First-Time Home Buyer Programs: Your Guide to Buying a Home in Washington State

first time homebuyer programs in washington state First-Time Home Buyer Programs: Your Guide to Buying a Home in Washington State

Buying your first home can feel overwhelming—especially in a competitive market like Washington State. Between rising home prices, headlines about interest rates, and confusing mortgage terms, many first-time buyers wonder: Is homeownership even possible right now?

The good news? There are several first-time home buyer programs designed to make buying a home more accessible and affordable—often with low down payments, flexible credit guidelines, and even down payment assistance.

As a mortgage advisor with over 25 years of experience helping first-time buyers, I’m here to break down the most common programs, how they work, and how to decide which one may be right for you. [Read more…]

How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a Home: Workshop Replay

Homebuyer Workshop Rhonda Porter Mortgage SeattleHow Much Money Do You Need to Buy a Home?

Down payment, closing costs, and real-world ways to make homeownership possible

One of the biggest myths about buying a home is that you “need 20% down.” In reality, many buyers can purchase with far less—and sometimes with little to no out-of-pocket funds, depending on the loan program, down payment assistance options, and whether the seller contributes toward closing costs.

In this workshop replay, I break down the real costs of buying a home, when those costs show up during the transaction, and the most common (and acceptable) ways to source your funds—so you can plan with confidence. [Read more…]

2026 Conforming Loan Limits: What Washington Homebuyers Should Know

2026 Conforming Loan Limits for Washington HomesLow-Down-Payment Programs, Renovation Loans & Down Payment Assistance Options

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Mortgage Rate Update for the Week of August 18, 2025

Mortgage rates seem to be pretty steady (right now). This week’s episode features a down payment assistance program that doesn’t require you to be a first time home buyer or have income limits. Check it out in my latest update or contact me with questions!

 

NEW Down Payment Assistance Program

Down Payment Assistance ProgramsWe have added a new down payment assistance program where eligible home buyers can receive up to 100% financing.

This program is not limited to first time home buyers and there are no income limits with an FHA mortgage as the first lien. Would you like more good news? The down payment assistance is in the form of a second mortgage with a 5-year forgivable option OR a 10-year repayable option.

Here’s more: [Read more…]

How Does Dave Ramsey’s Advice on Mortgages Pencil Out?

Last month I wrote about advice I’ve been seeing popping up in my Facebook feed from Dave Ramsey on mortgages. There are several points that I just don’t find realistic for the average person who wants to buy a home, such as only using a 15 year amortized mortgage with 20% down payment and limiting your mortgage payment to 25% of your take home pay. I promised that I would share a follow up post where I review different scenarios comparing his advise to real life scenarios. [Read more…]

Income Limits increased for Home Advantage with Down Payment Assistance

Hot off the press! Washington State Housing Finance Commission has just announced that income limits for the Home Advantage program are being increased to $160,000 effective July 2, 2021. Click here for current mortgage rates for your scenario. [Read more…]

BREAKING NEWS: Higher Income Limits for Down Payment Assistance Mortgages

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission has just announced they are increasing the income limits on all of their Home Advantage mortgage programs. The income limits are being increased effective immediately from $97,000 to $145,000! [Read more…]