Community Land Trust Realtor and Homebuyer Specialist
(Salary Range $55,000 -$75,000 with benefits + flexible schedule)
Hybrid Position: Remote + Onsite Hours

DevNW and our CDFI partner, Community Lending Works (CLW) are fostering vibrant, inclusive communities by prioritizing housing, asset development, wealth building, and small business development. To do this work we are deconstructing pervasive systems of oppression such as racism, classism, or sexism that maintain persistent disparities and perpetuate deep imbalances in power, opportunity, and wealth.

The Community Land Trust Homebuyer Specialist’s critical contributions to this work are the following:

• Ensuring a robust pipeline of purchase ready CLT homebuyers for each of DevNW new CLT subdivisions.
• Coordinate the CLT homebuyer process from start to finish ensuring timely and accurate communication between the prospective homebuyers, DevNW Real Estate Development Team, Lenders, Title Companies, and any homebuyer assistance fund programs.
• Building and maintaining community partnerships with a focus of providing early information about upcoming CLT homes for sale and ultimately increasing homeownership rates for communities that have faced historic discrimination in homeownership and mortgage lending.
• Serving as champion throughout the homebuying process for individuals/families who have historically been underrepresented.

To excel in this position, you will need these essential lenses:

• An understanding of systems of oppression, especially as they impact housing, health, and asset building, and a core belief that DevNW’s programs and services (and overall mission) should be rooted in overcoming systemic inequality and injustice
• A belief in the importance of inclusive relationships and collaboration, both internally with DevNW staff and externally with partners and clients.
• An understanding of the importance of homeownership on long term housing affordability, generational wealth-building, and progress in a family’s economic growth.
• Commitment to advancing economic and social justice through increasing homeownership rates within communities that have been historically excluded from homeownership and mortgage lending through redlining and other discriminatory practices.
• Participate and contribute to DevNW’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice work including a commitment to ongoing personal and organizational growth in these topics; experience identifying and deconstructing white privilege culture in an organizational setting and/or experience building proactively inclusive culture.

It is CRITICAL that you have…

• Previous exposure and/or experience working within the field of asset building, including financial systems, homeownership, mortgage lending, real estate, or related sector.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to efficiently and effectively manage complex documents, processes, and multiple parties involved in the home purchase process.
• Proficient in math functions like ratios and percentages[ER1] [LM2] .
• Ability to work independently with a flexible work structure while managing competing priorities and deadlines.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of programs, Adobe Acrobat, Zoom, and Teams.
• A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel regularly across DevNW service areas; Lane, Benton, Marion, and Clackamas counties.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends to meet the need of prospective homebuyers.

Additional requirements:

• Ability to pass the HUD Housing Counselor Certification exam within 90 days of hire. (Internal and external training will be provided)
• Ability to complete required pre-license education and pass the exam needed to become a licensed Realtor in Oregon within 180 days of hire. (all training and testing costs will be paid for by DevNW)
• Must be able to meet required ongoing realtor education (35 hours every two years)

Example tasks/responsibilities for the Community Land Trust Homebuyer Specialist:

• Homebuyer Specialist (75%)
  • Work with prospective CLT homebuyers throughout the entire home purchase process, including providing CLT-specific information, referral to education/financial resources, coordinating initial eligibility applications and waiting lists for each development, etc.
  • Connect prospective CLT homebuyers with internal referrals to DevNW education, resources, and tools to help them become mortgage ready in time to purchase upcoming homes as each CLT development is completed.
  • Manage CLT applications including compiling application materials, coordinating with applicants, and verifying eligibility for homebuying programs.
  • Work closely with the Asset Building Manager to ensure coordination of any home purchase assistance such as Down Payment Assistance or Individual Development Accounts as applicable.
  • Work with DevNW programmatic managers and team members to develop and execute a regularly updated outreach plan that ensures accurate and timely information regarding DevNW programs and services is provided to the communities we serve.
  • Keep up to date on all DevNW service lines and programs in order to provide accurate information and referral to prospective buyers.
  • Participate in community outreach events.
• Community Land Trust Realtor (25%)
  • Once licensed as a Realtor in Oregon…
    • Facilitate showing homes and hosting open houses, Purchase and Sale Agreements, helping coordinate with lenders and escrow through the closing process.
    • Completing Purchase and Sale Agreements for all CLT home purchases as DevNW’s in-house Realtor; assist current CLT owners who wish to sell their homes with the sales process.
  • Identify issues and trends affecting clients and communicate your observations and any potential program updates or changes to the Asset Building Manger.
  
  

It is GREAT if you have…

• A high level of expertise about the homebuying process, mortgage lending, specifically related to CLT home purchases.
• Experience working with potential homebuyers who are first-time, first-generation, and have low/moderate income or other similar groups.
• Established relationships with culturally specific service providers or demonstrated experience making connections and developing community partnerships.
• Experience with Canva, Cognito and Client Management Systems such as CounselorMax.

It is a BONUS if you also have…

• Cultural or socioeconomic lived experience that relates to the clients we serve; includes but not limited to receiving SNAP/TANF as a child, living in affordable housing as a child, being a dreamer, being a first-generation college graduate or other experiences.
• Lived experience as a member of a community that has faced historical barriers to housing, asset building, small business development, etc.
• Ability to read, write, and speak Spanish.
• Direct experience as a consumer in the homebuyer process.
• Existing Realtor license in Oregon.

Apply for this opportunity to support DevNW’s suite of programs and services by providing an introduction letter detailing your interest that includes the following by priority date April 4, 2023, to careers@devnw.org:

Please join us on March 29, 2023, at 4 pm via Zoom for an information session; we would love a chance to meet you.

Info Session Link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4884391843?pwd=WW0rZDZabE92bnZzejZTTHRZWEJLUT09