Homeownership Specialist

BCL of Texas- Homeownership Specialist Position

Reports to: Chief Programs Officer & Chief of Staff

Work Environment: BCL of Texas is headquartered in Austin, with additional offices in Dallas and San Marcos, Texas.

• The Position will be located within DFW metroplex or Austin‐Round Rock‐ San Marcos MSA.
• A remote flexible schedule is available, if located further than 10 miles from one of our offices.

Compensation and Benefits: BCL offers a competitive annual salary of $65,000 plus benefits:

• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• paid annual leave of 22 days.
• paid holiday leave of approximately 11 days
• paid birthday off
• 401k Simple IRA Plan with 2% employer match
• volunteer time off, professional development, remote flexible schedule
• Longevity Pay

Position Summary: The Homeownership Specialist will provide individualized counseling and educational services to customers. The Counselor will determine customers' potential for financial capability goals, new homeownership and/or home retention solutions. They will be responsible for compiling all necessary documents to complete Financial Capability Coaching and Education, Homebuyer Education and Counseling, Home Retention Counseling, Mortgage packaging and Loss Mitigation action plans, loan packages, and reporting. This will include interacting with the borrowers, lenders, community partners & housing agencies via email, telephone, and written communication.

We are looking for candidates who have:

• Passion for serving and working effectively in diverse communities across Texas.
• Motivated self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Intellectual curiosity and enjoy continuous learning.
• High desire to work collaboratively with colleagues and external partners.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and keen attention to detail.
• Excellent prioritization and organization skills and effective time management to succeed in a semi-autonomous, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to develop new procedures to meet identified needs and/or to adjust to changes in procedures as requested.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and problem solve.
• Experience using basic Excel formulas, pivot tables, summary tools, and creating professional presentations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite, Loan Documentation and Servicing Systems, shared files system, Adobe Professional, Contact Relationship Management system.
• Must be detail oriented, proficient at working with and improving systems and possess strong aptitude with numbers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of real estate and construction lending; affordable housing and community development; and corporate and real estate insurance.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Expert MS Office and Outlook skills.
• Knowledge of Salesforce Compass and/or CounselorMax is a plus.
• Strong ability to establish and maintain systems for organizing work; well-developed time management skills and ability to meet stringent deadlines and time constraints in a busy department.
• Mature judgement and demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision in a fast-paced department.
• Demonstrated professionalism, diplomacy, and composure; flexible and able to adapt to a variety of situations.

Requirements:

• Two+ years professional experience in real estate, mortgage lending, credit union, banking, CDFI environment, or other customer service focused environment; experience with counseling, loan processing, funding, and strong administrative skills preferred.
• Undergraduate degree with a major in business administration, education, sociology, or related fields.
• Experience with loan documentation, specifically mortgage lending.
• Fluency in Spanish a plus.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: The position does not require any licenses or certifications at time of hire.

• HUD Certified Housing Counseling Certificate will be required within six months
• NeighborWorks NCHEC certification in pre-purchase counseling, foreclosure prevention, and homebuyer education will be required within the first two years
• Mortgage Loan Originator licenses for Texas through NMLS (BCL sponsored) is preferred.
• A licensed Real Estate agent is preferred.

Travel: Periodic travel to company events, community outreach events, stakeholder meetings, and the different BCL offices will be required.

Direct / Indirect Reports: There are no direct reports

Authorities:

• Coordinating classes and scheduling for coaching

Primary Tasks: Direct Services, Counseling and Coaching

• Provide financial capability coaching (in-person and virtual) to individuals and families.
• Provide pre- and post- purchase counseling (in-person and virtual) to prospective/new homebuyers, with an emphasis on first-time buyers.
• Provide foreclosure prevention counseling (in-person and virtual) to existing homeowners.
• Establish individualized counseling action plans with clients and provide referrals to partner agencies as needed.
• Assist customers with goal setting, budgeting, credit building/rebuilding, debt repayment, savings, utilization for quality financial services and asset development.
• Perform mortgage-readiness assessments and identify customers obstacles to homeownership.
• Perform home affordability analysis and counsel customers in down payment, purchase price and loan options leading to homeownership and refers mortgage-ready clients to loan originators for the arrangement of financing options.
• Develop written homebuyer work plans and corrective action plans leading to homeownership.
• Competently assess customers current financial situations through review of their tax returns, accounts, credit reports, etc. Monitor customers progress toward financial goals.
• Provide file documentation from applicable outside sources, including written verifications of employment, rent and other verifications.

• Make Quality Referrals to agencies who can best meet the clients needs.

Primary Tasks: Direct Services, Education

• Independently teach series of financial capability and homeownership preparation courses in English and in Spanish.
• Refine course curricula using national best practices to meet evolving needs of clients.
• Coordinate guest speakers and instructors for courses hosted by BCL.

• Organizes counseling workshops and/or homebuyers club sessions.

Primary Tasks: Reporting

• Track client interactions and action plan progress using BCLs database, including but not limited the intake form, credit report, coaches appointment notes, analysis, and action plan.
• Document services and gather session data for program reporting and evaluation.
  Homeownership education and counseling.
• Accurately record customer data in the appropriate customer management system, effectively manage the confidential financial information of customers, and maintain case files for all customers in accordance with agency and HUD standards.

• Maintain meticulous records and perform accurate client tracking to develop outcomes data.

Primary Tasks: Program Operations

• Maintain HUD standards of practices, policies, and procedures as a HUD certified counselor.
• Maintain NeighborWorks certifications and best practices as a NeighborWorks charter member organization
• Ensure quality control, stand operating procedures, and compliance for all related programs to meet performance outputs, outcomes, impacts, and revenue.

• Assists with the development of a comprehensive marketing/outreach plan for recruiting customers and investing partners for financial empowerment and housing programs.
• Assist in community engagement and outreach focused on low/moderate income communities, churches, job sites, town-hall meetings, and with other nonprofits.
• Assist in the development of new BCL Empowerment Program for Financial Wealth Building.
• Assists the Homeownership Program Manager with special projects as assigned and other tasks deemed necessary to achieve overall goals and operate successful programs.

Equity Statement:

At BCL of Texas, we value diversity, and we welcome candidates of color, LGBTQ+ people,

women, neurodivergent people, people with disabilities, and more. We view the requirements

as a guide and not an absolute list, and encourage candidates, especially diverse candidates, to

apply if you feel you meet the spirit of the job description, are interested in the mission, and

believe you will be able to learn the job and do the work.

BCL is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race,

religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability,

medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender

expression, age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, ancestry, class or family status.

Required Application Materials:

• Resume and short cover letter or interest statement
• Your cover letter or interest statement should include information letting us know what about BCLs mission and work excites you
• Three professional references with contact information