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Homebuyer Education and Counseling

Consolidated Credit is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide housing counseling services. Whether you are a first time homebuyer or you simply want to get more information to make sure you understand how the home buying process works, we can help.

Call Consolidated Credit today at 1-800-435-2261 to speak with a HUD-approved housing counselor.

Pre-Purchase Housing Education & Counseling

Purchasing a home is the fulfillment of a dream; it’s also likely to be the most significant financial commitment you make. Consolidated Credit offers education and counseling programs that help you navigate through the home buying process. We can also help prepare you to manage the responsibilities of homeownership.

Our programs are valuable for anyone considering a home purchase and may be required for individuals participating in a down payment assistance program, neighborhood stabilization program or other FHA home purchase programs.

If you are taking our counseling and/or education program as a condition of your lender, it is important that you confirm all requirements to satisfy your program, including the length of the program (if specified).

Designed to meet the requirements of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), our education and counseling programs include:

  • 6 hours of Pre-purchase Education
  • 2 hours of Pre-purchase Counseling

Grants from the Federal government, as well as from various financial institutions in the U.S. enable us to offer these counseling courses free of charge to consumers who live in our local area in Southeast Florida. We offer one free homebuyer workshop each month. Here’s a list of upcoming events:

Note: All local homebuyer workshops have been canceled

In light of public health safety concerns for the coronavirus, all live local homebuyer workshops at our home office in Plantation, Florida have been canceled. If you need to take a homebuyer course in the next few months, we recommend the online course.

If you are not in our local area or you prefer to take the course at home on your own time, we also offer a paid course online:

online homebuyer education course; first-time homebuyer program

Useful Homebuyer & Mortgage Information

This section provides helpful information for what you need to do before you actually start looking for homes. Learn how to assess your finances and prepare for the home buying process to help ensure the process runs smoothly once you start looking. We’ll also tell you how to evaluate your finances to find your optimal mortgage payment.

Get ready to start looking for a new home

Searching for a new home is an exciting time as you look to the future and find the perfect place to fit your needs. However, you have to be careful that you don’t fall in love with a home that really won’t fit your needs once you move in. Learn what to keep in mind as you look for your dream home to help ensure you can really love the home you choose.

What you need to know as you look for homes

Once you find your dream home, you want to make sure the home buying process proceeds as quickly and smoothly as possible. Learn what you need to know when you make an offer on a home, as well as what you should focus on during the inspection process, to help ensure you make it from submitting an offer to closing without a lot of hassle.

Learn how to make an offer on a home

Learn what you will need to secure a mortgage so you can have any documentation in order once you are ready to buy. Learn how prequalification and preapproval can help make it easier to make a serious offer on a home, as well as speed up the mortgage lending process. We’ll show you how to get the right loan for your situation for lasting financial stability.

Choose the right mortgage for your needs

Closing can be a great time in the home buying process. You’re effectively one step away from owning a new property, but nothing is guaranteed yet and the deal could still fall through if you aren’t prepared. Learn what to expect from your final walkthrough to closing day, as well as what closing costs you need to plan into your home buying budget.

Get familiar with the closing process

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), along with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) offer a variety of programs that can make the dream of homeownership a reality for more Americans. Learn more about HUD and FHA programs that can help you get a mortgage and secure your dream home.

Learn more about HUD and FHA programs

The last thing you need when you buy a new home is to become the victim of some kind of real estate fraud or predatory mortgage lending scam. Learn how to protect yourself from unethical and fraudulent real estate practices that could prevent you from getting your dream home or get you into a mortgage that isn’t right for your financial situation.

Avoiding predatory lending practices

Additional resources for homebuyers

There’s no class offered in school that tells you how to buy a home and what you need to know. As a result, when it comes time to buy a home, most consumers have to rely on real estate agents, appraisers and mortgage lenders to really know what’s going on. However, wouldn’t you feel better if you completely understood the home buying process so you could have peace of mind that you’re making the right choices as you move forward?

The resources below can help you better understand the home buying and mortgage lending process, as well as help you along the way to find the right home for your needs. If you still have questions or you need more information, call Consolidated Credit today at 1-800-435-2261 to speak with a HUD-certified housing counselor for free.

Hispanic family in front of their home

Property Valuation Links

The following links can help you get a clear picture of the current property values of different homes you are considering, so you can have a better idea of how much homes are worth. You can start focusing your search; the first two links also allow you to search for homes in your area:

Flood Zones

Flood insurance can be a major expense, depending on where you live. High-risk areas will cost a significant amount of money per year. High flood insurance costs could mean that a home that seems affordable would actually be outside of your means. As such, it’s important to know if a property is in a high-risk flood area. You can learn more about flood zones and check specific addresses throughout the country through the FEMA website. Read about zone designations and click “Map Search” to enter a specific address.

Mortgage Calculator

Our free online mortgage calculator can help you determine a target loan amount and terms for your new mortgage. This will help you set a price range for your new home. Using a mortgage calculator once you find a home and start the mortgage lending process can help you avoid purchasing more property than you can afford. Use our free mortgage calculator.

First-Time Homebuyer Program

Educate yourself about one of the most significant financial and emotional purchases you will ever make. The First-Time Homebuyer Program prepares you for the process and the responsibilities of being a homeowner

Getting Ready to Buy a Home

There are a lot of questions that need to answered before you make one of the largest financial decisions of your life. We can help you take the first steps toward buying a home.

HUD and FHA Assistance

There are a variety of programs to make the dream of owning a home a reality. When you are ready to purchase a home HUD and FHA programs can give you information and assist in making your dream home more affordable.

Making an Offer

You found your dream home! How much should you pay for it? From the initial offer to complications from inspections, understand what making an offer on a home entails.

Mortgage Basics

Because not many people have a few hundred thousand in the bank, you will probably need a mortgage. Understand mortgage basics from the different types to an escrow account.

Loan Fraud

Don’t fall victim to predatory lenders. Take steps to make sure you secure a mortgage safely and avoid loan fraud.

Closing

The final steps to homeownership can be the most exhilarating and scariest. Knowing what to expect from the bank, the realtor,  the current owner, and yourself will eliminate some of the worries. Make sure closing on your home doesn’t come with any surprises.

Housing & Mortgage Glossary

Not sure about one of the terms used in this section of the website? Access our free Housing and Mortgage Glossary to find an easy reference to common mortgage and housing terms, including terms related to the home buying process.