09/03/2026
A misunderstanding that quietly costs a lot of people thousands.
Most folks hear “first‑time homebuyer program” and automatically think it doesn’t apply to them because they owned a home at some point. So they never bother looking into it.
But here’s the part most people don’t realize:
In many programs, “first‑time buyer” doesn’t mean you’ve never owned a home.
It usually means you haven’t owned a primary residence in the last three years.
If you sold your home and have been renting since, you might still qualify.
A few things worth knowing about down‑payment assistance programs:
• They’re often a 0% interest, no‑payment, forgivable second mortgage after five years of living in the home.
• The amount you qualify for — and the income limits — depend on your county and household size.
• Many programs require a HUD‑approved homebuyer education course (about 8 hours, online).
• Funding isn’t unlimited. Once the yearly allocation is used, programs can pause.
If you’ve been assuming you don’t qualify, it’s worth actually checking instead of guessing.
I’m happy to answer questions here, or privately if you’d rather keep it off the public feed.
Yaser Almanama
Senior Mortgage Loan Officer
Nation One Mortgage Corporation
NMLS #2405989
P: 856-617-3519
E: [email protected]
