First Time Home Buyer | Guide | What You Need to Know About Tax Credits, Grants, and Loans

Overview: What You Need to Know About Tax Credits, Grants, and Loans for Your First Home

Purchasing a home for the first time is an exciting opportunity. It can also be very confusing and requires people who may have no experience with real estate or mortgages to make many decisions very quickly.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed or ill-prepared. Many people have questions about:

Good first-time home buyer loans
First-time home buyer tax credits and deductions
The best grants for first-time home owners
How find the best down payment options

It can be useful to find a good first-time home buyers program to help you prepare for your down payment. These programs can come in the form of private or government grants for down payment assistance, or loans specifically tailored to suit the needs of first-time home buyers.

Even some tax deductions are specifically beneficial for first-time homeowners. The best way to find the most helpful grants and loans is to educate yourself on your unique needs as a first-time home buyer.

First–Time Home Buyer Loans

Buying a home is expensive. Most people, particularly first-time home buyers, simply do not have enough money in their bank accounts to cover the full cost of a home. This should not be a problem; in fact, the entire mortgage industry is set up to accommodate the need for home loans.

Not all mortgages are equal. Different kinds of mortgages are designed to be beneficial in different situations. First-time home buyers have unique needs, which means that particular loans will be better than others. There are a few things to look for in the best first-time home buyer loans:

Low interest rates
Low down payment requirements
Mortgage insurance
Guaranteed loans

Buying your first home can be especially difficult because most first-time home buyers have no experience in the industry and have little or no equity to bring to the table. Once a person has been paying into a mortgage for a few years, they will build enough equity to help them with the down payment on their next home.

Because buying your first home means that you probably do not have any equity, it can be difficult to cover the first-time home buyer down payment. Most first-time home buyers need to be a little creative to find ways to cover a down payment.

Generally, a larger down payment will result in lower interest rates. This is because when a larger percentage of the home value is covered by the down payment, the risk of loss for the lender is much lower. First home buyers must find a way to balance the need for low interest rates and lower down payment options. Good first-time home buyer loans will help to strike this balance.

Some of the best first-time home buyer loans are guaranteed loans. These are loans that are backed by the U.S. government so that if borrowers default, a percentage of the loan will be paid back to the lender by the government. This allows lenders to accept lower first-time home buyer down payments and offer lower interest rates at the same time.

One thing to keep in mind is that these loans are often required to carry mortgage insurance, which will add to the monthly payment.

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First–Time Home Buyer Loans with the FHA

Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administraton, or FHA, are great first-time home buyer loan options. These loans are backed by the FHA, which means that lenders can offer attractive interest rates and low down payment requirements as low as 3.5%. This is very beneficial to first-time home buyers because it require less cash out of pocket and makes a down payment much easier to gather together.

First-time home buyer down payment requirements can be affected by your credit score, among other things. Usually, the higher a first home buyer’s credit score is, the lower their down payment options will be. FHA first-time home buyer loans are more flexible with their credit score requirements.

To qualify for a 3.5% down payment, first home buyers will be required to have a credit score of at least 580. FHA loans also offer low credit options. While first home buyers with score lower than 500 do not always qualify, exceptions can be made under special circumstances.

First-time home buyer loans backed by the FHA are required to carry mortgage insurance for the entire life of the mortgage. This will add to the loan’s monthly payments. This is still a good option for first-time home buyers, particularly if they are buying a starter home and do not intend to own the property for the entire length of the mortgage.

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USDA First–Time Home Buyer Loans

Another great option for first-time home buyer loans are USDA loans. USDA loans are backed by the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA loans are a great option because they are guaranteed and can offer first-time home buyer down payment options and low interest rates. They are particularly attractive because qualified borrowers can finance up to 100% of their property value and may be eligible to put no money down for the loan.

Source: USDA

However, there are a few special qualification restrictions that go along with USDA mortgages. These loans were designed to help lower the cost of homeownership in rural areas. For a first home mortgage, this is a little less flexible because they are only available for properties located in designated rural areas. This does not necessarily mean that rural homes are difficult to find; in fact, 97% of the United States qualifies as a rural area.

Buying a home with a USDA mortgage means that you will be required to occupy the property as your primary residence. Also, the property cannot have features that could generate income, which means that working farms are disqualified. USDA loans also have income restrictions that vary from county to county. If you are interested in buying a home in a rural area, contact the USDA office for that state for more details.

First–Time Home Buyer Grants

Housing grants are sums of money offered by the U.S. government at the federal, state, and local levels to cover housing costs. Many are designed to help qualifying individuals achieve their dream of being first-time home buyers. Some grants help with first-time home buyer down payments, some are designed to reduce the cost of the houses themselves, and all are meant to help make homeownership possible.

There are many different kinds of first-time home buyer grants and each will have its own purposes and restrictions. No first home buyer grant is allowed to cover the total cost of a home; some may cover more than others, but there will always be some cost to the prospective owners.

