NCHEC Certification Details

NCHEC Professional Certification Requirements

NCHEC currently offers homeownership practitioners certification in four specialty areas:

Pre-purchase Homeownership Education
Post-purchase Homeownership Education
Homeownership Counseling
Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling

Once required training and examination for applied certification is completed, the Application for NCHEC Certification [PDF] must be signed and returned to NCHEC. Upon review and verification of all requirements, NCHEC Certification will be issued with a certificate displaying an official seal.

Pre-Purchase Homeownership Education
This is a certification for counselors who provide pre-purchase homeownership education classes to consumers in a group setting.

Step I:
Training Requirement
This certification is achieved by completing course HO229 Homebuyer Education Methods: Training the Trainer and successfully passing the accompanying exam with a minimum score of 80%. This training is designed to teach participants how to design, implement and deliver a comprehensive homebuyer (pre-purchase) education training program in a group seminar or workshop format.

Participants with five or more years of industry experience may opt to take: HO317 Homebuyer Education Methods: The Accelerated Version. This is a three-day version of HO229; however, the exam for certification is the same for both courses.
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD NOT TAKE BOTH CLASSES.

Step II:
National Industry Standards Requirement
In order to obtain the certification, practitioners should read and review the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling (www.homeownershipstandards.com). Practitioners must submit a signed copy of the National Industry Code of Ethics and Conduct to NCHEC to be considered for certification.

NCHEC certification is issued upon verification of all requirements.

Homeownership Counseling
This is a certification in individualized, one-on-one homeownership counseling.

Step I:
Training Requirement
There are two training course requirements for this certification. Part I is completion of the five-day course H0250 Homeownership Counseling Principles, Practices and Techniques, Part I and passing the accompanying exam with a minimum score of 80%. In order to register for HO250, one year of one-on-one housing counseling experience is required. Participants will receive a completion certificate on the last day of course HO250 which confirms only their attendance in the class. Exam scores will be retained by NCHEC until the second training requirement has been achieved.

Part II is completion of the two-day course, HO109 Foreclosure Basics or evidence that other similar foreclosure prevention or loss mitigation training has been taken (as evidenced by a certificate of completion) through some other acceptable training entity (to be approved by NCHEC).

NCHEC certification is issued upon verification of all requirements. The official certification certificate IS NOT issued at the time the participant passes the exam for HO250.

Post-purchase Homeownership Education
This certification in post-purchase homeownership education is recommended for counselors/educators who facilitate post-purchase seminars and workshops to consumers.

Step I:
Training Requirement
The certification is achieved by completing the five-day course HO247 Post-purchase Education Methods and successfully passing the exam with a minimum score of 80%. This training is designed to teach participants how to design, implement and deliver a comprehensive post-purchase education training program in a group seminar or workshop format.

Step II:
National Industry Standards Requirement
In order to obtain the certification, practitioners should read and review the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling (www.homeownershipstandards.com). Practitioners must submit a signed copy of the National Industry Code of Ethics and Conduct to NCHEC to be considered for certification.

NCHEC certification is issued upon verification of all requirements.

Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling
This is a certification in foreclosure intervention and default counseling and is recommended for those counselors with at least one year of experience in loss mitigation and/or default counseling.

Step I:
Training Requirement
There are two parts to the training requirements for this certification. Part I is the completion of the five-day course, HO345rq Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling Certification, Part I with completion of an exam and a passing grade of 80% or higher. Before enrolling in this course, participants must pass an online prerequisite test with a score of 75% or better. HO345 is designed for counselors with one or more years of experience providing one-on-one foreclosure intervention and default counseling. This rigorous, in-depth course covers critical elements of the default and foreclosure process as well as loss mitigation options for prime and sub-prime loans. (Review this quick reference guide to ensure that you meet the required skill level for this advanced course.) Participants will engage in exercises and utilization of case studies to sharpen their negotiating skills with servicers and improve their counseling methods with clients.

Part II is the completion of one of the following courses as an elective, HO307: Advanced Foreclosure: Case Study Practicum or HO320: Developing and Implementing an Effective Foreclosure Program.

NCHEC certification is issued upon verification of all requirements.

All certifications are valid for three years from the date of issuance.