Imagine a magic key that could unlock the mysteries of buying a home, give you all the insider tips ahead of time, and prepare you to avoid potential pitfalls and common stumbling blocks in the process.

The NeighborWorks® 8-hour “Realizing the American Dream” Home Buyer Education course offered by BCL of Texas and other nonprofits and CDFIs across the country fits this bill.

Jeremey Tome, who took the class with BCL of Texas in January, said that it helped reinforce the research he and his family have been doing to prepare over 5 years, and helped him finalize the purchase process.

He and his family ended up buying a home in the Austin suburb of Kyle, and went from an 800 square-foot apartment to a 3200 square-foot house, even though he’d always thought of himself living in a smaller space in the city. “Now that we’re in it, I can see it’s what I really wanted,” he said. “I can work on my vehicles, have garden, do whatever I want with the space. We have a big kitchen, and we can cook dinners together.”

Jeremey and his family were able to close in 26 days from offer to keys in hand. “I thought that buying a house was way more complicated than it ended up being. Because I already had all my ducks in a row, it made the process easier,” he said.

BCL homeownership client Latoya Duffey took the class in October, and immediately invited several friends to come join in for the next class. “The class was very detailed,” she said. “I had already gone through a lot of the steps at that point, but I brought my sister-in-law and a friend. My sister-in-law hadn’t planned to buy a home until the end of 2018, but now she is closing on her new home this month!”

Home Buyer Education helped Latoya with the final steps to buying her own home, too. “Taking the class saved me frustration and helped with the insurance and inspection process. It was a lot of information that you’re not going to get from a lender or a realtor,” she said.

Latoya views the course fee as an investment in her future. “That $50 is so worth it,” she said.

Jeremey offers his advice to others who are getting ready to buy a home: “One thing I recommend is discussing the different types of housing out there for your needs – size, distance to work, etc. Everyone’s different, so find what suits you.”

He is grateful that he took the Home Buyer Education course and examined his own needs and wants in the home buying process. “I never really expected to be in a house this big,” he said. “My kids are happy. We’ve got great neighbors, too. We got really lucky. It’s been an improvement in the happiness and quality of life.”