The Washington County CDA is a HUD Approved Housing Agency providing Homebuyer Advising, Homebuyer Education, and for those who qualify for a Down Payment Assistance program. Our Homebuyer Advising and Education programs are designed for those looking to take the home buying plunge for the first-time, or for veteran homeowners looking to brush up on the ins and outs of the home buying process.

Homebuyer Education

The CDA offers Homebuyer Education one of two ways – in person or online. Homebuyer Education is a great follow up to Homebuyer Advising appointments. Homebuyer Education is required by lenders for many first-time home buyers as a condition of their mortgage and/or down payment assistance program approval. Homebuyer Education empowers home buyers with the knowledge of how the process works and what to expect when purchasing a home.

In-person, the CDA offers a Home Stretch Workshop, which is eight hours of homebuyer education provided by the CDA on a monthly, either as an all-day eight-hour workshop or two four-hour sessions taught over two day/evening sessions. Home Stretch helps participants understand the home buying process and strategies. Participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the workshop.

To see a list of upcoming workshops, and/or to sign up for a workshop online via Eventbrite, please click here.

Topics covered at a Home Stretch Workshop include becoming a home owner, home owner money management, credit requirements, mortgage lending and loans, realtor expectations, home inspection overview, loan closing and neighborhood relations. Most session have professional industry volunteers (who are non-biased and not allowed to advertise to participants) that help cover these topics and provide information on the local home buyer market conditions. The cost is $40. Only credit card payments are accepted through the Eventbrite  website. If you would like to pay with cash or check or request a fee waiver, please contact the home ownership department at the CDA.

Need more flexibility than an in-person Home Stretch Workshop? Framework provides an online home buyer education course that can be completed at home or on the go – on your computer, tablet or even your phone. Most people finish the coursework in 4-6 hours. Many of the same topics are covered in the in-person workshops as in the online course. Information provided via Framework is based on national data, so you may want to meet with a homeownership specialist for a FREE Homebuyer Advising appointment to find out how the purchase process applies to you. The cost of Framework is $75 click here for more information or to sign up! (the CDA may received a referral fee of $60 from Framework)

To set up a FREE Homebuyer Advising appointment or request additional information about any of the programs listed above, please use the contact information below. We are  HUD-approved housing counseling agency. All Advising, and Education program services are confidential.

Homebuyer Advising

The CDA offers FREE Homebuyer Advising. Lots of people have questions about buying a home. How much can I afford? What credit score do I need? What is ARM, PITI, or PMI? Our homeowner specialists can help you get moving in the right direction.

During the meeting, the homeowner specialist will pull your credit report for free and review it with you and if necessary, give you the tools to clean it up and improve your credit scores. The homeowner specialist will review different mortgage programs and any local or state down payment/closing costs assistance programs that you might qualify for. They will help you figure out what you can afford, how to budget for your new home and create a post meeting action plan which details the steps needed to help you meet your financial goals.

To get the process started, you can complete the intake form here.

Please answer all the questions and sign the disclosures as provided online. Once the intake form is received, someone will contact you to set up an appointment to talk about your situation and advise you of any additional information or documentation that might be needed. If you need help completing the form, you can call the homeownership team at 651-202-2822 or e-mail [email protected] for assistance.