Module Summary
After home purchase, clients may seek counseling to ensure successful homeownership and home retention. In this module, you'll learn about the importance of continued financial management in order to make property-related payments on time. You'll also learn about preparing plans for home maintenance and repair. To help clients create a safe living space, you'll learn methods to reduce risk of accidents in the home and tips to create a plan for emergencies or disasters. Additionally, you’ll explore strategies for energy efficiency to reduce environmental impact and home maintenance costs. Lastly, you’ll learn about financing options for home improvement, such as securing a home equity loan or refinancing, and about the process of selling a home.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, counselor will be able to:

• Apply knowledge of the consequences related to not paying property taxes, HOA payments, or community assessments on time when counseling on ways to maintain client’s property rights.
• Prepare a maintenance plan for at least one major household system including the system’s life cycle, use, and repair strategies.
• Discuss with a client specific energy efficient strategies that may be employed by a client.
• Apply knowledge of safety-related strategies for the interior and exterior of the home when discussing with a client how to promote a safe living environment, reducing risk of accidents and impact of disasters.
• Create an emergency preparedness plan to assist a client in coping in the event of a disaster.
• Apply knowledge of specific types of home improvement financing options, including FHA 203k and HELOC, to counsel a client on how to apply for financing to conduct repairs or renovations on the client's property.
• Assess a client's options to refinance an existing mortgage using the client's credit report, recent mortgage statements, estimated property value, and an applied knowledge of available loan programs.
• Apply knowledge of the home sales process to prepare clients to avoid predators and select professionals to support the process.