Helping Washington State homeowners learn more about their mortgage options.
Get Rich Slowly recently posted How to Save Up for a Down Payment Fast. I’d like to respond to some of the ideas offered in GRS’s post from a Mortgage Professional’s viewpoint and offer my advice.
Here are some of the suggestions on How to Save Up for Down Payment Fast along with my 2 cents (in italics).
I’ve just learned that last month, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission did their 50,000 closing! In other words, WSHFC has helped over 50,000 families buy a home in Washington state using one of their first mortgage and down payment assistance programs. The 50,000th home buyers are from Federal Way and represent a typical Home Advantage home buyer:
I will be teaching a home buyer class in Seattle with Jim Repppond of Coldwell Banker Danforth on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at the Broadview Library in Seattle.
The class is sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Students who attend are eligible for programs like Home Advantage or House Key Opportunity (the Washington state bond program) or Freddie Mac Home Possible. Students are also eligible for various down payment assistance programs and MCC (mortgage credit certificates).
If you are considering buying a home with your spouse, partner or friend, they will need to attend the class with you to qualify for the programs. You do not need to be a first time home buyer to qualify for many of the mortgage programs. And of course, you’re welcome to attend if you’re not interested in down payment assistance programs and you just want to learn more about the home buying process.
I will be teaching a Home Buyers Education Class with Ira Sacharoff of Better Properties Real Estate Seattle on Saturday, August 9, 2014 at the Skyway Public Library. This class is sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.
Students will learn about the home buying process and will receive a certificate at the end of the class making them eligible for:
Washington State home buyers have several various down payment assistance programs available and they’re not just limited to first time home buyers. These funds can go towards closing cost and the down payment of primary residence.
Here’s an updated list of what I have available.
This morning I received an email from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission that one of the Home Advantage Rebound program has ran out of funds and is no longer available. If you were planning on using this for your down payment assistance, and you have a transaction in progress, check with your mortgage originator asap to see if the funds were reserved. If they were not reserved, then you’ll need to come up with a “plan b”, which may include using their stand-by program Home Advantage.
I just received the official announcement that House Key Opportunity (aka the Washington State Bond program) will start accepting reservations (locks) tomorrow, May 1, 2014.
The state bond program offers below market interest rates to home buyers who have household incomes limited to 80% or lower of the HUD’s income limits. In King County, a family of four would qualify for this program if their household income is $63,900 or lower. House Key will allow credit scores of 620 or higher – there may be additional credit score or income limits with combined down payment assistance programs.
UPDATE 5/30/2014: Income limits above are for when home buyers do not use a down payment assistance program in conjunction with House Key Opportunity state bond program. Income limits for the Seattle – King County area are $90,000 for a 1-2 family home or $97,000 for a 3+ family home.
Rhonda Porter is a Licensed Mortgage Originator MLO121324 living in the greater Seattle area. Rhonda began her career in 1986 in the title and escrow industry and began her mortgage career in 2000. She enjoys helping people understand the mortgage process and started writing The Mortgage Porter in late 2006. Read More…
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