In an effort to help people navigate the daunting phases of purchasing a home, Palm Beach County is urging residents to take a University of Florida first-time homebuyer course.
The community class has been running since 2009 but has been recently updated to keep people abreast of new industry developments, such as the National Association of Realtors' settlement of a class action lawsuit which could change the home buying process.
The monthly online course, designed under the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), is part of a federal, state and county initiative to help prospective homebuyers both understand the steps to buy their first home and get access to home-buying assistance programs.
It costs just $10 and is open — and useful — to anyone in South Florida.
“We teach people what you need to do and before you go and talk to a lender to get qualified,” said Lisa Hamilton, an UF/IFAS educator assisting with the course.
“We make you calculate your debt to income ratio. We make you use the calculators to determine how much house you can afford. We teach you how the lenders determine applicants. We want you to have that power of knowledge."
Housing prices have soared in recent years.The median sales price for a single family home in Palm Beach County is $650,000 dollars, according to the county’s housing dashboard. That’s just over 10% higher than the same time last year.
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Meanwhile, foreclosures in Palm Beach County rose last year to more than 2,400 cases, nearly double the total from 2022, according to county data.
Nationally, home prices increased 46% between March 2020 and March 2024, according to the closely followed Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Home Price Index.
Budgets, inspections, lenders and downpayment assistance
The 8-hour online course, approved by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, is separated into two 4-hour sessions or one 8-hour session, and covers topics like budgeting and saving, obtaining home inspections, deciding on lenders and down payment assistance,—
It also includes developments from the National Association of Realtors lawsuit that could reduce real estate agents' commission fees, which critics say were inflating home prices. A judge overseeing the class action lawsuit must approve the settlement.
The online education course, which is provided by other institutions elsewhere in the country, is actually required for people securing a low-interest home loan through the Federal Housing Administration or FHA.
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It invites trained realtors, lenders, title agents and home inspectors and insurance agents to “have people be able to speak to someone in the industry, ask their questions, and bring them that up to date information,” Hamilton added.
Any Florida resident who finishes the program will receive a nationally recognized certificate of completion, which is viable for up to 24 months. And 12 months for people seeking down payment assistance through Florida Housing Financial Corporation Bond program.
Scholarships for the course are "available upon request for households below 50% of the area median income," the program said.
UF/IFAS is a research institution focused on agriculture and natural resources that provides various "Extension" services, which includes non-formal research education, to all counties across the state.
More information on the classes can be found at
Dates for upcoming double sessions:
- July 19 & 26: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- August 1 & 8: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- September 6 & 13: 9:00 a.m– 1:00 p.m.
- October 17 & 24: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- November 7 & 14: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- December 6 & 13: 9:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m.
