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Homebuyer
Information And Tools |
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Habitat for Humanity
For more information, call
(713) 521-3502 |
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To find a homebuyer education provider,
click here. |
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This page contains information on the eligibility requirements for the
Harris County and City of Houston's Homebuyer Assistance Programs and the
American Dream Downpayment Initiative, including Homebuyer Education
providers, as well as approved mortgage companies who have been trained in
the county's downpayment assistance programs.
On this page you will also find affordable homebuilders and
options for affordable, lived-in homes, and foreclosed property.
There is information for Veterans and
maps with ZIP codes for defining Harris County versus the property inside city
limits. Info on signing up for a new Habitat for Humanity home.
Scroll down this page and let us know if you
have found the information that you are looking for. To email us your
questions and comments, please
click here. |
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This HUD Web site has information to help you understand how to buy and
maintain a home in Harris County, Texas. There is information on
predatory lending and homebuyer education programs. Look over this
information before you invest in a house.
Click here.
For information on how to save money on
interest rates and buying a house, read this HUD information.
Click here. |
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Learn The A-B-C
Of Buying A Home |
HUD
approved homebuyer education providers.
This link offers homebuyer education programs that can help you
intelligently buy a house.
If you are buying a HUD home through the Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP) or the American Dream Downpayment Initiative
(ADDI), you
must take a homebuyer education program.
Click here.
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For information on taxes for property within
Harris County, visit the
Harris County Appraisal District.
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For a listing of phone
numbers and addresses of the Harris County and the surrounding area
appraisal districts,
click here. |
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For a listing of affordable Harris County home builders,
click here.
Scroll down this page for information on the Harris County DownPayment
Assistance Program. |
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This HUD Web site has
information to help you understand how to buy and maintain a home in Harris
County, Texas.
For information on predatory lending and homebuyer education programs,
click here. |
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Info On
Mortgage Downpayment Assistance Program |
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Mortgage Downpayment Assistance Program can help you have ownership in your
community, instead of renting. In many cases, owning a house is less
expensive than renting an apartment and you can be enjoying a healthy
investment. The Harris County Community Services Department's First-Time Homebuyer Program and
Downpayment
Assistance Program (DAP) and
The American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)
are downpayment assistance programs
with low interest rate loans and homebuyer information. |
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These programs
don't require perfect credit to participate. However, you do have to
qualify and meet eligibility requirements.
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The city and county each
have their own requirements, so read on and find out more. See if you
qualify. Remember the qualifications are based on where the property
is located. |
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City of Houston Downpayment
Assistance Program |
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Homebuyer Assistance Program under the City of Houston, or to talk with the staff,
call (713) 522-HOME. |
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Harris County Downpayment
Assistance Program |
The following guidelines will help determine if you qualify for the
Harris
County Downpayment Assistance
Program (DAP)
for a home in Harris County with a maximum sales price of $115,000.
Click here for the
DownPayment
Assistance Program - Plus map.
Adobe is needed to look at the DAP-Plus map. |
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For eligibility through Harris County, the
house that you want to purchase must be located in an unincorporated area of Harris County and cannot be located in the
City of Houston or Pasadena.
See our
service area map
and
ZIP codes. For cities not identified within the Harris
County map and zip codes have their own programs, so you may click on
their Web sites or go to their programs, such as those in the
City
of Houston
and Pasadena.
Each lending source might have houses
up to different values than those of Harris County, as well as other
homebuyer eligibility requirements. Therefore, understand the
requirements for the down payment assistance program at the property in
which you are interested. |
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To participate in the Harris County program, you must live in the new or pre-owned house
for
at least five years.
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You
must be a first-time homebuyer. In addition, see the chart below to
determine
if you are income qualified. Your tax returns from the last three
years
will be needed to verify this information. |
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Total
family gross income cannot exceed the following: |
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Number
of family members |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
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Maximum annual income* |
$34,150 |
$39,050 |
$43,900 |
$48,800 |
$52,700 |
$56,600 |
$60,500 |
$64,400 |
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* Your income is not totally determined from your
paycheck. It is also determined by use of your checking,
savings, investment, and retirement accounts at a rate of 2.5
percent, plus any other forms of income you might receive, such
as child support, reoccurring gifts, etc. |
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Buyer
must have at least $350 toward the purchase price to invest in the
house
- Buyer
cannot have more than $10,000 in liquid assets, such as stocks, cash
or bonds
- Buyer
must be credit and program approved through one of
these
mortgage companies
and Harris County to receive downpayment assistance.
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For
more information and opportunities, click on the links listed below: |
The
American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)
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To understand downpayment
assistance terms and definitions,
click here. |
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Veteran Services |
United States Department of
Veterans Affairs -
Houston Regional Office
(800)
827-1000
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Houston
Regional Office
6900 Almeda Road
Houston, TX 77030 |
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Note: The
Harris County target and service area map
is a PDF file. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view it.
To
download a free copy, click here. |
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For a
list of zip codes in the Harris County service area,
click here.
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Quick Check List for Harris County's Mortgage Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP) |
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$14,400
for new construction, $9,500 for resale properties, with a five (5)
year affordability period.
- $34,400
for new construction and $24,500 for resale properties for disabled
borrowers, with a five
(5) year affordability period.
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Property
Information |
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Maximum
sales price of $115,000
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Homebuyer |
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Must
be a first-time homebuyer, as verified on last three years income tax
returns
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Affordability
Period that you must stay in a new or pre-owned house for 5
years.
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- Buyer
must be credit and program approved, through one of the Harris County Community Services Department's (HCCSD) listed
mortgage
companies,
in order to
receive assistance
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- Buyer
must have at least $350 of the purchase price to invest
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- Buyer
cannot have more than $10,000 in liquid assets
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If
you meet these eligibility qualifications, you may be on your way to
homeownership! |
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For a listing of affordable
home builders in Harris County,
click here. |
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For
additional information from other organizations, click on the
links below: |
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(HUD)
- Information About Buying a Home |
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(TDHCA) - Homebuyer
Assistance |
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Are
you looking for homebuyer education programs? |
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For information on
homebuyer education counseling, credit counseling services, and
homebuyer education programs,
click here
for a list of HUD approved homebuyer education providers. Many of
these programs offer courses in Spanish and Vietnamese.
Houston Area Urban League (713) 393-8730
1301 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002 |
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For information on reverse
morgages: |
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Houston Area Urban League (713) 393-8730
1301 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002 |
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Homes for sale in Harris County and Texas |
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For a list of
properties for sale and for rent, go to
the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) Web site:
click here. Information on this Web site is in
English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Vietnamese,
Korean, Tagalog, and Spanish. |
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For a list of homes and other property,
for sale through government agencies
click
here. |
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Homes for Sale:
Real Estate
This is an
interactive link to help you find real estate to buy.
Click here to find houses that can meet your financial needs.
Enter your income and house needs to find homes available in your area of
interest. |
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For foreclosed
homes and property,
click
here. |
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The National
Low Income Housing Coalition
Click here
for
information about the mechanics and opportunities of the low income housing
market. |
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Welcome to the
Affordable Housing Design Advisor
This is link is helpful to homebuyers or a
homebuilders in understanding the options for successful design in
affordable housing.
Click here
to see how attractive affordable homes can be. |
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Consumer Information and
Alerts |
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Be an alert consumer, click here for
more information. |
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For a Consumer Defense
Kit,
click here |
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The Office
of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) can help you understand your
rights when buying a house or renting an apartment,
click
here. |
