The Basics
HomeKeeper is a program offered by Grounded Solutions Network and is designed for the affordable housing industry and supports organizations with multiple programs. In addition to its housing counseling tools, HomeKeeper provides affordable housing features built for organizations such as community land trusts, Habitat for Humanity affiliates, inclusionary housing programs, and downpayment assistance programs.
Costs
One-Time Costs: Pricing starts at $3,000 for onboarding, which includes installation, configuration, and training. The onboarding fee does not include full data migrations.
Annual Fee: Pricing starts at $2,600/year, and varies based on the additional features purchased. The HUD Connect features are an additional $1,050/year.
Contact HomeKeeper at info@myhomekeeper.org for a demo of the product and pricing based upon your agency’s needs.
Training & Technical Support
In addition to the technical support features listed below, HomeKeeper offers monthly Q&As and provides user manuals on HomeKeeper’s features.
As part of the onboarding process, Homekeeper provides new organizations with between two and five 90-minute training sessions, as well as one 9902 reporting training session as the first reporting deadline approaches. Homekeeper records and shares all training sessions for future reference.
| Live Help Desk Support | |
| Support Ticket System | |
| Webinars | |
| Forums |
Platform & Setup
HomeKeeper is a web-based system that runs on the Salesforce platform. The use of Salesforce provides organizations with optional access to thousands of third-party apps built for Salesforce. While not all of the features listed below are available “out of the box” with HomeKeeper, the Salesforce platform allows for customization for individual agency needs. Setup of the system is conducted remotely and can take four to six weeks. For advanced customization, HomeKeeper recommends working with a Salesforce consultant as part of their Alliance Partnership program.
Counseling & Group Education Features
| Track hours spent counseling | |
| Capture all fields required by HUD | |
| Distinguish between potential/prospective clients and actual clients | |
| Track case funding | |
| Track various fees charged by agency | |
| Link to credit reporting agencies | |
| Soft credit pull | |
| Track changes in credit score | |
| Document storage for client files | |
| Track changes in budgeting habits | |
| Follow up reminders | |
| Automated reminders of upcoming appointment/workshops | |
| Client/Case summary form | |
| Populate debts off the credit report | |
| Track real estate owned, either primary residence or rental property | |
| Track First-Generation Homebuyer | |
| Email/text communications with clients and/or lenders/creditors |
One-on-One Tools
| Loan comparison | |
| Financial calculators | |
| Budgeting tools | |
| Credit improvement tools |
Group Education Features
| Track all fields required by HUD | |
| Registration/rosters | |
| Course logistics (including instructors and locations) | |
| Track funding | |
| Track fees charged by agency | |
| Mail merge to create Certificates of Completion |
Output Documents
Output documents can be configured using third-party apps.
| RMA | |
| UBA | |
| Budget | |
| Hardship letter | |
| Action plan | |
| Signed intake | |
| Signed disclosures/authorizations |
Program/Tool Interactions
Use of the Salesforce platform provides HomeKeeper users with access to thousands of third-party apps. HomeKeeper staff can provide recommendations based on organizational needs. Commonly used integrations include fundraising tools, integrated credit reports, online applications, financial coaching tools, and an online client portal.
| eHome America | |
| Framework | |
| Other homebuyer education platform/materials | |
| Any other education/webinar platform | |
| Hope LoanPortal | |
| HomeCoach or AUS | |
| Lender communications | |
| Online consumer authorization | |
| Any consumer permissioned data functionality or other API |
Administration Management Features
| Separate staff can be assigned to same client | |
| Staff training records tracking | |
| Staff certifications tracking | |
| HUD individual certification tracking | |
| FHA Connection | |
| Counselor (user) time sheets can be created (including tie client/time to grants) | |
| Internal calendar/appointment functionality | |
| External calendar/appointment functionality | |
| Admins able to add or remove staff/counselors |
Workflow Features
| Dashboards | |
| Ability to sort and filter cases | |
| Ability to export records | |
| Ability to export records to Hope LoanPortal | |
| Ability to import client cases |
Client Interface
A client portal can be configured using third-party apps.
| Portal for Client to input data | |
| Client can register for group education or one-on-one appointments | |
| Can send client satisfaction surveys | |
| Can email clients or lenders and other stakeholders | |
| Can chat with counselor/staff in real time |
Reports and Customization
In addition to allowing agencies to create and customize reports, HomeKeeper includes about 30 pre-packaged reports, including Counselor Caseload, Counselor Time Spent, HUD 9902 Control Report, HUD Impacts, Client Demographics, and more.
| HUD-9902 | |
| Other pre-packaged reports | |
| Customizable reports | |
| Client satisfaction survey results |
9902 Reporting
| Error messages identify specific error and location | |
| Edits can be made from 9902 preview | |
| Submitted as single or multiple packages | MULTIPLE |
Customizable Fields
| Counseling outcomes | |
| Counseling type | |
| Counseling status | |
| Referral source | |
| Funding organization/source |