DPA Program Eligibility

Borrowers must meet all requirements listed below to qualify for the program. If you have additional eligibility questions, please reach out to us to discuss.

Eligibility

• Borrower must not currently own property or have not purchased a property in the past three years, consistent with the FHA definition of a first-time homebuyer.
• Borrowers will be underwritten to assure affordability of their mortgage payment and their HBCFE DPA loan.
• Program assistance is for the purchase of a primary residence only.
  
• Borrower must qualify for a conventional mortgage, and the mortgage lender must be willing to accept the terms of the Homes by CFE Down Payment Assistance loan. In order to process your preapplication, potential borrowers should have a pre-approval from a mortgage lender. 
• Borrower must be at or below 120% Median Family Income (MFI) as defined by the HUD Metropolitan Statistical Area. You can find the income charts for Washington DC, Prince Georges County and Charles County here.  The Baltimore City and County Guidelines may be found here.
• Borrower’s income must be below 100% AMI to qualify for the $10,000 additional purchase assistance. Purchase assistance availability is subject to underwriting guidelines and may be used to close any additional funding gap.
• Borrower may not have any charge offs or delinquencies in the previous six months and must have a solid repayment history.
• Borrower’s total debt to income ration including their monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 45% and should not exceed 50% in year 6.
• After the loan closes, the borrower may not have more than six months of cash reserves. Cash reserves are defined as mortgage payment plus taxes and insurance. (This does not include 401ks or other retirement accounts.)
• Borrower must identify as Black and/or Latinx. (Find out more about  Special Purpose Credit Programs.)
• Home purchase price must be under $625,000. This figure is reviewed annually.
  
• Borrower must complete the Homes by CFE homebuyer orientation before finalizing  program eligibility. 
• Property must be in the District of Columbia or Prince George’s County, Charles County or Baltimore City and County
• Borrower must participate in homeownership counseling and provide a certificate of completion to Homes by CFE prior to closing on your home purchase.