inception-app-prod/MTkzNzI5ZmQtM2E4MC00YzBiLTgyMjYtMjVmZDFmM2Y3OGUy/content/2020/09/century21centeredblack.png
The Key to Buying and Selling Your Home
  • Home
  • About
  • Home Worth
  • Tuesday Two-Minute Tip! Videos
    • Don’t Replace Me With The Internet!
    • How A Real Estate Agent Can Represent You
    • How To Find A Listing Agent
    • Cash Needed for Closing
    • Be Interested in Interest Rates!
  • Seller
    • Working with an SRES
    • Seller Agent’s Role
    • How To Find A Listing Agent
    • #1 Thing Sellers Need To Do To Get Ready To Sell
    • Marketing Your Home When It’s For Sale
  • Video Blog
  • $230,000 -$330,000
Dawn Patrick
(717) 940-8626
Sign In
Sign Up
inception-app-prod/MTkzNzI5ZmQtM2E4MC00YzBiLTgyMjYtMjVmZDFmM2Y3OGUy/content/2020/09/century21centeredblack.png
The Key to Buying and Selling Your Home
  • Home
  • About
  • Home Worth
  • Tuesday Two-Minute Tip! Videos
    • Don’t Replace Me With The Internet!
    • How A Real Estate Agent Can Represent You
    • How To Find A Listing Agent
    • Cash Needed for Closing
    • Be Interested in Interest Rates!
  • Seller
    • Working with an SRES
    • Seller Agent’s Role
    • How To Find A Listing Agent
    • #1 Thing Sellers Need To Do To Get Ready To Sell
    • Marketing Your Home When It’s For Sale
  • Video Blog
  • $230,000 -$330,000
inception-app-prod/MTkzNzI5ZmQtM2E4MC00YzBiLTgyMjYtMjVmZDFmM2Y3OGUy/content/2020/09/century21centeredblack.png
The Key to Buying and Selling Your Home
inception-app-prod/M2FkZTNlOTAtNWIwNy00M2EwLWI0OWEtZjAzNGIwNTg4NjY3/content/2017/10/How to Find Down Payment Assistance Programs.jpeg

How to Find Down Payment Assistance Programs

inception-app-prod/MTkzNzI5ZmQtM2E4MC00YzBiLTgyMjYtMjVmZDFmM2Y3OGUy/content/2021/01/headshotdec2020.jpg
Dawn Patrick,12/6/2018
You just found your dream home in Lancaster County, PA, and it's within your budget! One thing has you scratching your head though, how are you going to come up with the 20% down payment? You're worried that if you can’t find the money for the deposit, you'll lose your chance to buy your perfect house. 

Don't worry just yet. Many Lancaster County, PA homebuyers are surprised to learn that there are a variety of down payment programs available to them—there are more than 2,200 down payment programs in the US that might be able to help. 

A lot of home shoppers don't even consider applying for any kind of down payment assistance. People might automatically assume they're not going to qualify, or it's just too much work, and not even worth the hassle. This isn't always the case! Lenders want to get more people into homes, and these kinds of programs can help, as long as you meet eligibility requirements. 

Here are some tips to help you find a down payment assistance program that's right for you:

1) Search for government programs 
Depending on your state, county, or community, you might have down payment assistance available to you from one of many government entities. Check with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veteran’s Affairs (VA). Both of these bodies have home loan programs for individuals, and some have a down payment component. You can also find assistance options by consulting with your state on the Department of Housing or Urban Development websites.

2) Search for Local Neighborhood Stabilization Programs
Congress established the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to help rebuild and sustain Lancaster County, PA areas with high rates of abandoned homes and foreclosures. If you need down payment help, searching for a home in an area that’s a part of an NSP might be a great place to start. 

Also, don't cross high priced home markets off your list just yet. Programs will usually adjust specific benefits and eligibility requirements based on a percentage range of the area’s home prices and median income.

3) Special programs for certain buyers
Depending on the Lancaster County, PA community, you may qualify for down payment assistance if you're an educator, healthcare worker, firefighter, police officer, or another type of civic employee. If you're a first-time homebuyer or haven't owned a home in more than three years (re-qualifying you as a first-time buyer), you could also qualify for down payment help.

4) Search online and ask around
Search websites such as Down Payment Resource, which calculates what kind of assistance you might be eligible for receiving based on your community, occupation, and income. You can also search for programs that provide loans, grants, or tax credits, or others that can help you come up with your down payment faster, cover closing costs, and help move you into your perfect home sooner than you would on your own.

Also check out your local Lancaster County, PA housing authorities, lenders, not-for-profit organizations, and even your employer. You might be surprised with what kinds of special assistance you uncover. Even as you're searching home listings online, some listing services display a special badge on listings that could qualify for down payment assistance.



If your search for down payment assistance is turning up empty, get in touch! Because programs change frequently, realtors are usually up to date on these topics. 
Print Details
Previous post
Next post
Don't Replace Me With The Internet!
The Importance of Chimney Inspections/Cleanings
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS
SRES
SRS

Footer Menu

Century 21 Home Advisors
219 Granite Run Dr.Lancaster
PA 17601
(717)208-7918 ext 116
717-940-8626
dawn.patrick@c21homeadvisors.com

Find the perfect home

  • Home
  • About
  • Reviews
  • Jen B.
  • Joanna E.
  • Kaitlin
  • Caitlin
  • Home Worth
  • Tuesday Two-Minute Tip! Videos
  • Don’t Replace Me With The Internet!
  • How A Real Estate Agent Can Represent You
  • How To Find A Listing Agent
  • Cash Needed for Closing
  • Be Interested in Interest Rates!
  • Seller
  • Working with an SRES
  • Seller Agent’s Role
  • How To Find A Listing Agent
  • #1 Thing Sellers Need To Do To Get Ready To Sell
  • Marketing Your Home When It’s For Sale
  • Video Blog
  • $230,000 -$330,000

Consumer Protection & Privacy

  • Accessibility
  • DMCA Compliance
For ADA assistance, please email compliance@placester.com. If you experience difficulty in accessing any part of this website, email us.
inception-app-prod/MTkzNzI5ZmQtM2E4MC00YzBiLTgyMjYtMjVmZDFmM2Y3OGUy/logo/2018/02/Dawn Logo.png

© 2021 All rights reserved

Created with Placester

Sign in

Sign in with your email address

Sign In
Forgot your password?
Create an account
You have been successfully logged in
The page will reload automatically.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Login or password are incorrect. Please try again.
Try again

Sign Up

Sign Up
Already a User? Sign In
You have been successfully registered
Please check your email.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Please try again.
Try again

Reset password

Enter your email address

Reset password
Return to Log In
Reset password email has been sent.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Please try again.
Try again

Change password

Change password
Your password has been successfully reseted.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Please try again.
Try again

Fill out the info if you would like me to contact you, if not, just hit the "X" in the upper right corner!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/e0MH3Ayz8Dk
Send
Success! Your message was sent!
Back to homepage
Oops! Error occurred.
Please try again.
Back to form
Already a User? Sign In

Account verification in progress

Please wait...

Account Verified!

You may now log in into your account
Go to the homepage

Error

Please try again.
Go to the homepage

Share this listing

Copy Link