The Community Development Partnership offers an Online First Time Home Buyer Education course that provides information on budgeting, looking for, selecting, and purchasing a home, and local resources that may be available to buyers.
The online course is a hybrid of both online modules (provided by a separate company called Framework) and a Group Meeting conducted via video conference by the Community Development Partnership. You must adequately complete all modules and participate in the Group Meeting in order to receive an electronic Certificate of Completion. The purpose of the Group Meeting is to answer any remaining questions you may have about home ownership. Certificates of Completion are active for two years.
Cost to complete the course is $100 per household to be paid in two parts:
- A $25 fee is required to register for a Group Meeting. Once you are registered, you will receive a link to access the online course known as Framework.
- A $75 fee is required in order to create a Framework account and access the course. This $75 fee is paid directly to Framework.
To successfully complete the course each participant must:
- Complete an anonymous Participant Data Form
- Log in to Framework course
- Complete all modules including the end of module quizzes. You must get a score of 80% or higher on the course in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.
- Pull your credit report and bring to Group Meeting.
- Download your Course Materials.
- Attend your virtual Group Meeting. You will need a camera-ready computer with a built-in microphone (best choice); OR you can join by video with your computer and join by audio with your phone (2nd choice); OR you can join with your smart phone via FaceTime or downloading the Zoom app onto your phone.
- You will receive a Certificate of Completion once you have complied with all of the course requirements.
Questions? Contact Andrea Aldana, Director of Housing Advocacy, by email at Andrea@capecdp.org
The Online First Time Home Buyer Education course has received the Massachusetts Homeownership Collaborative's "Seal of Approval” from the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA). CHAPA certification is essential for potential first-time homebuyers to access affordable mortgage products such as those offered by MassHousing, Massachusetts Housing Partnership ("ONE" program), other municipal and government programs and some commercial lenders, and down payment and closing cost assistance programs.