Roland and Heidi were joined by Kathi Thomas from the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority and Kate Zook from the Silver State Fair Housing Council. Kathi oversees public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher program, which has 13,000 vouchers in Southern Nevada. Kate focuses on fair housing laws and discrimination. They highlight the need for 80,000 affordable housing units in Nevada and the importance of training for landlords and housing providers. Upcoming events include a Path to Homeownership workshop on February 7.

Roland and Heidi discuss the importance of homeownership readiness and the emotional aspects of buying a home. They emphasize the need to prepare financially by saving for future mortgage payments and building reserves for home improvements and emergencies. They highlight the significance of credit checks, noting common errors like name spellings and duplicate student loans. They explain the concept of debt-to-income ratio (DTI) and its impact on mortgage approval. Additionally, they stress the importance of understanding lender overlays, such as minimum credit scores, and the benefits of working with HUD-certified credit counselors. The program also touches on fair housing laws and the role of the Silver State Fair Housing Council.

Roland and Heidi discuss housing options and the importance of fair housing. They highlight the upcoming 44th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday parade and the role of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) in promoting fair housing. They emphasize the importance of budgeting, including saving for a mortgage, and checking credit reports for errors. They explain VA loans, FHA loans, and conventional loans, noting VA loans offer no down payment and no mortgage insurance for veterans, while FHA loans require a minimum credit score of 500 with a 10% down payment or 580 for 3.5%. Conventional loans have varying credit score requirements and loan level price adjustments.