Crunching Numbers Part I: Essential Calculations for Housing Counselors

This beginner- to intermediate-level class creates a greater understanding for housing counselors and financial coaches who wish to learn more about basic mathematical calculations. This 90-minute webinar provides practical information and math practice to help you build your math skills. We include procedural information for counselors who are doing budget counseling or performing consumer financial analyses, particularly when working with consumers who have an end goal of mortgage readiness. Practitioners are exposed to basic math and tools they can use, like a mortgage calculation worksheet, to help them walk with consumers in creating a plan toward their end goal of home ownership. There is a heavy emphasis on mathematical calculations for housing affordability during this course, so bring your calculator and get ready to have fun with math!

Course Objectives

• Counselors will know how to perform math calculations we use in our daily work including:
• Calculating gross and net income (and when to use each one).
  • Calculating ratios for affordability and qualification,
  • Calculating ratios to determine current debt.
  • Understanding how to convert decimals to fractions for interest calculations.
• Counselors will understand the process of providing a financial analysis that helps create an action plan, with appropriate steps to mortgage loan approval, for consumers they serve.
• Counselors review budgeting tactics to use with clients.
• Counselors learn to use a mortgage calculation worksheet to determine an estimated affordable mortgage.