Bilingual Housing Counselor

Bilingual Homeownership Counselor

Under the supervision of the Director of Homeowner Services, the Bilingual Homeownership Counselor is responsible for preparing first-time home buyers for a successful homeownership journey. This includes assessing client ability to qualify for a mortgage, identifying financial obstacles, and developing detailed action plans to successfully navigate clients towards homeownership.

About the Role:

The Bilingual Homeownership Counselor plays a crucial role in guiding individuals and families through the home buying process, ensuring they have the necessary knowledge and resources to make informed decisions. This position involves providing personalized counseling sessions, where the counselor assesses clients' financial situations and educates them on various homeownership options. The counselor will also facilitate workshops and community outreach programs to promote homeownership awareness and financial literacy. By building strong relationships with clients, the counselor will help them navigate challenges and achieve their dream of owning a home.

We are looking for dedicated individuals who are focused on our mission and demonstrate a high level of dedication to our clients.

Essential Job Functions:

• Manage a caseload of clients and prepare them to become first- time home buyers and counsel them toward mortgage readiness.
• Conduct one-on-one counseling sessions with clients to assess financial management and homeownership goals.
• Provide education on budgeting, credit management, and mortgage options to help clients prepare for homeownership.
• Facilitate workshops and community events to promote homeownership and financial literacy.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local lenders, real estate agents, and community organizations to develop referral networks.
• Maintain current industry knowledge of first-time buyer assistance products such as housing market trends, financial assistance programs, and relevant regulations.
• Routinely document files with accuracy and thoroughness to identify an action plan for counseling sessions.
• Creates action plans for clients to save minimum program requirements and determines maximum affordable mortgage payments.
• Provides other alternative mortgage products and options for clients who have program qualification challenges.
• Utilize the current CMS tool to extract data used to provide weekly, monthly and fiscal year end metric reports.
• Comply with all requirements of contracts, agreements and HUD program requirements, including National Industry Standards.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Two years of financial counseling and bilingual communication are essential for effectively engaging with clients from diverse backgrounds.
• One – two years’ experience with basic math and applying analytical skills to assess client financial wellness.
• Knowledge of local house programs, counseling programs and community engagement activities.
• Experience in Salesforce or comparable CMS tool.

Educational and certification requirement: Minimum

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in finance, social work, or a related field.
• Certified Housing Counselor or must obtain HUD Certification within 1st 6 months of employment
• Fluency in Spanish and English, verbally and in writing is required.
• Experience in counseling, financial education, or a related field.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to interact diplomatically with the public in a continuous public contact setting.
• Ability to work as part of a team and in a team environment.
• Ability to analyze, compare and contrast financial information.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others to meet team goals and objectives.
• Ability to effectively communicate and work with individuals from diverse social, economic and educational backgrounds and experiences.
• Demonstrated skill in organizing time and prioritizing workload.
• Must be willing and able to work some evenings and Saturdays.
• Must be willing to occasionally travel for business-related training and conferences.

Work Environment:

Generally, works in an office environment but may occasionally be required to perform job duties outside of the typical office setting.

Hybrid - WFH - 2 days. Work in office 3 days.