Counselor - Hybrid Remote

Position Summary

BALANCE is seeking a HYBRID (On Site and Work from home Combination) Housing Counselor in Dallas. Our Housing Counselor provides accurate, relevant, and helpful information to assist clients and potential clients in developing solutions regarding housing, down-payment assistance, money management, debt management and credit related issues via in-person, telephone, or virtual consultation. This position provides counseling and education primarily to clients in Dallas, possibly across the country when needed.

A Counselor Level V should have experience in default/foreclosure prevention counseling, pre-purchase counseling and education and/or rental or post-purchase counseling. Preferably HUD Certified Counselor. The role will require a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Counselor Certification.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the essential duties listed below. This role prefers bilingual capacity and is intended to work hybrid, at least 2 days a week in the Dallas office with the remaining days virtually from home.

• Assists clients in developing specific strategies towards achieving home ownership, lending process, affordability, down-payment assistance programs, fair housing and how to create and maintain overall financial and home ownership stability in the future.
• Produces a written action plan that supports the counselor's conclusion as to the course of action that promotes the client's best interests or the client's choice of action. Motivates the client to implement the established plan.
• Prepares mailing of preliminary paperwork to clients in a timely manner.
• Conduct pre-purchase first time homebuyer education workshops
• Ensure compliance with the current housing regulations.
• Counsels proficiently, at a minimum in two, of any of the following programs, as defined by management:
  • Pre-purchase Counseling
  • Rental Counseling
  • Default Counseling
  • Post-purchase, if applicable
  • Reverse Mortgage/HECM

• Assists clients in developing specific strategies to resolve past and present financial concerns, establish and achieve financial goals, and create and maintain overall financial stability in the future.

• Provides general information to clients about bankruptcy, collections, court judgments, credit issues, credit reports, housing issues, consumer protection laws, student loans, wage attachments, financial planning to clients.
• Confers with clients to ascertain available monthly income after living expenses to meet credit obligations.
• Explains credit report ratings and protections laws to clients and provides answers to client's questions.

• Promptly answers incoming calls from clients and determines nature of problem or question to establish course of action to address problem or question.
• Provides information about national and community resources and refers clients as appropriate.
• Schedules appointments for clients, confirms daily appointments, and reschedules appointments as necessary and performs regular follow ups.
• Performs elements of on-going casework as needed to provide service and problem-solving assistance for client inquiries and account management.

Other duties may be assigned.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required:

• Familiarity with city, state and federal housing programs
• Self-motivated with a strong commitment to assisting families and individuals towards self-sufficiency.
• Analytical - Collects and researches data;
  Uses intuition and experience to complement data.
• Problem Solving - Gathers and analyzes information skillfully;
  Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses;
  Pursues training and development opportunities;
  Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills;
  Shares expertise with others.
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations;
  Responds promptly to customer needs;
  Responds to requests for service and assistance;
  Meets commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills – Demonstrates empathy, focuses on solving conflict, not blaming or shaming; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control.
• Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar;
  Varies writing style to meet needs;
  Able to read and interpret written information.
• Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities;
  Gives and welcomes feedback;
  Contributes to building a positive team spirit;
  Puts success of team above own interests.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality;
  Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect;
  Keeps…