OHFA's Streamlined Homebuyer Education

Welcome! You have taken your first step toward fulfilling the homebuyer education requirement for OHFA's Homebuyer Programs. We're glad you chose one of our loan products for your home purchase and hope this online module helps prepare you for the rewarding responsibilities of homeownership.

**Please note, OHFA homebuyer education is not completed until after the homebuyer has submitted their loan application with their loan officer.


WHAT'S NEXT?

1. Gather all your bills. You need to gather all of your bills and payment obligations - monthly, quarterly, and yearly. When you have all your documents, proceed to the Homebuyer Education (HBE) module to complete the initial test questions and budget sheet.

2. Review the online homebuyer guide. You may also print out the homebuyer guide for future reference since it contains many valuable resources for use during and after the home purchase process.

IMPORTANT: The online module times-out after 30 minutes of inactivity and you cannot save your test answers or budget information The test and budget must be completed together, so please make sure you have all of the budget documents on-hand prior to beginning the HBE module.

3. Proceed to the HBE module. When you're ready, proceed to the HBE module at the bottom of this page. Make sure you have set aside at least one hour of uninterrupted time to complete the online session.

4. Submit and select a housing counseling agency. After completing the test and budget, you will select the “SUBMIT” button and select a housing counseling agency.

5. The housing counselor will contact you. You should expect initial contact from the housing counselor within 48 business hours by telephone or email. The purpose of the initial call is to schedule a counseling session within the next 5 days. Please respond immediately - any delay in the counseling session may delay the closing of your home.

6. Participate in your telephone counseling session. The housing counselor will discuss the results of your test and budget and answer any questions you have regarding the home purchase process. Please allow 30-60 minutes of uninterrupted time to discuss the test and budget.

7. Housing counselor uploads the certificate to OHFA. The housing counselor will create and upload a certificate of completion. Your mortgage specialist or loan officer will be able to view the certificate in our system.



FAQ's

1. I completed the online test and budget four days ago but the housing counseling agency has not called me yet. What should I do?
Call OHFA at 614.466.7970 or toll free at 888.362.6432 and ask for “Homebuyer Education.” We will help you get in touch with your housing counselor.

2. I'm entering my last name and last four digits of my social security number, but I can't access the online homebuyer education module. What should I do?
Call us at 614.466.7970 or toll free at 888.362.6432 and ask for "Homebuyer Education."

3. Can I get a copy of my certificate of completion?
Yes! Your assigned housing counselor can provide a copy to you upon request.

4. What if I don't pass my test? Do I lose my loan?
If you don't pass the test, it's not a problem! Purchasing a home can be stressful, so we want to make sure you have as much information as possible. One purpose of the test and budget is to correctly assess your knowledge of homeownership responsibilities so the counselor can design the telephone counseling session. You will have the opportunity to ask as many questions as you need with your housing counselor.

5. What if I don't have access to a computer?
Call us at 614.466.7970 or toll free at 888.362.6432 and ask for “Homebuyer Education.” We will send you blank forms to complete and send back to us.

If you have already printed out the forms on your own and need to send them back to us, please send them to our fax number at 614.995.0487.

Upon receiving the completed test and budget, we will notify a housing counseling agency in your area to schedule a telephone counseling session.



I'm Ready to Start!

Click on the links below to access the homebuyer guide and take the homebuyer education test and budget.

Click here to access the Homebuyer Guide (452 KB Adobe PDF File)

Click here to access the online Homebuyer Education Test and Budget

 

OR

Complete Homebuyer Education and Fax to OHFA to 614.995.0487

Homebuyer Education Test (148 KB Adobe PDF File)

Monthly Budget Form (142 KB Adobe PDF File)

Homebuyer Education Test – Spanish (143 KB Adobe PDF File)

Monthly Budget Form – Spanish (47 KB Adobe PDF File)

Fax Cover Sheet (301 KB Adobe PDF File)

 

Additional Resources

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau-Home buying Resources

• Ohio Land Title Association Consumer Resources


Thank you for choosing the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's Homebuyer Program!