How a Housing Counselor Can Help You Become a Successful Homeowner

Madison Fisler Lewis
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Buying a home can be a daunting and stressful process, after all, it’s likely the largest purchase you will ever make. That’s why it is so important to have the right team on your side to help make the sale go smoothly. However, it’s not just lenders and real estate agents that you should have on your team, there is one more, lesser known home buying professional that can make sure you are as prepared as possible for home ownership. Read on to learn how a housing counselor can play a major part in your home buying team and how they can help get you ready to take the plunge!

What is a Housing Counselor?
Housing counselors are a specific type of home buying professional who focuses on ensuring that home buyers become successful long-term homeowners. These trained professionals are approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and can help you in not just understanding how to buy a home, but also how to remain in your home for the long term and be financially sound in your investment.

How Can a Housing Counselor Help?
Housing counselors have a lot of skills that home buyers of all kinds will find useful. A counselor near you can:

  • Help you understand your credit and help you implement a plan to improve your credit
  • Explain the process of buying a home and help you through it step by step
  • Help you find and apply for home ownership programs like FHA, VA and USDA loans that may help make buying a home more affordable
  • Give you an understanding of your financial situation and help you decide how much home you can afford to buy

How Can I Find a Housing Counselor Near Me?
There are thousands of HUD-approved housing counselors all across the nation, and there is one near you, too! The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency works with many housing counselors across the state to help clients understand home ownership, affordable mortgage products like the NC Home Advantage Mortgage™, the NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment and the NC Home Advantage Tax Credit and partners with counselors statewide to help make home ownership a reality for North Carolinians. To find a HUD-approved housing counselor in your area, visit https://www.nchfa.com/home-buyers/find-housing-counselor.

Learn more about all the ways a housing counselor can help you buy a home and stay in it for the long term at https://apps.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm.

North Carolina Housing Finance Agency / 3508 Bush Street / Raleigh, NC 27609 / 919-877-5700

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