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…]

Mortgage Qualifying: Your Income, Job, and Debts: Workshop Replay!

Mortgage Qualifying: Your Income, Job, and Debts Workshop

How lenders determine what you qualify for—and how to prepare

One of the most common questions I hear from home buyers is:
“How do lenders decide how much I qualify for?”

In this workshop replay from my Home Buying Workshop Series, we break down the basics of mortgage qualifying—specifically how lenders review your income, employment, and monthly debts to determine what payment, loan amount, and home price may be realistic for you.

Understanding these basics early can help you avoid surprises, make better decisions, and feel more confident when you’re ready to buy.


Watch the Workshop Replay

This workshop is especially helpful if you: [Read more…]

Getting Started with Homeownership: Watch the First Home Buyer Workshop (REPLAY)

Homebuyer Workshop Rhonda Porter MortgageBuying a home is a big milestone—and for many people, it’s also one of the most confusing financial decisions they’ll ever make. If you’re thinking about buying a home but aren’t sure where to start, you’re not alone.

That’s exactly why I created the Home Buyer Workshop Series, beginning with Getting Started with Homeownership. This first class is designed to give you a clear, practical overview of the home buying process—without pressure, sales tactics, or assumptions about where you are in your journey.


Watch the Getting Started with Homeownership Workshop

[Read more…]

Options for Buying a Starter Home

Buying a Starter HomeBuying your first home is such an exciting and important time of your life. It’s a big step in creating financial freedom for your future. First homes are often referred to as a “starter home” as people tend to live in the home for a shorter period of time and use the equity they gain from appreciation and paying down the mortgage towards buying their next home. [Read more…]

Who’s Buying Homes in this Market?

who is buying homes in this market
The Existing Home Sales was released yesterday which reports on the closings of existing single-unit homes.

Would you be surprised to know that last month, 31% of all sales were first-time homebuyers? [Read more…]

Just Released: Resources for First Time Homebuyers

I have just created a page on my blog dedicated to first time homebuyers. Right now, you can access this on the column to the right.

I will be updating this page with information that first time homebuyers or people who have not bought a home recently may find useful. Currently, I have a couple of different scenarios intended to help demystify the homebuying process. I hope you’ll check it out!

If you or anyone you know are thinking about buying their first home or re-entering the home buying market, please feel free to share this with them. 🙂

And of course, I would love to help you with your mortgage needs. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance.

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…]

Freddie Mac HomeOne® Mortgage in Washington State

Freddie Mac HomeOne Mortgage WA StateFreddie Mac HomeOne® Mortgage in Washington State

The HomeOne® mortgage is a low down payment conventional loan program designed specifically for first-time homebuyers who want to purchase a primary residence with as little as 3% down.

Backed by Freddie Mac, HomeOne offers a simpler path to homeownership for buyers who have solid credit but limited savings — without the income limits found in some other low down payment programs.

This mortgage option is especially attractive to buyers in Seattle, King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, and throughout Washington State, where affordability and long-term costs matter. [Read more…]