Responsible Home Ownership
Loan Assistance Programs Canceled in 2008
Elimination of Non Profit Down Payment Assistance: On July 30, 2008, President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 which prohibits seller-funded DPA (Down Payment Assistance) for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration. Prior to this bill, the seller could contribute up to 6% to the buyer to cover either a down payment or closing costs on an FHA loan. The changes took effect on Oct. 1, 2008. We provide this information for reference only. These grants are no longer available.
NEW: Down Payment Assistance Programs for 2019
The Responsible Home Ownership program is run by a non-profit organization called Community Housing and Development Corp. The Responsible Home Ownership program offers down payment assistance to low-income individuals who have steady income and good credit. You may qualify for this program if you meet the following criteria:
- You meet the low-income criteria for this assistance program.
- You are pre-qualified for an FHA home loan, or are approved for an FHA loan.
- You are purchasing a home in the United States (as opposed to "offshore").
- You purchase a "participating home".
The participating home requirement means the seller must sign the "Participating Home Agreement". Check with your loan officer and/or realtor to learn how to get your seller involved in this program if the seller is not already participating. Funds from this program can be used for both closing costs and down payments.
This down payment assistance program is much different than other programs in one major way; it is not limited to owner-occupied single family residences. The terms of this program allow down payment assistance for multi-family homes and even commercial purchases.
Some of the purchases you can make using down payment assistance from the Responsible Home Ownership program may fall outside the bounds of what you are permitted to buy with an FHA loan. Check with your loan officer if you have specific questions about your participation in this program using an FHA-approved home loan.
Down payment assistance programs generally require the seller to pay a fee to participate. This fee is considered a payment for services rendered and not a tax-deductible charitable contribution.
Since this program is no longer available, we recommend that you get pre-approved for a low down payment FHA home loan.
Discontinued Down Payment Grant Programs:
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FHA Loan Articles and Mortgage News
December 8, 2019 - If you are planning for a new home loan in 2020, saving up early for your loan expenses can be very useful. You may not be able to anticipate every expense for the new loan, but if you buy or build a house in 2020 you’ll want to prepare for some known mortgage-related expenses.
December 3, 2019 - When applying for an FHA home loan, there are issues that can slow down the progress of your mortgage, whether you are applying for a mobile home loan or an FHA One-Time Close Construction Loan. Some may be preventable in the planning stages of your loan.
December 1, 2019 - Are you thinking about buying a home in 2020? Mortgage loan interest rates on FHA, VA, and conventional home loans were at incredible lows in 2019. Will these trends continue into the new year? While it's possible, it's not safe to assume that current rates and terms will continue.
November 30, 2019 - There are definitely ways to protect yourself in the online home loan process. The best and most obvious advice is to never respond to unsolicited communication involving a home loan. In other words, if you the customer did not initiate the conversation, it’s best not to respond.
November 24, 2019 - You cannot be legally denied housing because you have children, are a single parent, are a non-traditional couple or parent, are transgender or identify as such, or any other non-financial excuse not to provide or continue providing housing.
