Homebuyer Assistance Programs

In the years before the “mortgage meltdown,” special loan programs and assistance were everywhere.  In many ways, that is the reason for the meltdown itself, and the reason that qualifying for a mortgage loan is now more difficult and more complicated than it was then.  (Properly contained, fire can keep you warm or heat your food.  Applied improperly it can also burn your house down.  Too easy access to too many programs effectively burned our collective house down, and we are now rebuilding.)

That said, there is assistance available now for home buyers in special circumstances.  Here are a couple that are specific to the Austin area:

FHA Down Payment Assistance

Home Rehabilitation Loans

If I have an opportunity to work with homebuyers who are considering these programs or others like them, I will offer my best professional advice — and I may well suggest to many that they should just go save some money and buy a home later.  In the right situation, though, and for the right applicants, these programs may be just what’s needed.

In all cases, like a TV beer ad, I suggest “borrow responsibly.”