Buying a home is a complex process and often one of the largest financial investments made by a consumer in their lifetime. Homebuyer education provides consumers with valuable insight and tools to better navigate the home purchase process. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) requires homebuyer education and counseling for all consumers obtaining a VHFA loan to ensure that every consumer is well-informed and prepared for homeownership.
VHFA proudly partners with both the local non-profit NeighborWorks Homeownership Centers here in Vermont and eHome America to provide homebuyer education and counseling. The Homeownership Centers, Champlain Housing Trust, RuralEdge, Downstreet, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust and NeighborWorks of Western Vermont all provide valuable financial readiness services within our communities to equip consumers with a blueprint to realize the dream of homeownership. eHome America hosts the online education course for VHFA and the Homeownership Centers, online enrollment can be access here: https://www.vhfa.org/homebuyers/education.
A new homeowner recently shared, "My kids and I were looking for a new start on life and it could not have been possible without all the hard work from the people at RuralEdge...We have a place to call our own now because of our hard work, dedication and guidance we received."
Completing homebuyer education early in the home buying process allows consumers to put what is learned to practical use from the onset:
- Calculate how much how you can afford
- Mortgage and home buying terminology
- Home buying process and key milestones, like when a purchase and sale agreement is signed, when a home inspection occurs and what is a lender appraisal
- Introduces budget planning resources to use once you are a homeowner
Consumers have the option of selecting an online or in-person course. Online course enrollment can be accessed at https://www.vhfa.org/homebuyers/education. In-person course schedules and enrollment are available by directly contacting one of the Homeownership Centers.
Learn more about homebuyer education today by visiting https://www.vhfa.org/homebuyers/education or exploring the education opportunities with the NeighborWorks Homeownership Centers located in Vermont:
- Champlain Housing Trust; www.getahome.org
- RuralEdge; www.ruraledge.org
- Downstreet; www.downstreet.org
- Windham & Windsor Housing Trust; www.w-wht.org
- NeighborWorks of Western Vermont; www.nwwvt.org
