HOUSING COUNSELOR TRAINEE

This position prepares the trainee to become a CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELOR. The CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELOR serves as the primary point of contact with the Home Purchase Clients from the initial intake session through closing when purchasing a home. The Housing Counselor Trainee will learn to assist potential homebuyers, more specifically low-and-moderate income clients and first-time homebuyers.

The Trainee must be able to obtain HUD Certification.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Housing Counselor learns about managing a pipeline of Home Purchase Client files. The applicant will be trained in providing comprehensive, individual housing and financial management counseling services in a local MCDC office or by video conferencing.

The Housing Counselor Trainee will be trained to assist Home Purchase Clients overcoming the roadblocks that prevent them from qualifying for a mortgage loan and purchasing a home. The Housing Counselor Trainee learns to communicate effectively and in a timely manner with clients, staff, and MCDC management. She/he will learn to explain the mortgage criteria, request necessary information and documents, assesses readiness for homeownership, and determines an affordable mortgage payment considering each client's particular circumstances and goals based on MCDC's policies and procedures. The Housing Counselor Trainee also works with Home Purchase Clients to address and improve their financial management skills. In addition, the Housing Counselor trainee will learn the MCDC programs to provide counseling, assistance and solutions to homebuyers.

The Housing Counselor Trainee will learn to utilize MCDC's client management system software, RxOffice, which enables paperless comprehensive housing counseling processing. The Housing Counselor Trainee will learn to work with clients to become qualified for a mortgage based on underwriting criteria of various lenders.

The Housing Counselor Trainee will learn to utilize problem solving skills and financial management guidance to assist clients in achieving affordable homeownership. The Trainee will maintain a professional appearance and demeanor while providing outstanding customer services. She/he will learn to work independently with Clients and in coordination with other MCDC departments. The Housing Counselor will learn to manage their time effectively to provide accurate, comprehensive counseling sessions within specified time limits.

The Housing Counselor Trainee will learn to provide comprehensive housing counseling as well as the mortgage-related activities described below. Daily responsibilities include learning to work with clients on the following:

• Learning to provide a clear direction for a path towards their homeownership goals and improve their financial management skills.
• Learning to navigate RxOffice to accurately complete documentation and data entry for an efficient and paperless process.
• Learning to document files with written narratives and identify action items for the client to complete after each counseling session.
• Learning to review payment history, income, liabilities, assets, and other criteria to determine eligibility for the program, readiness for home ownership and mortgage payment affordability.
• Learning to develop a realistic monthly budget and address budget issues. This includes calculating a monthly cash flow surplus to establish a Home Purchase Client's long term affordable mortgage payment.
• Learning to work with clients for as long as it takes to resolve payment history issues, to reduce debt and/or adjust expenses as needed to meet their purchase goals.
• Learning to develop a plan to save the minimum required funds to make the home purchase.
• Learning to determine a maximum affordable mortgage payment and define a path to achieve Home Purchase Client's homeownership purchase price/goal.
• Learning to examine and process documents and address issues as needed.
• Learning about MCDC programs and being able to provide information on available mortgage products and options for the Home Purchase Client to make a well-informed home purchase and mortgage decision.
• Learning to assist clients to purchase within their affordability and eligibility.
• Learning to maintain communication during the Home Purchase Client's housing search to address any changes to the criteria used for their mortgage qualification.
• Learning to assist clients in submitting their mortgage application.
• Learning to communicate and address lender conditions.
• Learning to assist the client through closing to facilitate the mortgage process.

Other Activities and Requirements

• Learn to present Home Buyer Workshops.
• Learn to assist in outreach activities focused on low- and moderate-income communities, churches, job sites, events, etc.
• Participate in regular trainings.
• Participate in MCDC outreach events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Advocacy in Support of MCDC's Mission

Employment with MCDC requires ongoing participation in MCDC's advocacy, outreach, community organizing, and other activities as determined by MCDC. This is important for MCDC's continued success and in expanding MCDC's purchase and other programs. MCDC staff have a tremendous impact on the Home Purchase Clients and communities they serve.

COMPENSATION

$17 an hour

Housing Counselor Trainee may be required to participate in MCDC outreach events, which may occur on weekends, or weekdays. Hours will not exceed 40 hours per week.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

The Housing Counselors Trainee must demonstrate effective counseling, understanding of MCDC's policies and procedures. He/She will have the opportunity to obtain their Hud Certification.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

MCDC seeks leaders and educators with a positive and open attitude, a strong work ethic, relentless commitment to success, attention to detail, and the ability to meet aggressive deadlines and achievable goals. They are expected to have a high level of core competencies and skills as part of their personal characteristics and professional experiences in the following areas: communication, organizational skills, professionalism, customer service, time management, positive leadership, computer skills and mission driven.

Education & Certifications

High School graduate or equivalency – Required

Bachelor's degree – Preferred

Mortgage, real estate, or finance courses – Highly Preferred

Experience & Skills

At least one to two years experience demonstrating some or all the following:

Mortgage brokerage, origination and/or processing

Non-profit, Counseling, or social work, or case management experience

Relevant experience: finance, teacher, mortgage loss mitigation, accounting, real estate brokerage training and/or experience, financial counseling or advisory role, or adult education

Ability to write and speak languages other than English, particularly Spanish, is a plus

Ability to present concepts in a one-on-one settings as well as in front of large groups

ABOUT MCDC

Midland Community Development Corporation(“MCDC”) was founded to promote economic and community development in economically depressed areas of the city through the institution of programs designed to alleviate conditions of unemployment, blight and increase population density through housing efforts.

MCDC is a non-profit, community development and homeownership organization. MCDC is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency. MCDC's primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in Midland, Texas through affordable homeownership. MCDC has made the dream of homeownership a reality for hundreds of working people by counseling them honestly and effectively, enabling even those with an array of challenges to purchase a home.