Your Steps To Homeownership

In order to be considered for the Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP), the following steps need to be followed in this order:

• First, obtain your First Time Homebuyers Education Certificate from one of the HUD approved providers. The Homebuyers Education Certificate must be obtained in person and not through an online course. For a list of approved education providers, click here.
  
  The First Time Homebuyers Education Certificate program is a federally mandated step, so that the first time homebuyer understands the full scope of buying a house, starting with the business process to the ongoing costs associated with staying in and maintaining a house.
• Second, click on the following link for a list of Harris County CSD participating mortgage lenders that have completed the special DAP program training. For you to be considered for the DAP program, the lender you select must be on this list.
• Third, decide which lenders you would like to meet with. Although all these participating mortgage lenders are on the Harris County CSD’s list, you must be a consumer who carefully selects the company that you feel most comfortable with. As part of interviewing companies, review their websites and ask them about their success rate in obtaining DAP funding.
• Fourth, ask the mortgage lenders to pre-approve you for a mortgage. You need to find out if you have the potential to qualify for a mortgage loan and DAP funding.
• Fifth, begin to coordinate the required information, which includes:
  1. two months of bank statements;
  2. two years of income tax returns;
  3. two months pay stubs and any other supportive income information, such as child support;
  4. birth certificates on everyone that will be residing in the home; and
  5. marriage certificates or divorce papers.
  6. Copies of Driver Licenses and Social Security Cards
  7. Buyer is required to have a final signed household budget from their approved Homeownership Education Provider.