Florida Housing Counseling Services

Buying a home is one of the most significant financial and emotional purchases that people make.
But rising home prices and hefty competition from cash buyers has created a challenging seller’s market that can be tough for first-time homebuyers to navigate.
It makes the need for homebuyer education more essential than ever, and luckily the folks at Consolidated Credit are here to help.
Consolidated Credit’s housing counseling team is approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide first-time homebuyer education in Florida.
And they’re led by Sandra Tobon.
Dave: Hi Sandra, how are you?
Sandra: Hi Dave, how are you?
Dave: I’m doing great, so let’s talk about the exciting things that you have going here. What types of programming does Consolidated Credit’s team provide to first-time homebuyers?
Sandra: The first-time homebuyer programs that we provide to our clients, allow us to provide the education and the one-on-one housing counseling to our clients. With that being said, we offer orientation, first-time homebuyer certification, and the one-on-one.
Dave: So, let’s talk about the homebuyer orientation class. Tell me about that.
Sandra: Well, if you ask me, it’s the first step that we want our clients to take towards the process of buying a home. It’s not an easy process, so in that orientation what we do is we teach clients, or at least we give them the first steps they need to know when they need to approach the lender.
Dave: What are some of the things that maybe a first-time homebuyer doesn’t know, and then they hear them, and they say oh, I never would’ve thought of that?
Sandra: Absolutely. That’s a great question, especially because they think that buying a home is just going to the bank, present themselves to the bank and request the loan. It’s not. They need to know about what is the difference between a financial institution, what is the difference between a mortgage broker and there are so many other professionals involved in this process that people don’t know, and that’s what we want to teach.
Dave: Yeah, it can be an emotionally exhausting experience if you’re unprepared right? And people don’t always have your best interest in mind when you’re buying a home.
Sandra: Absolutely. That’s exactly what we think here. So that is the reason why we have this process laid down for our clients.
Dave: And tell me about the certificate of completion, that they get upon completing the course. Why is that so important?
Sandra: Well, the government wants to do with this mandatory education is to provide the clients with the necessary base education they need, when they sit with us or the housing counselors, so we can talk the same language. The housing counselor will guide them through how to create a budget, what is important to have a good credit score, and what is it to have a good credit score. And how much savings they need to have to buy a home.
Dave: Regarding the course, is it just for first-time homebuyers, or can anybody buying a home, 3rd home, 4th home, 5th home, can anybody benefit from it?
Sandra: Anybody can benefit from that. I have so many clients that bought a house for the first time, 5-10 years ago and they always say I wish I had known about this. Because there is always something that you need to learn from that class. Buying a house is one of the most complex financial transactions that you can do in your life. Come to us. Let us help you with the process, and you will be able to learn a lot from it and you are gonna be able to buy a house without making many mistakes.
Dave: Well Sandra, thank you so much for dropping some great wisdom and knowledge, and helping homebuyers learn a little bit more about the process.
Sandra: Thank you Dave for having me here today.
Dave: Of course, our pleasure.
If you’re buying a home this year, call 1-800-435-2261, to speak with a HUD-certified housing counselor, so you can become mortgage ready and get on the path to achieving your dream.

Dave: Many Americans struggle with the challenge of meeting their housing costs and that can be one of the most stressful situations you can find yourself in. Facing foreclosure or eviction can affect the lives of you and your family and have a significant impact on your credit. The federal government has launched several relief programs meant to help homeowners and renters who are struggling but traversing through them can be tricky. Luckily, we have Sandra Tobon on hand today, Director of Housing Counseling at Consolidated Credit, to be our GPS and navigate us to the right program available. Sandra, it’s great to see you, how are you?
Sandra: Hi Dave how are you?
Dave: I’m doing great thank you. Are emergency rental assistance programs still available to help renters that are behind on their payments?
Sandra: Yes, they are still available for them. The best idea for them is to call us, we do a financial assessment, and the housing counselors usually have the best resources for them, so we are able to guide them through whatever is the best option for them.
Dave: Now that money is available through the homeowner’s assistance fund, how can homeowners apply?
Sandra: They just need to call us. They will have a certified housing counselor who will help them with the whole process. We will tell them what to do, how to apply for the funds, and whatever else they need to do.
Dave: Yeah, you mentioned whatever else, are there any pitfalls that renters or homeowners need to be looking out for?
Sandra: That’s a very good question Dave because these programs are specific for people who had COVID-19 struggles or financial hardships. So, they really need to prove that something wrong happened to them, and they cannot afford the payment.
Dave: That’s good, that’s great information. Let’s talk about seniors, has the current economy or housing market created challenges for seniors who might have reverse mortgages on their homes?
Sandra: Think about this. They are usually on a fixed income. So, everything is going up. Homeownership insurance is rising to the roof and taxes are raising as well, so when the senior gets the bill, they don’t have the money to pay for that. So, the best thing for them is to call us, we can help them and provide all the resources that the government has available for them.
Dave: How does Consolidated Credit’s housing stability counseling help people who are facing housing challenges?
Sandra: The best way to describe that to you is free housing counseling. So, when they call us, we can provide them with all the resources that we have. We can help them through the process of budgeting, creating an action plan, and give them the resources that they might have available if they qualify for them.
Dave: And if the renter’s programs or the homeowner’s programs run out of funds in a specific area, is there any else that renters or homeowners can do?
Sandra: Well, the best thing is to call us, because the housing counselor usually has all the available tools. They know when the money is not available for one specific program, but that doesn’t mean that that person doesn’t qualify for the other program. So, give us a call. We can guide you through the process.
Dave: Before we say goodbye, any last pearls of advice for homeowners or renters. It can be a really stressful process, a really stressful time now for a lot of people, what would you tell them?
Sandra: It is a very stressful time but always remember Consolidated Credit is here for you. Give us a call so we can guide you through.
Dave: And if you’re a homeowner or renter facing challenges with your housing situation, know that there is help available. Call 1-800-435-2261 to speak confidentially with a HUD-certified housing counselor. The call and the advice are free.