First Time Homebuyer Grants are a type of mortgage assistance that's designed to help families buy their first homes. Most First Time Homebuyer Grants are administered by federal and state governments, as well as non-profit organizations all over the country.
How Can A First Time Home Buyer Grant Help?
We keep track of grants from all over the country that help people find and purchase their dream home.
Rising rental prices and a shrinking middle class are making it more and more difficult for the middle class to thrive, so government programs like FHA loans and HUD are here to help reinforce and bolster the growth and continued stability of the American middle class. That stability is all about home ownership.
The most common type of home buyer grant is a down payment assistance grant. These are designed to help first time home buyers overcome the barrier that mortgage down payments pose for many American renters.
There are two major categories of Down Payment Assistance grants that you might be eligible for...
DPA (DownPayment Assistance)
This is a forgivable, deferred, 5 to 30 year 0% interest, no payment "silent second" loan, up to $75,000. These are designed to be forgivable between 10 and 20 years. They're meant to assist buyers with not only Down Payments but also closing costs. Restrictions usually apply but it means you don’t have to spend years saving up for that big payment before you can even start looking for a house.
Conditional DPA Grants
This is technically a type of second mortgage, except that you won’t have to pay it back if you meet the terms of your home-buyer agreement. This will demand that you keep the home as your primary residence for specific amount of time that’s determined by each program separately. Usually after 30 years, at the end of your first mortgage's term, this second one will also come due. You'll make no payments and there is no interest.
Most of these grants are awarded based on income, and require recipients to qualify as low or middle income earners in their country. Another important category to be aware of is "good neighbor" grants
What's a Good Neighbor Program?
Good neighbor programs are special grants for first time home buyers that are designed to help rehabilitate neighborhoods that are shrinking or falling into disrepair. They're specifically designed to improve the safety and strength of the community in an area by offering help to people in important "good neighbor" professions. These include teachers, members of the military, paramedics, and police officers. If you're employed in one of these types of jobs you might qualify!