The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) has an ambitious goal in 2023 – to train lending, real estate, and counseling partners in each of Ohio’s 88 counties on how the Agency's programs can help Ohioans achieve their dreams of homeownership. OHFA offers a variety of programs, such as down payment assistance, career-related interest rate discounts, and other loan products, that can make buying a home or condo easier.
Trainings are free and offered virtually and in-person. Lasting from one to three hours, courses for real estate agents include:
- Fair Housing Foundations (offers 3 hours of civil rights credit) – Taking a historical view of fair housing and civil rights, this course also goes into the details of current housing, advertising, and lending laws using case studies, housing statistics, and videos to present the information.
- OHFA Homebuyer Programs (offers 1 hour of elective credit) – This course reviews the variety of loan options offered by OHFA, including down payment assistance, mortgage tax credits, and interest rate discounts for homebuyers. Learn more about eligibility requirements and product combinations to reduce homebuyers' out-of-pocket expenses.
- Jump-starting Your Real Estate Video Marketing – Learn the basics of video marketing, including content ideas, creation, editing, equipment, and scheduling.
Courses for mortgage professionals are:
- Becoming an OHFA Expert – This course reviews all aspects of OHFA programs, loan processing, down payment assistance, and mortgage tax credits. Eligibility criteria and program combinations will be reviewed, so mortgage professionals understand how the programs can help their clients achieve homeownership.
- Mortgage Tax Credit – Providing an in-depth review of OHFA's Mortgage Tax Credit Program, this course contains information that can save homebuyers thousands of dollars over the lives of their mortgages.
- Lender Online, Processing, Closing and Post-closing – Presented in video format, this course teaches learners how to use the Lender Online Reservation System.
So far, OHFA has reached partners in 58 counties. For trainings for real estate professionals, visit ohiohome.org/RegistrationsExtClasses/HOClassReg1.
For trainings for mortgage professionals, visit ohiohome.org/partners/training.
Mortgage and real estate companies also can schedule classes for their employees by contacting Single Family Relations Program Manager Jon Duy. Jon is accredited by the Division of Real Estate as a continuing education provider and has taught over 10,000 real estate agents in Ohio.
For more information on OHFA's homeownership programs, visit myohiohome.org.
