Homebuyer Education is a service offered by BCL of Texas. The program is designed to assist first-time buyers in purchasing their homes. Training sessions cover the basics of buying a home from pre-qualification for a loan to the actual loan closing. In addition, participants have a one-on-one session with a homeownership specialist and access to other financial planning information.

This program is offered by BCL of Texas, a non-profit organization, and sponsored by some of the area’s largest and most respected lending institutions (banks and mortgage companies) as well as NeighborWorks America.

Program participants come from all walks of life. The program does not have an income limit.

The class is currently offered for a small fee to Dallas and Austin area residents at the BCL of Texas NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Centers — at 1322 Record Crossing, Dallas, TX 75235 and 2212 S. Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704.

For these and all other areas, we also offer an online course at a small fee, which includes one-on-one counseling over the phone with a HomeOwnership Specialist. Visit www.ehomeamerica.org/bcl for information on the online course, or call (877) 688-7457 for more details.

You can register for our online program by clicking here, or visiting our Training Center to find the next upcoming in-person class. You can also call us to register at (877) 688-7457.

Many prospective buyers avoid this issue only to have the lender reject the loan. Mortgage lenders loan money with considerable risk, therefore they want to know that the buyer will repay the loan as agreed. They want to know how the homebuyer has paid creditors in the past. A BCL of Texas HomeOwnership Specialist will walk you through the credit report and show you what lenders look for, as well as how they address each issue.

This is powerful information and will place you ahead of other buyers as you apply for your mortgage. Mortgage delays can cause the seller to move on to other qualified buyers and frustrate the home search for the unprepared buyer.

An BCL of Texas HomeOwnership Specialist will assist you with shopping for a mortgage loan product and Realtor.

First-time homebuyers often overlook this question and underestimate the value of savings and maintaining a low level of debt. Planning your spending is the cornerstone of success in the homebuying process. The process is more expensive than most people think. Homebuyers are often surprised by the variety of costs associated with purchasing a home.

Many first-time buyers are broke after the loan closing and desperately await the next paycheck to handle normal responsibilities. BCL’s training curriculum places a strong emphasis on savings. BCL’s Homebuyer Education program will help make you an informed buyer and assist you with savings strategies.

BCL’s HomeOwnership Specialists will help you identify where to find government grants and subsidies relating to special first-time buyer programs.

BCL’s Homebuyer Education helps improve the opportunities and incidence of homeownership in Texas. BCL of Texas is committed to helping enhance the stability of neighborhoods by creating wealth through homeownership. The program also offers lenders the opportunity to contribute to community improvement by investing money in neighborhoods that were previously avoided.