Buying a home can be a confusing process. Lakeside provides pre-purchase housing counseling to ensure that each homebuyer can receive objective and impartial information. Our trained counselors can help you understand all aspects of the home purchase process. We can also help you develop a budget, address credit barriers, evaluate different loan products, apply for first-time homebuyer programs, and much more.

Lakeside offers three primary services for first time homebuyers:

Pre-purchase Education Classes

Pre-purchase education covers the range of topics each first time home buyer needs, from credit and budgeting to choosing the right home to obtaining financing. We offer a 2-hour orientation to help you understand how ready you are for home purchase, followed by a 6-hour workshop covering the home purchase process. Persons who complete both sessions will receive a certificate of completion for HUD-approved homebuyer education.

Online Education Courses

Lakeside and eHome America are working closely with to help homebuyers and homeowners. The online courses we offer have been professionally created, reviewed by various agencies, and certified by governing bodies. Lakeside’s counselors will communicate with you as needed to complete your education and help with any additional needs you have. We will require a follow up session before issuing the certificate of completion. Please follow the following link to register for the online courses and for additional information.

Pre-Purchase 1x1 Counseling

All of Lakeside’s pre-purchase counseling is provided face-to-face. Pre-purchase counseling is FREE to the prospective buyer and confidential. Best of all, because we do not have anything to gain from your decision, you can complete your home purchase plan on your timetable. Our only goal is to help you achieve your home ownership goals.

SB 1167 – Predatory Lending Database Program

Lakeside is also an approved participant in the State of Illinois Predatory Lending Database Program. Under this program, persons wishing to originate loans with certain terms and conditions are required to receive loan document file reviews by a qualified and independent counselor. The cost of this counseling session is $300 and is paid for by the originating broker. Payment in the form of a cashier’s check payable to Lakeside CDC must be provided by the broker at or prior to the counseling session.

*File review counseling sessions typically last 1-2 hours.

To learn more, please call (773) 381-5253.