Owning a home of their own is the American Dream for many people. If homeownership is your goal, we can help. ByDesign™ is a HUD-approved counseling agency.

Our certified counselors are experts on the process of planning for and buying a home. Confidential, one-on-one counseling is available to help you review your current financial situation, go over your credit report, and develop the best possible strategy to get you into a home. Our counselors are available to meet with you in person or over the phone.

Your counseling session will begin with a review of your current situation. You will be asked for information pertaining to your income and your expenses, so that your counselor can establish what you can afford to pay for a monthly house payment. Next, our counselor will review your credit report and provide valuable feedback on any steps necessary to improve your credit. Your counselor will review the home-buying process with you as well as discuss loan options and how to avoid predatory lending. Finally, your counselor will discuss different options for federal, state and city down payment assistance.

As part of this process, our counselor will provide advice on managing money, using credit wisely and building a savings plan. Our counselor will work with you to develop a budget and a personalized plan to meet your financial goals.

All information shared with our counselor will remain strictly confidential, as defined in our privacy policy.

If you would prefer to learn the steps to homeownership in a classroom setting, our First Time Homebuyer Workshop is an alternative to a counseling session.