Real Estate Professionals
Click here for Homebuyer Education Workshop Schedule
The Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies (OKACAA) administers the Oklahoma Homebuyer Education Association (OHEA), a collaboration of non-profit and industry housing groups established to strengthen Oklahoma communities by enabling more families to own their homes. Programs utilizing homebuyer education target working class and first-time homebuyers, providing them with skills to attain and maintain ownership successfully.
These programs continue to be successful amid the current setback in the housing and mortgage industries. This is due, in large part, to the policies of Community Action Agencies and other nonprofit housing organizations that require educational workshops, review lending and closing documents, and prohibit the use of variable rate mortgages in conjunction with down payment assistance programs.
The Oklahoma Homebuyer Education Association supports these agencies by providing standardized, up-to-date curricula for homebuyer educators. OHEA has certified over 350 Certified Homebuyer Education Professionals (CHEPs) and provides professional development and continuing education to ensure CHEPs stayed abreast of all the changes in legislation and industry practices. The association’s e-newsletter, For What It’s Worth, provides brief updates and additional opportunities for education to OHEA’s active members.
Housing Professionals
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The association’s website outlines the program and explains supports for housing education professionals available through certification and association membership.
OHEA service providers and their partners certified through OHEA have reported assisting more than 1,800 low- and moderate-income Oklahomans with their home purchases. Over 18,000 Oklahomans have attended OHEA-certified homebuyer education workshops in preparation for ownership. OHEA has distributed over $81,000 in subsidies to agencies providing homebuyer education in rural areas.
OHEA is funded, in part, by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka and the Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies. Additional OHEA sponsors for 2011 include the Oklahoma Weatherization and Housing Assistance Council, First Mortgage Company, and the Oklahoma State Home Builders Association.
OHEA certification and continuing education programming is assisted by Dr. Sissy Osteen, CFP®, Associate Professor and Resource Management Specialist with Oklahoma State University. We are grateful to our partners at OSU for her participation in OHEA’s certification programs.