Furthermore, the federal government does not give any grant money directly to first-time home buyers. Funds for federal first-time home buyer grants are distributed to state governments. It is up to the states to distribute the funds either to local governments or directly to individuals.

It is important to keep in mind that a first home buyers grant may not be approved for individuals unless they have already qualified for a mortgage. This is because grant money can only be used toward a mortgage and not to buy a home outright. Because of this, first-time home buyers programs offered by the federal government require that prospective buyers attend finance classes before they can be approved. The classes must be approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and teach borrowers how to organize their finances and qualify for a mortgage.

There is a huge variety of housing grants available in the U.S. They are each designed a little differently and intended to do different things. The key is finding the grant that will work best with your situation. A good resource to use to learn about grants is the Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, website.

Because housing grants are distributed on a local and state level, availability of grant funds and qualification requirements will change depending on where you are purchasing your home. Some first-time home buyer grants will also have more or less stringent qualification requirements. Just like first home mortgages, it is important to find the first home buyers grant that works best for your situation.

Examples of First–Time Home Buyer Grants

Because first-time home buyer grants are only given on the local or state level, it is important to reach out to your local HUD office to learn what kind of first-time home buyer programs are available in your area. However, there are a few examples of what first-time home buyer grants tend to look like.

The Washington D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development offers housing grants for low-to-moderate income individuals who are first-time home buyers in the D.C. area. This first-time home buyer grant is available to people who live in the area or who are employed by the district government. It is divided into a few different first-time home buyer programs:

Home Purchase Assistance Program
Employer Assisted Housing Program
Negotiated Employee Assistance Home Purchase Program

Another option for those seeking first-time home buyers programs is the HOME investment partnerships program. This is the largest federal grant available to state and local governments. It was designed to help low-income families find affordable housing. This program disperses around $2 billion throughout the states each year. Qualifications and availability will vary depending on your location, so check with your local housing office for detailed information.

The Good Neighbor Next Door Program is a great option for people looking for first-time home buyer grants. This is a housing grant designed to attract professionals in certain fields to purchase homes, whether they are first-time home buyers or not. This is a great first-time home buyer grant because, for qualified individuals, the grant will cover up to 50% of the listed price of their new home. A discount of that nature would drastically reduce down payment requirements and interest rates.

There are, of course, some restrictions with this first-time home buyer grant. To qualify, homes must be located in revitalization areas. Purchasers can only qualify if they are employed as law enforcement officers, pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade teachers, firefighters, or emergency medical technicians. Whether or not you are buying your first home, to qualify for this grant, purchasers are required to commit to living in their new home for at least three years. A list of qualified homes in your state can be found at the HUD website.

First–Time Home Buyer Tax Credits and Deductions

First-time home buyers may be surprised at how quickly expenses can stack up. Houses can be wildly expensive and, on top of that, finding your first home mortgage is costly. Thankfully, tax season tends to smile on first-time home buyers. This happens in the form of first-time home buyer tax credits and deductions.

It is important to keep in mind that taxes are going to work out differently for everyone. It is crucial to carefully consider your finances and make sure that you are taking the correct first-time home buyer tax credits and deductions in order to avoid any issues or audits. Some first-time home buyer tax credits and deductions are fairly straight forward, like credits for home improvements, deductions for mortgage interest, and property tax deductions.

Image Source: Pexels

First-time home buyer tax credits are a little different than deductions. Tax deductions allow you to subtract a percentage of money from your taxable income in proportion with your income bracket. First-time home buyer tax credits, on the other hand, are a flat dollar reduction in your taxable income.

Common First–Time Home Buyer Tax Credits and Deductions

The biggest and most common tax break associated with a new home is the mortgage interest deduction. It covers the interest paid on up to $1 million worth of loans. Because new loans are more interest heavy, this deduction is particularly beneficial for young home loans. There is something a little special for first-time home buyers. This deduction requires an itemized tax return, which most people do not use until they purchase their first homes.

There are tax credits available for efforts to make your home more energy efficient. The cost of installing energy efficient windows, insulation, and heating and air conditioning systems can all be used for up to $500 in tax credits. Home improvement is usually on the mind of new homeowners, and since older, less energy efficient homes are more affordable and attractive to first-time home buyers, this might be a good first-time home buyer tax credit to use.

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Conclusion: Seek Out Good Programs

It can be easy to get bogged down in the toil that comes with buying your first home. But keep in mind that there are many institutions on your side and that a good first-time home buyer program can make a huge difference in the whole process.

Armed with the best information, you can make good choices and find the options that work best for you. Look back at some of our bigger points:

Look for good first-time home buyer tax credits.
Find the best loans for first-time homeowners.
Remember that a good grant could make a world of difference.
Keep in mind that the needs of a first-time home buyer are unique.

When people purchase homes in a responsible, well thought out manner, it is good for the economy. Government institutions are aware of this. They are aware that the right amount of help can make a huge difference in the lives of individuals. When in doubt, your local HUD office, realtor, or mortgage professional will be able to point you in the right direction.

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