policy? 
4. Homeowner’s Insurance? 
5. Closing? 

Class 6: Construction Financing or One-Time Close

Taught using the Underwriting Guidelines of Preferred Lender, teaches potential homeowners how to be in control of the construction process of their new home. This class walks students through the process of financing the construction of their home directly through their mortgage lender, rather than purchasing a completed home from a general contractor who funds the construction.

Class 7: Home Repair Readiness

Taught using National Standards of Homeownership, students learn items involved in the maintenance of a home. The key milestone for this course is that student understand how to take care of their new home and how to protect their investment. This class is taught in partnership with contractors and various industry experts on residential repairs to empower students with the best practices for maintaining and properly upkeeping their new home.

Class 8: Foreclosure Prevention

Taught using the HUD Foreclosure Prevention Manual, clients are given a specific list of resources for any future concerns about paying their new mortgage. This course was created as a way to equip and empower our students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to know what to do in a time and situation when they do not know what to do.

Class 9: Insurance

Taught in partnership with licensed Insurance Agents, teaches students the various types of insurance homeowners should be aware of, including but not limited to homeowners’ insurance, life insurance, personal injury insurance, health insurance, and other specialty insurances. The non-profit invites various insurance agents who are industry experts in their field to share the benefits of these insurance policies.

Class 10: Life Coaching

Class 11: Economics and Budgeting

Takes students through financial literacy while incorporating their current budget, economics, and significant life changes in expenses as well as their modified net worth.

Class 12: Soft Skills and Life Skills