The first session in the HBE Seminar is an introduction to the RiseUp Fund and the entire Homebuyer Education Seminar series in general. During this session, participants will learn more about the scope of the program, the commitment involved, and what they’ll receive for participating. From there, participants will be introduced to the foundations of homeownership:
(1) The benefits and challenges associated with homeownership.
(2) The transition from renter to homeowner and the many important considerations when someone makes that change.
(3) intimately understanding what it takes to buy a home.
(4) Identifying the variety of professionals that can be involved in their home buying transaction and what exactly they do.
(5) A roadmap of the full homebuying process from start to finish.

*****You'll be redirected to the Session Quiz at the end of the webinar*****

The goal of this session is to introduce participants to the fundamentals of personal finance as it relates to buying and owning a home.

What are the costs and expenses associated with it? What are the requirements and prerequisites to get a home loan?

Next, participants will learn about budgeting and money management and how to apply it to their own lives. Then, they will learn about credit, credit building, and credit repair. From there, participants will get into a discussion about insurance, interest, maintenance, and taxes; the primary additional expenses that renters wouldn’t have to worry about. Finally, participants will go through the exercise of assessing their own financial situations and creating financial goals and milestones for themselves.

*****You'll be redirected to the Session Quiz at the end of the webinar*****

The goal of this session is for all participants to leave with a better understanding of the benefits, challenges, and intricacies of mortgages. You will learn how mortgages work, what lenders are looking for in qualifying/approving borrowers, the different financial instruments available to them, the pitfalls and predatory lending options to avoid, etc. After that, all our learning will be put into a real-world context. Using actual examples and industry tools, participants will be guided through the complete process of purchasing their first home.

*****You'll be redirected to the Session Quiz at the end of the webinar*****

Many people assume that once you’re handed the keys at closing, then everything is done. However, there are many other important considerations that you should be aware of.

Once you’ve gotten into the home, the key is being able to stay in the home.
The goal of this session is for participants to leave understanding the specifics associated with what to do once they’ve moved in. They will discuss how to manage/handle home maintenance and repair. Also, they will discuss homeownership preservation and foreclosure prevention as well as the resources and support services available to them.

Once we’ve reviewed the most important aspects of each session, it is time to make this whole program personal. Using the activity pages within your workbook, you will create an individualized action plan for the next steps. This will be the prerequisite for being connected with a Houwzer Mentor, as well as receiving any funds or a financial award from the RiseUp Fund.

*****You'll be redirected to the Session Quiz at the end of the webinar*****