SFHDC HOMEOWNERSHIP CENTER

SFHDC’s Housing Counseling Center operates as a resource center to help low and moderate income families and individuals achieve financial security through homeownership. Our goal is to create credit and mortgage ready homebuyers as affordable units are made available, and to help new homeowners maintain and build equity in their homes. The Center is staffed with qualified housing counselors professionally trained in finance and real estate. They offer housing counseling services in English, Spanish, and Cantonese. Through the development of strong partnership with banking and financial institutions and other industry related businesses, SFHDC is able to leverage these relationships to the benefit of our clients. We share information and develop financial strategies with clients that will make homeownership an affordable and realistic option for low and moderate income residents of San Francisco. Moreover, most all of our programs and services are free and designed to help renters pre-qualify for a new home.

Our counselors are knowledgeable about the best resources on the market for first-time homebuyers, and share this information with them through financial education and individual counseling sessions. Intensive workshops introduce the first time homebuyer to the home buying process emphasizing the financial benefits of homeownership. Upon completion of these workshops, SFHDC housing counselors will work one-on-one with our clients, and serve as the liaison between the buyer, the developer, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, and potential lenders.

SFHDC Homeownership Center also establishes mutually beneficial relationships with public and private real estate developers to market their newly developed housing units to low and moderate income buyers. We use these partnerships to inform qualified families and individuals about new affordable homes in San Francisco and beyond. We work with real estate developers seeking eligible applicants for their affordable units. Additionally, we partner with government agencies and community organizations that offer subsidies such as down-payment assistant programs, closing costs deferred loans, etc.

SFHDC’s counseling methodology is to work closely with each client to provide them with a number of strategic resources to help them achieve the American Dream of Homeownership. The Center offers the following programs designed to fully help first-time homebuyers through the home buying process; as well as, a post-purchasing program for existing homeowners, to assist them in building equity and maintaining their homes:

1. Homebuyers Education Program: In-depth pre-purchase homebuyer education workshops, designed to inform the first-time homebuyer about the entire home-purchasing process.

To register for a workshop contact Tanya Smith at 415.822.1022 ext. 111 or email tanyasfhdc@yahoo.org.

10 Steps to Homeownership

• Attend SFHDC First-time Homebuyers Workshop
• Schedule a counseling session

with a SFHDC Housing Counselor

• Analyze your credit rating and FICO scores
• Create a personal spending plan
• Save for a down payment, closing costs, and emergency fund
• Complete SFHDC’s pre-qualification worksheet
• Review affordable housing program options
• Establish a Homeownership Team ~ Lender/Realtor/Escrow/ Title Co.
• Get loan pre-approval
• Purchase your first home!