How to prepare for a Home Buyer Education Class

I’m putting the final touches on the home buyers education seminar, sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, that I will be teaching this weekend. The criteria for the class is set by WSHFC and it’s a lot of information to review from different types of mortgages, qualifying and even how to select a real estate agent or lender. I thought I’d share a few tips for how someone may want to prepare for a home buyer’s class, like the one I’ll be teaching in Seattle.

Start writing down questions. You can jot down questions that you have with pen and paper or use something more elaborate like Evernote. Just make sure that you bring your questions to the class. We  have a lot of planned content to share with our students, however, we want to address all questions at the class.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you have a question, chances are someone else in the class has that (or a similar) question, too. There is no such thing as a silly question!

Bring materials to take notes. This may be a pen or paper or it could be your lap top.

Bring a rough draft of your current debts and assets. Don’t worry – we won’t be doing show and tell with everyone’s personal finances. We may be doing assignments where you review and create your budget. Having actual information may be more beneficial to you.

Dress comfortably. Classes sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission run about 5 hours long. We will have short breaks so you can stretch you legs (which is probably a good thing to do after sitting for a while!).

 All parties who are going to be on the mortgage of the new home need to attend the class. If you are interested in the programs offered by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, such as down payment assistance or Home Advantage, you must attend the home buyer class to be eligible. This is required of anyone who will be on the mortgage for the new home.  It’s even okay to bring family members or friends who will be helping you make your home buyer decision.

Bring a snack or sack lunch. Check to see if the event has lunch or refreshments available. You may want to bring something to nibble on. We do try to have at least a snack and water available at our classes for students.

Get directions to where the class is being held, if you’re not familiar with the location.

I love teaching and I’m really looking forward to our upcoming classes. If you or anyone you know are considering buying a home in the greater Seattle area, and you’d like to learn more about the home buying process and/or would like down payment assistance, you may be interested in a WSHFC sponsored class.  Here’s a list of classes that I’m scheduled to teach at.