Your Steps To Home Ownership

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.  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 buyer 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 approved 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 mortgage lenders are on the Harris County CSD approved 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. six months of bank statements; 
     
  2. three years of income tax returns;
     
  3. three 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. 

Depending on your situation there could be other information you will need to supply to Harris County, but that will be determined before or during your interview with a Harris County DAP loan underwriter.

• Finally, start looking for a house with a sales price of no more than $115,000.

Remember, Harris County Downpayment Assistance Program, look for a home within Harris County's service area.  Check our county ZIP code map and our list of ZIP codes to make sure that your dream house is in Harris County.  For affordable builders and properties in Harris County, go to the Housing Resource Center's Web site and on the left sidebar, click on Affordable Homes, and then click on Builders.

As soon as all your materials are together, and Harris County has received your loan application from the mortgage lender, lending services representative will call you for an interview. 
   
For a map of the Downpayment Assistance target areas, click here.

 
For more information, email a Harris County DAP representative.

DAP Brochure