Homebuyer Education & FAQs
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All San Francisco homebuyer assistance programs administered through the Mayor’s Office of Housing and
Community Development (MOHCD) require completion of 10 hours of homebuyer education by ALL members of the
household who are 18 years of age or older and will be on title (See further explanation below). To sign up for
homebuyer education, please go to https://homeownershipsf.org.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Homebuyer Education Requirement and FAQs
(MOHCD Homebuyer Assistance Programs)
The 10-hour homebuyer education consists of three steps:
Attend a 2-hour MOHCD Homebuyer Program Orientation (“Orientation”).
Complete 6 hours of First Time Homebuyer Workshop(s) (“Workshops”).
Complete a 2-hour Homebuyer Counseling Session (“Counseling”) at the same agency where the
Workshop(s) are completed. The Counseling must occur within 1 year of completion of the last
session of the Workshops.
1. Complete 2 hours of Homebuyer Counseling Session (“Counseling”) at the same agency where the
homebuyer workshop(s) are completed. The Homebuyer Counseling Session must occur within 1 year of
completion of the last session of homebuyer workshop(s).
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
Orientation
You will learn about MOHCD’s
homebuyer programs and
decide if you want to move
forward with the remaining
homebuyer education. The
orientation provides an
overview of affordable city
programs, including eligibility
requirements, down payment
assistance, the application
process, lottery preferences,
and more!
Workshops
You will learn about learn how
to set financial goals, create a
budget, downsize your debt,
and understand your credit
report and score. Learn about
the steps in the homebuying
process including shopping for
a home, making an offer, the
closing period, the HOA, and
home buying professionals
that will assist you along the
way.
Counseling
You will get a one-on-one
counseling appointment to
discuss your homeownership
goals with a housing
counselor. It is a great
opportunity for you to ask
questions specific to your
situation.
Homebuyer Education & FAQs
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WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
What If Your Homebuyer Education Expired?
Homebuyer Education Renewal
If your Verification has expired for less than 1 year, you can request a one-time renewal by completing another
Counseling session. The renewed Verification will expire 1 year from the date of the renewal Counseling session.
Certificate of Completion of First Time Homebuyer Education
Once you’re in contract to purchase, you will have 3 business days to submit the Request for Certificate of First Time
Homebuyer Education form (the “Request” form) to your housing counselor. You can find the Request form attached
to the Verification, or download it at www.homeownershipsf.org. Once your housing counselor receives the Request
form, they will issue a Certificate of Completion of First Time Homebuyer Education (“Certificate”). You will need the
Certificate to submit to your lender.
Expiration date: same as the expiration date on the Verification.
The Certificate must be valid at the time MOHCD issues a final approval on your home purchase.
Homebuyer Education & FAQs
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If your Verification has expired for more than 1 year, you will need to start all over again by completing the 10-
hour homebuyer education process. This will ensure that you have up-to-date information about MOHCD’s
homebuyer programs and policies, the current housing market, and other homebuying information.
What If You Completed Workshops Before 8/1/2019
Homebuyer Education Grandfathering Rules
If you attended 6 hours of Workshop(s) on or before August 1, 2019, you had 12 months from the completion of
your Workshop(s) to obtain a Verification. Effective September 15, 2020, to renew your Verification, you must
attend a Program Orientation as well as a Counseling session.
Applying to Housing through MOHCD Homebuyer Programs: FAQs
Q1. How do I get started?
The very first step is to sign up for a free 2-hour MOHCD Homebuyer Program Orientation. You will learn about
MOHCD’s homebuyer programs and decide if you want to move forward with the remaining homebuyer
education. Sign up today!
Q2. When can I start applying?
Before you can apply for any MOHCD homebuyer program, you must complete homebuyer education through a
MOHCD-approved housing counseling agency and get a mortgage loan pre-approval letter through a MOHCD-
approved lender.
Q3. Who has to complete homebuyer education?
Each Household member aged 18 and older who will be on title are required to complete homebuyer education.
Being on title means you legally own the property. While all spouses and domestic partners must attend, other
legal dependents claimed on your taxes, like children or elderly parents, do not have to attend homebuyer
education.
Q4. What documents must be included in my lottery application?
To apply for any MOHCD homeownership opportunities, a valid Verification of Homebuyer Education Completion
and mortgage loan pre-approval letter are required. Applications with missing or expired documents will be
considered incomplete, and will be removed from the lottery.
Q5. How long does it take to complete homebuyer education?
It takes 10 hours to complete homebuyer education, which consists of: an orientation, workshop(s) and a
counseling session. Advance registration is required, and classes fill up quickly. It may take several weeks or
months to complete depending on class offerings and your schedule. Please plan accordingly.
Homebuyer Education & FAQs
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Q6. What if my homebuyer education is about to expire (not expired yet)?
You can apply as long as your Verification of Homebuyer Education Completion form is still valid at the time you
submit your lottery application. If you are selected through the lottery, you will be invited to submit a
supplemental application to MOHCD. MOHCD will not ask for a renewal Verification when reviewing your
supplemental application to determine your income eligibility. However, you will need to submit a valid Certificate
to your lender for final approval to move forward with the purchase process. For this reason, we recommend that
you reach out to your counselor in advance to confirm what steps you will need to take to renew your Certificate.
Q7. How long is my homebuyer education valid?
Your homebuyer education is good for one year, but you can request to have it renewed for an additional year by
attending another Counseling session.
Q8. How long does my homebuyer education need to last?
Your homebuyer education needs to be valid at the time of your lottery application submission and needs to be
valid until you receive a final approval from MOHCD on your home purchase.
Q9. My renewal homebuyer education has expired. However, I have been actively applying and I
already have lender approval and know the homebuying process. Can I be exempted from retaking
homebuyer education?
Unfortunately, no. The mortgage industry and first-time homebuyer programs change rapidly. To ensure you have
up-to-information, you will need to start all over again by completing the 10-hour homebuyer education process.
Q10. Why do I need to work with a MOHCD-approved housing counselor and lender?
A MOHCD-approved housing counselor and lender are specially trained professionals who are experienced and
knowledgeable about MOHCD homebuyer program requirements. Most lenders outside of MOHCD’s lender list
are unable to finalize a MOHCD transaction even with the best intentions of a top-performing lending officer.