For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.
By G. Steven Bray
Freddie Mac recently joined Fannie Mae in offering a 3% down conventional loan program with no income limitations. Freddie calls its program HomeOne, and like Fannie’s program, it targets first-time homebuyers.
A lot of folks hear that, first-time homebuyers, and tune out, but you may be a first-time homebuyer and not realize it. Fannie and Freddie define a first-time homebuyer as someone who hasn’t owned real estate in the last 3 years. Freddie expands that definition to allow folks who owned a home with their ex-spouse to qualify.
If you’re buying a home with another person, only one of you has to be a first-time homebuyer. And if all of you are first-time homebuyers, one must complete a homebuyer education course prior to closing. The cost is minimal, and most folks complete the course online.
The programs are limited to single-family homes and condos and have a min credit score of 620. The 3% down payment may come from your own funds or from an acceptable gift source, such as a family member. It can’t come from the seller, but the seller can contribute up to 3% of the price towards your closing costs.
With this offering, Freddie and Fannie finally have comparable low down payment programs. The two have nuanced differences, so give me a call to see if one program is more appropriate for you than the other.
Next time, we’ll look at conventional low down payment options that specifically target low-to-moderate income folks.