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Expanding Housing Opportunities (EHO) is a course designed to educate real estate professionals on the range of affordable housing opportunities and clients seeking them. EHO is available in two formats; online and in the classroom. The content and learning objectives are the same for both formats.
Course participants will learn how to:
- Identify and explain the range of affordable housing opportunities and their benefits to clients.
- Describe how affordability affects the housing market, their clients, their business, and their community.
- Better analyze affordable financing options, including local, state, federal, and nonprofit assistance programs for buyers and renters.
- Build partnerships to expand housing opportunities through advocacy, workforce housing initiatives, and green building concepts.
Overview
Expanding Housing Opportunities (EHO) is a 4-hour education course developed by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). The course is designed to help real estate professionals understand affordable housing issues and how their role in increasing housing opportunities.
The class is designed to: educate students on the range of affordable housing opportunities and clients seeking them; increase students' knowledge and understanding of how affordability impacts the housing market, their clients, their business, and their community; help students analyze affordable financing options through credible lenders, including local, state, federal, and non-profit assistance programs for buyers and renters; and teach students how to better leverage partnerships and resources to expand housing opportunities through workforce housing initiatives, green building concepts, and advocacy to benefit the student, their clients, and their communities.
The class is designed for an audience of real estate professionals, including real estate brokers and owners.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe your role in affordable housing.
- Describe and discuss affordable housing and housing opportunities.
- Describe how demographic changes impact affordable housing and housing opportunities.
- Describe special considerations for first-time homebuyers.
- Describe the benefits of working with housing counselors.
- Describe where to locate down payment and closing cost assistance.
- Describe qualifying guidelines for conventional and government loans.
- Describe how housing opportunities can be increased in your community.
- Identify opportunities for local advocacy.
- Locate resources online and in your local community to educate yourself and assist your client regarding affordable housing.
Timed Course Agenda with Learning Objectives
|
Time |
Time |
Subject |
Learning Objectives After completion of module, participant will be able to: |
|
8:30 a.m. |
Registration |
Registration and start Icebreaker exercise as participants walk in. |
|
|
9:00 a.m. |
10 minutes |
Welcome and Icebreaker/Introductions |
|
|
9:10 a.m. |
7 minutes |
Module 1 - Your Role in Affordable Housing
|
Define affordable housing and housing opportunities |
|
7 minutes |
|
Identify current issues affecting affordable housing |
|
|
3 minutes |
|
Describe benefits of housing opportunities |
|
|
3 minutes |
|
List team of partners |
|
|
9:30 a.m. |
10 minutes (includes activity) |
Module 2 - You and the Client
|
Describe demographic changes
|
|
5 minutes |
|
Describe how transportation costs impact affordability. |
|
|
5 minutes |
|
Point out special considerations for first-time homebuyers |
|
|
5 minutes |
|
Discuss affordability/availability in rental market |
|
|
5 minutes |
|
Describe alternatives to traditional homeownership |
|
|
10:00 a.m. |
7 minutes |
Module 3 - You and the Housing Counselor
|
Explain importance of housing counseling |
|
13 minutes |
|
Describe working relationships between real estate professional and housing counselor |
|
|
15 minutes |
|
Locate a housing counselor and nonprofit housing organization to form a partnership |
|
|
10 minutes |
|
Describe where to locate down payment and closing cost assistance |
|
|
10:45 a.m. |
15 minutes |
BREAK |
|
|
11:00 a.m. |
10 minutes |
Module 4 - You and the Lender
|
Explain the basics of credit scoring |
|
20 minutes (includes activity) |
· Prequalifying and Preapproval (activity with flip chart and PQ worksheet) |
Prequalify buyer clients to determine loan amount and appropriate price range · Complete Prequalification Worksheet activity |
|
5 minutes |
|
Determine where to find affordable loans |
|
|
10 minutes |
· Describe qualifying guidelines for various loan products - includes Conventional and FHA |
Compare qualifying guidelines for various loan products - includes Conventional and FHA |
|
|
10 minutes |
· Describe qualifying guidelines for various loan products - includes VA, and USDA |
Compare qualifying guidelines for various loan products - includes VA and USDA |
|
|
5 minutes |
|
Compare Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA summary. |
|
|
12:00 noon |
8 minutes |
Module 5 - You and the Community
|
Describe how workforce housing impacts local communities |
|
7 minutes |
|
List ways communities can develop affordable housing |
|
|
7 minutes |
|
Explain how land-use policies affect housing |
|
|
4 minutes |
|
Discuss impact of "green" in planning |
|
|
4 minutes |
|
Describe how transportation affects the community |
|
|
12:30 p.m. |
5 minutes |
Final Exercise, Review and Wrap Up
|
Review/remind participants of documentation in Sources and Resources section of the training materials. |
|
10 minutes |
|
Complete the Individual Action Plan |
|
|
10 minutes |
|
Summarize materials learned in class, answer questions |
|
|
12:55 p.m. |
5 minutes |
Conclusion |
Share next steps and complete evaluations |