NeighborWorks Sacramento

HUD Certified Housing Counselor (Spanish-speaking) Job Category Social Services Overview Description HUD Certified Housing Counselor (Spanish speaking) SUMMARY Housing Counselors work with community members to determine their housing goals, barriers to those goals and strategies for achieving them. In accordance with the HUD Housing Counseling Handbook and National Industry Standards, Housing Counselors provide all lines of counseling identified in NeighborWorks Sacramento’s HUD Housing Counseling Workplan. Housing Counselors are well-versed in issues at every level of housing. They assist community members achieve goals or solve problems related to tenancy, eviction, financial and credit readiness, home purchasing, homeownership, refinancing, foreclosure prevention and loss mitigation. Housing Counselors must be solution oriented, problem solvers, and non-judgmental. They are both advocates and coaches for the customer. Housing Counselors must also set and maintain clear boundaries within the counselor- customer relationship and achieve customer service performance benchmarks. Remote work is possible for applicants with HUD certified credentials. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Provide counseling and analysis to borrowers regarding borrower’s financial position, mortgage affordability, including creation of a realistic household budget, and provides information regarding available workout options. Provides Pre-Purchase counseling and helps community members determine their credit and financial readiness for a mortgage and explains the entire process of home purchasing. Works with each foreclosure prevention customer to determine what actions need to be taken to either prevent foreclosure or pursue an alternative solution to foreclosure. They explain the entire process of foreclosure and communicate with both servicers and customers to aid in the successful outcome of each case. Provide Post-Purchase Counseling to current homeowners to assist them with non-delinquency, post- purchase issues, which may include insurance, refinancing, home maintenance and more. Ensure customer has received a Disclosure Statement and provided a Credit Authorization (if applicable). Provide information on Fair Housing, develop a sustainable household budget, pull, and review a Credco Tri-Merge Credit Report with the customer (if considered necessary in determining readiness for a refinance), develop an action plan with the customer. Conduct 30-minute counseling consultations for CalHFA buyers in California who have completed the eHome America course. During this session, the Housing Counselor covers the most important home purchasing topics for a customer at that stage in the purchasing process and answers any questions they have about the course. Send the customer a follow up email with the summary document and Fair Housing information attached, generate, and send the eHome Certificate of Completion in the eHome America website, log the meeting in Salesforce Making timely follow-ups, schedule subsequent appointments, sending termination of service notices, maintaining current case data, forms, documents, and log entries in the Client Management System Use all computer systems needed to successfully work with their customer. We currently use CMAX, Salesforce, Setmore, Docusign and Sharefile. It is the Housing Counselor’s responsibility to understand how to operate each program and maintain all customer files; this includes entering client level data and customer notes daily. Ensure that all customer records and digital files are in compliance with the National Industry Standards and HUD. Housing Counselors teach Preparing for Homeownership (an 8-hour workshop) and Financial Capability classes. It is expected that Housing Counselors will work on some evenings and Saturdays and may be required to participate in outreach events after regularly scheduled work hours. Housing Counselors may also be required to develop class curriculum. Additional duties are assigned at the discretion of the CEO and HomeOwnership Services Director. Ensure customer has received a Disclosure Statement and provided a Third-Party Authorization Form, provide information on Fair Housing, develop a sustainable household budget, develop an action plan with the customer, assist customer in direct negotiations with servicer, if necessary. Ensure that photographic identification has been obtained from borrower at intake or upon first counseling session prior to opening a case file. Obtain a signed authorization for the borrower and assist the borrower in preparing and assembling the information and documentation required by the servicer for evaluation of workout options. Submit completed Workout Request Packages to servicers electronically. Collect and provide hard copies of documents to the servicers as required. Conduct follow up communications with servicers and borrowers as needed to ensure receipt of workout package by servicer, address any deficiencies in package, inquire about status of cases and escape as needed per escalation protocol. Assist borrowers in understanding and implementing workout options including discussion of terms of modification offer (and/or other options presented by the servicer); assist borrower with follow-up actions required of the borrower to obtain workout option; and, if appropriate, refer the borrower to local service providers for additional assistance. Enter all case information into the client management data system in a timely and accurate manner to allow for accurate case tracking and reporting. Support outreach activities including attending events, organizing workshops, conducting out-bound calls, and organizing direct consultations between servicers and borrowers. Handle and resolve escalated files, calls, and in-person sessions for the other Housing Counselors. Participate in periodic meetings as requested. Maintains customer confidentiality and proper counseling file custody. Perform other duties as assigned COMPETENCIES Mortgage and Housing Industry Knowledge – Must possess strong knowledge in mortgage default and/or foreclosure intervention counseling, specifically relating to current industry practices of loss mitigation including loan repayment, forbearance, modification, refinance, loan assumption, short sale, deed-in-lieu, community referrals, and other remedies available to homeowners to avoid foreclosure. The counselor should possess the skills to obtain pertinent client information, analyze financial and property data, and understand the client’s goals to work with servicers to determine the client’s options for foreclosure avoidance and assist the client to make informed decisions on their options. Customer Service - Personable, professional manner. Responds promptly and effectively to requests for service and assistance and meets commitments; addresses customer needs and constructively engages customer feedback to improve service. Ability to maintain composure under pressure and to handle stressful situations with ease. Interpersonal Skills – Ability to listen and obtain full picture of issues while maintaining composure and resolving conflicts in a calm manner. Maintains confidentiality of borrower communications and information. Oral Communication - Ability to interpret information and respond clearly to questions and concerns. Must present information that is clear to all parties including borrowers and servicers. Ability to speak and understand Spanish is strongly preferred. Written Communication - Able to read and interpret written information. Able to write effective business communications, edits work for spelling and grammar. Ability to read and write Spanish is a plus. Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics. Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts appropriately under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments. Computer Skills -- Must be computer literate and proficient with Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel. Experience with Sales Force and Home Keeper is a plus. PERFORMANCE MEASURES Number of borrowers reached through outbound calls or other outreach efforts Percentage of borrowers reached that schedule appointments Number of borrowers counseled Number of complete document packages submitted to servicers Percentage of borrowers counseled that avoid foreclosure through retention and non-retention workouts Amount of time elapsed from initial borrower contact to submission of complete document package to servicer Accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of case information data entry into client management system. Level of borrower satisfaction with services provided TRAINING Housing Counselors must adhere to the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Counseling and must be certified as a HUD Housing Counselor. Additional training may be offered or required at the discretion of the CEO and the HomeOwnership Services Director and may include travel to the NeighborWorks Training Institute. Additional training and certification in foreclosure prevention and default counseling through NeighborWorks America or the National Foundation for Consumer Credit Counseling is strongly preferred. Applicants must be a HUD Certified Housing Counselor with a copy of their current certificate or achieve their certification within the first two months of employment. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS To perform in this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Experience – Housing/credit counseling, mortgage servicing, or mortgage lending including experience with individual borrower financial/budget analysis and customer service. Must be able to use Microsoft Office Suite of products. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Bilingual in Spanish and English Certified HUD Counselor Preferred NeighborWorks® HomeOwnership Center Sacramento Region is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NeighborWorks® HomeOwnership Center Sacramento Region considers all employees and job applicants without regard to race, religion, color, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or marital status, or any other status protected by law. Job Type: Full-time Salary: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour 401(k) Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Schedule: 10-hour shift 8-hour shift Monday to Friday Job Type: Full-time Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour 401(k) matching Employee assistance program Flexible spending account Life insurance Schedule: 10 hour shift 8 hour shift Ability to commute/relocate: Sacramento, CA 95817: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required) #J-18808-Ljbffr