Neighbor to Neighbor Now Offering Homebuyer Education Classes in Greeley
Free, in-person class taught by industry experts prepares participants for the homebuying process.
January 17, 2024 –
Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) is expanding its free Homebuyer Education (HBE) course to offer in-person classes in Greeley. Enrollment is now open for the first class, which will be taught in Spanish at the Greeley Recreation Center on Saturday, January 27, and the first English language class on Saturday, March 9. The full-day, interactive class is dedicated to helping participants understand and navigate each stage of the decision-making process. N2N began offering homeowner education services in 1999 and has provided an online homebuyer class in Spanish for over ten years. In early 2023, N2N Bilingual Homeownership Advisor Chantel Gallegos began translating the HBE course into Spanish in preparation for the first in-person Spanish class held in June 2023. N2N Senior Homeownership Manager Miranda Minton shared, “It has been our goal to create the same in-person learning experience for Spanish speakers, and we are proud that this work helps remove potential language barriers for our Spanish-speaking neighbors.”
Industry professionals are selected by N2N to help teach each class, offering participants access to expert knowledge as well as an opportunity to have their questions answered. For the Spanish language class, bilingual industry professionals were recruited to not only help teach but also enrich the learning experience with relevant information and resources to assist Spanish-speaking buyers in overcoming potential language barriers.
In 2022, Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) began discussions around extending N2N’s in-person homebuyer education classes into Weld County. According to Silvina Sansot, CHFA Senior Business Development Specialist, CHFA closed 403 loans to support homebuyers in Weld County over the last six months. N2N’s expansion of homebuyer education was well timed, as the Weld County market continues to experience growth.
N2N’s homebuyer class is reviewed and approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), and fulfills the educational requirements for many programs, including Greeley Home Ownership Program for Employees (G-HOPE), United States Department of Agricultural Housing Assistance program, and CHFA. Upon completion of the course, participants receive a homebuyer education certificate which they can provide to their loan officer. Currently, the agency educates over 1300 households each year, with 85% becoming home buyers.
By securing funding from local businesses, N2N can continue offering its homebuyer education classes for free to all interested community members. Classes rotate through locations in Fort Collins, Loveland, and now Greeley, with registration available at http://n2n.org/hbe.
Each year, N2N impacts over 6,000 Larimer County residents by preventing and ending homelessness, providing financial health education, youth enrichment programs, homeownership assistance and education, and affordable apartment homes for families and individuals.
