Step One: Fill out and return a NHS Home Ownership Program Receipt of Information Form. NHS will then determine eligibility (fill out a request for a Receipt of Information Form).  See income limits.

Step Two: Get Pre-Qualified for a maximum loan amount from the primary lender of your choice (don't have a lender?   You can start on our links page).

Step Three: Contact NHS for Home Ownership Counseling.

Step Four: Contact the real estate professional of your choice and begin looking at homes in your price range. This process should take some time. Look at lots of houses.

Step Five: Find house.

Step Six: Verify current status of pre-approval from lender and program eligibility from NHS.

Step Seven: Contact the real estate lawyer of your choice prior to making an Offer to Purchase.

Step Eight: Make Offer to Purchase contingent upon financing and inspections

Step Nine: Give copy of accepted Offer to Purchase to NHS and primary lender.

Step Ten: Order Inspection and Lead-based Paint Risk Assessment—out –of— pocket cost to buyer approximately $250.00. (Don't know how to find an inspector?  Check out our links page)

Step Eleven: Give copy of inspection report and lead-based paint risk assessment to NHS.

Step Twelve: Rehab and Loan Approval.

• Make Appointment with NHS to determine if any lead-based paint, health or safety issues, or code violations need to be addressed. 
• All necessary repairs will require two bids from NHS approved contractors. 
• Once that is complete, the financing package is submitted to the NHS loan committee for review and final approval. 
• Primary lender will also need to re-assess financing package and will present it to their loan committee for review and final approval. 

Step Thirteen: Have Lender order appraisal. Once appraisal is finished, provide copy to NHS.  If 1st mortgage from primary lender, 2nd mortgage from NHS, and 3rd mortgage for repairs are less than or equal to the appraised value of the property, go to step fourteen.  If not, go to step twelve.

Step Fourteen: Set closing date.

Step Fifteen: Get homeowner’s insurance from company of your choice. Set it up to take effect on date of closing.  Be sure to get a binder for NHS.

Step Sixteen: Satisfy NHS that you have (or will at closing) spent at-least $500.00 - $1,000.00 out of pocket (applicable expenses include: home owner’s insurance premium, inspection fee, earnest money applied to the purchase, bank, administrative, or appraisal fee).

Step Seventeen: Attend Closing, sign papers.  Sign papers.  Sign papers.

Step Eighteen: Enjoy your home.

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