It is a continuing vexation to me that some of the most important people in our communities can't afford to buy housing! I fret over this, but Long & Foster and their affiliated companies has now done something about it!

Health care workers, teachers, firefighters, police and armed forces personnel can now get some help with buying their own home! This new program uses Prosperity Mortgage to give great deals to these deserving servants. In addition to very attractive interest rates, these mortgage programs provide up to 100% financing, and allow the seller to help with up to 4% of closing costs. There is also a $500 credit at closing to help with anything left over. The program can be used to buy a first home or move up to a larger one. For those who have less than stellar credit, this program has help there as well. Most borrowers will qualify for this program!

There are a lot of other associated benefits and I'll be putting the details of the entire program on my web site http://www.JulieEmery.com later today. In the meantime, you can call me directly at 540-270-2742 or call Sal Rotante with Prosperity Mortgage at 703-303-0356 and tell him I sent you!  By the way, Sal is who we used for our mortgage when we bought our home and I can't recommend him highly enough!

If you know anyone working in these service industries, please pass this information along to them.  Too many people think it's simply impossible for them to ever own a home. But it's often not true and this program could make a difference for many of them!

VHDA (Virginia Housing Development Authority) is the state's home mortgage finance agency. It exists to help first time home buyers in the state of Virginia. Unfortunately, far too few homebuyers are aware of this agency and its programs. Not all lenders participate and if the lender you talk to isn't a part of the program you will probably never hear about it.

VHDA has programs that allow you to buy with no money down.  They have programs that allow you to purchase a home at a lower interest rate. There are a large number of programs available to meet a variety of needs.  But the bottom line is always their goal to make owning your own home more affordable for more Virginians.

There are income eligibility requirements and most of their programs are aimed at first time homebuyers.  There are also limits on the sales price of the home you can purchase.  Given the wide disparity of real estate markets in the state of Virginia, it's a good thing they've set those numbers based on region/area. The table below gives you the latest information on income and sales price limits.

If you think VHDA might have a program that would be beneficial for you, you can check out their web site at http://www.VHDA.com

Or, you can contact me Julie@JulieEmery.com and I'll put you in touch with a loan officer who works with VHDA. It makes sense to take advantage of every program available to you!