February 28, 2014
There are many FHA home loan options available for qualified borrowers, but one question about the program common enough to warrant attention from the FHA official site itself is whether there is home buying assistance available for single parents looking to purchase a home with an FHA mortgage loan.
According to the FHA official site, help for single parents IS available, but one important thing to remember about such homebuyer assistance programs is that they are not administered by the FHA. According to FHA.gov, “There is help available. Start by becoming familiar with the homebuying process and pick a good real estate broker.”
The site points out that while single parents won’t have the advantage of two incomes when it’s time to financially qualify for an FHA mortgage, getting pre-qualified for an FHA loan can help you know what your borrowing power is.
So if the FHA says help is available, but the help for single parents who want to buy a home with an FHA loan does not come from the FHA/HUD directly, how can the FHA as an agency help a borrower who needs home buying assistance?
According to the FHA official site, “Contact one of the HUD-funded housing counseling agencies in your area to talk through other options for help that might be available to you. Research buying a HUD home, as they can be very good deals. Also, contact your local government to see if there are any local homebuying programs that could help you. Look in the blue pages of your phone directory for your local office of housing and community development or, if you can’t find it, contact your mayor’s office or your county executive’s office.”
Local home buying assistance programs may be able to help some borrowers get into a home loan or at least offer advice on resources, budgeting, and preparing for the loan. Contact the FHA directly for a referral to a HUD-approved housing counselor in your area for assistance.
Do you have questions about FHA home loans? Ask us in the comments section. You can apply or get pre-approved for an FHA loan at FHA.com, a private company and not a government website.
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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