AHCOPA Housing Counselors are advocates for homeowners at every stage of homeownership. Our counselors are experts who will guide you through your home purchase journey. Your counselor will help you navigate the pre-purchase and purchase phases, access grants, and establish a realistic budget. Whether you are 2 months away from buying a home or 2 years away, we assist by providing free financial counseling to empower you to make informed decisions. Yes, our homebuyer workshop and one-on-one counseling is free! The only fee associated with the service is a soft pull credit report. The credit report is required for homebuyer counseling. The Workshop The first step in the program is to take a homebuyer workshop. The live workshops are held most Saturdays, from 10 am - 2 pm, usually online. You can register for a class here. Once a month, we offer a Spanish workshop, usually in-person. Occasionally, we host in-person sessions in English. The workshops include speakers from AHCOPA, partner banks, real estate agencies, and other housing professionals. During the workshop, questions and note taking are encouraged! We highly recommend joining the sessions on time. Virtual workshops are locked 15 minutes after the start time. After completing the workshop, you’ll need to call our main office, (215) 765 - 1221, to schedule an appointment with a housing counselor. One on One Counseling We offer both in-person counseling and virtual counseling sessions. Before your scheduled session, we will ask you to complete an intake form. This form will require various personal and financial documents that are typically requested by a bank when you ask them for a mortgage. Our counselors will review these documents to help draft an action plan and use them for reference when recommending clients to banks. During the counseling session, our counselors will discuss your goals, current financial status and budgeting. They will offer proven solutions to help you reach your goals, including ways to save money, improve your credit and settle debts. The counselor will create an action plan based on the information you provide. It will be your responsibility to follow the plan and update the counselor on your progress. Action plans vary greatly from person to person, it just depends on your financial situation! Many homebuyers are eligible for various down payment assistance programs and grants. For most assistance programs, some form of housing counseling or financial education is required. Our services meet the requirements of all programs and grants. See our down payment assistance page for information on specific programs and products we have work with. Financial counseling is an important part of the work our housing counselors do, and credit counseling and debt management are part of that. Our counselors have prepared many clients for successful debt reduction negotiations. They are familiar with options for all types of debt, from student loans to payday loans. We also help you budget. A big part of this discussion is identifying your priorities and spending habits. We will work with you to find effective ways to manage your personal finances so you can begin saving money. Many of our clients have qualified for savings matching programs that our counselors have recommended. Buying A Home Your counselor will also advise when it is time to start shopping. The counselor will offer recommendations for banks, realtors, and home inspection. At the end of the day, the choice is yours. If you would like to work with a different bank, realtor, or inspector that is fine. Our recommended partners are familiar with grants and understand the housing counseling process. If at any time you feel another party may not be working in your best interest, let your counselor know! Your counselor is your advocate and we are here to make sure you get the best possible mortgage terms. We pride ourselves in being a trusted resource for future homeowners in the Greater Philadelphia area. Homeownership is one of the best ways to create wealth for you and your family. Our first time homebuyer program will prepare you for this investment! Naara SilvaNaara works with AHCOPA as an AmeriCorps VISTA through Housing Action Illinois
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