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I usually write all about saving money for your home loan down payment. There's no way around it. Owning a home requires good old fashioned hard work and savings. The largest task you will face in owning your own home is critically analyzing your spending habits and reducing costs wherever possible in addition to making extra money on the side with a weekend job or an income generating website. However, there is also a ton of power in understanding down payment assistance programs. Down payment assistance programs may provide you "free" money towards you house. Combining this free money with a strong savings plan is a guaranteed plan for success and home ownership!
What Are Down Payment Assistance Programs?
Down payment assistance programs are a means of getting "free" money towards your down payment which you never have to pay back. There are two types of down payment assistance programs. The first is for lower income families. If your family is in a lower income range, you may be able to quality for a grant from the government. The grant is free money towards your down payment that you never have to pay back. As part of getting the grant, you will sometimes have to attend classes. Why would the government be willing to do this? They are trying to help out hard working Americans live the American dream. It is the dream of all Americans to own homes and the government is there to help those who are working super hard but have a lower income level.
The second type of down payment assistance program is a non-profit charity gift in accordance with HUD and FHA rules. This type of program is accessible to all borrowers whether they are low income or not. What happens in this case is the seller donates X dollars to the charity. Then, the charity donates X dollars toward your down payment. The key with this type of down payment assistance is to have a seller, lender, and real estate agent who are all well versed with this sort of transaction. The largest charities that deal with this type of down payment assistance are The Nehemiah Program, AmeriDream, and, Partners In Charity. Again, the motivation behind these programs is to help all families achieve the American dream via homeownership and strong communities of homeowners. For more information on down payment assistance programs please check out our down payment assistance program directory below.
Down Payment Knowledge Is Power
Your first home is likely to be the largest purchase of your life. More than with anything you have ever done before, make sure to accumulate as much knowledge as possible. The more you know, the more money you will save the wealthier you will be both in your bank account and also in your education. Having a wealth of knowledge is especially important in the world of real estate and mortgages. Recently, there has been a ton of information about questionable practices in mortgage lending over the past few years. Mortgage companies are going out of business daily. Educating yourself about all aspects of mortgage loans and down payments will arm you with the knowledge to avoid predatory lenders and do business with the right group of professionals.
For more information on down payment assistance programs, I highly recommend checking out Down Payment Solutions. For more information on mortgages, I recommend checking out my article on mortgages for 1st time home buyers. I also hope you find our directory of down payment assistance programs below helpful in your quest to find the right down payment assistance program for you.
The Nehemiah Program
Helping People Become Homeowners
State: All States
Phone: (877) 634-3642
Fax: (916) 326-5428
Email: dap@getdownpayment.com
Website:http://www.getdownpayment.com
Website:http://www.nehemiahcorp.org
AmeriDream, Inc.
Doing things right for America's homebuyers
State: All States
Phone: (866) 263-7437
Fax: (301) 977-9713
Email: info@ameridream.org
Website:http://www.ameridream.org
Address:
200 Professional Dr.
Suite 400
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Partners In Charity
Down Payment Gifts from 2% to 10%
State: All States
Phone: (800) 705-8350
Fax: (800) 514-9848
Email: info@partnersincharity.org
Website:http://www.partnersincharity.org
Address:
613 West Main Street
West Dundee, IL 60118
Futures Home Assistance
Down Payment Gifts Up to 6%
State: All States
Phone: (800) 672-4055
Email: info@fhap.org
Website:http://www.hbkcapital.net/fhapinfo/
Address:
613 West Main Street
West Dundee, IL 60118
CalHFA - California Homebuyer's Downpayment Assistance Program
Affordable Housing is our Business
State: California
Phone: (877) 922-5432
Fax: (916) 327-8452
Email: assistance@calhfa.ca.gov
Website:http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homeownership/programs/chdap.htm
Address:
1415 L Street, Ste. 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
WHEDA Grant Assistance
State: Wisconsin
Phone: (800) 334-6873
Fax: (608) 267-1099
Email: info@wheda.com
Website:http://www.wheda.com/CAT_SFL/fhlbc.asp
Address:
201 W. Washington Ave., Ste. 700
Madison, WI 53703
HomeChoice Downpayment Assistance Program
Opening doors to a better life
State: Washington State
Phone: (800) 767-4663
Fax: (206) 587-5113
Email: askusho@wshfc.org
Website:http://www.wshfc.org/buyers/homechoice.htm
Address:
1000 Second Avenue, Suite 2700
Seattle, WA 98104-1046
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