Education

Studies show more than three-quarters of Americans prefer to own their home rather than rent. As a NeighborWorks® HomeOwnership Center, we offer a friendly and convenient for homeownership education. Our classes cover topics to include: budgeting, creating banking relationships, the right time to buy a home, the mortgage process, working with (the right) lender, correcting credit problems, determining your insurance needs, preventing foreclosure, and more.

Classes are typically held in our onsite classroom at 2712 Chamberlayne Avenue, Richmond, VA and offer free, off street parking. Current class offerings are:

Pre and post-purchase classes - are taught by HUD-approved, certified homebuyer education trainers and counselors. Instruction usually takes place in a classroom with a group, but may also be delivered to individuals online or through self-study. Typical subjects include homeownership readiness and affordability; money and credit management; types of properties and financing available; purchase, mortgage, and closing processes and home maintenance and financial management after the sale. FasTRAK: a Homebuyer Education Program and FightBACK Foreclosure are two of our most popular pre- and post-purchase class offerings.

Financial Fitness - this program is a seven week financial literacy workshop series for those who are interested in building their financial literacy skills, reducing debt or curing credit issues. Anyone is eligible to participate in the program, regardless of income. The program is available at no cost to the participants. The Financial Fitness workshop series is held once in the fall, winter, spring and summer. As an incentive to participating in the Financial Fitness Program, members are given the option to open an Individual Development Account (IDA) to encourage saving and asset building.

HomeBuyers Club - is a twelve week workshop series aimed at building responsible homeownership in a support-group setting. The HBC Program is aimed at families facing obstacles to homeownership that can not be resolved in a few months. The twelve week format provides long-term counseling and support to its members. As an incentive to joining the HomeBuyers Club, members are given the option to open an Individual Development Account (IDA) to encourage savings and asset building.

Post purchase counseling - provides guidance with budget and credit management, delinquency.