My visit with Alachua County Department of Growth Management...

Today, I was on a mission. A mission to find my future homeowners some real answers. Answers to questions they didn't know they had. Questions like,"What funding is out there for me?" or "What makes me qualified to buy a home?" or "Can I use these opportunities together to make a larger down payment?"

Before you count yourself out, there is one question that you have already answered in your mind, not realizing what is available out there.

Q: Can I afford a home??? What funding is available for me?

A: Of course you can!! Your income does not need to be six figures to buy a house. It doesn't even need to be $50,00 a year. There are at least two programs that can help you. Alachua County SHIP (State Housing Initiative Program) 

How do I know? Let me tell you what Alachua county is doing for their residents. See below...

I know you are saying,"Genile, I have no idea what that means." No worries, I have an explanation for you. In essence, if you are a single person and earns up to $32,700 per year, you qualify for first time home buyer assistance! If you are two people and earn up to $37,350 per year,  you qualify for first time home buyer assistance! If you are a family of four, and the total income of the house is $46, 650, you qualify for first time home buyer assistance! People, that means that Alachua county will give you up to $7,000 towards your down payment, closing costs, and repairs(if needed). That is some really good news....

Q: How do I get this money?? 
A: There are a few steps that you must follow...

1. Register for the next Home Buyer Education Course, call NHDC (Neighborhood Housing Development Council) at 352-380-9119 . Tell them Genile Morris from Bosshardt Realty sent you. The next class is Sept. 28th. The cost is $55 for couples, and $50 for individuals. Don't worry, there will be a refund when you buy your house within one year of the class. 
2. Get pre-approved with a SHIP certified lender...guess what? I know one! She is awesome. Her name is Becky Bessinger. She can be reached at 352-240-2694 . Give her a call! She will let you know how much house you can afford, or if you need to do a few things before you can buy ( I will have some information on that later on...). 
3. Call me, 352-339-8492 (or a realtor of your preference), and let me(or your realtor) know what side of town you want to live on. In addition, you want to tell me(or your realtor) what is really a must have (deal breakers) and what you really want (a desire, but not a deal breaker). 
4. Once we find a house, we will submit an offer(a contract stating hte amount you are willing to pay)...and, with a few more activities after the offer and acceptance by the seller (agreement to your offer), YOU CLOSE!! Close? Yes, that means you have purchased your home! 
5. Move in, and invite me over for dinner! (You don't need to do that, it was a joke, but I would like to come to your house warming, I may just bring a gift...)

There are some other types of funding available too! Can you believe it? Well, you should! I won't overwhelm you with that now...but get started. You do not want to miss out on this awesome opportunity.

Ok! Ok! Stop pulling my arm! I will give you the other one.

Q: What are the other types of funding available? 
A: Florida Bond Program: This amount is up to $10,000 ( I called one  of the lenders, and she explained the increase)

Q: How do I qualify for that??
A: The income limits are a bit different. You cannot earn more than $66, 720 for one to two person household. If you are a house of three to four,  the income cannot be more than $77, 840. The exception is you must have a credit score of 640...You cannot have owned a home within the last 3 years. If you are a purchasing in a targeted area, you do not need to be a first time home buyer. For more information, you can call 800-388-1970 or 850-432-7077. Don't worry about the area code, they serve several counties in the state.

Q: Can I combine these for one sizeable down payment? 
A: Yes! How awesome is that!?!? You must qualify for both programs though...do you realize that you can qualify for up to $17,000 with these government programs...that is pretty nice.

Now, It's GO TIME!! Go for it! You can do it! Call me if you need some assistance or some more information. I am here to help! If you want to call the Alachua County Growth Management Housing program yourself, the phone number is 352-337-6283.

Have an awesome day!!!
Genile Morris, Realtor
Bosshardt Realty Services LLC