Sweet Home Columbus Offers Up To $30,000 Toward Homeownership

When Vivian Nelson learned that Muscogee County is offering up to $30,000 to qualified first-time homebuyers for a down payment, she was excited.

“I think that’s great. Sometimes people need some help to keep them on the right path,” Nelson said.

Though she was excited, she knows that some others may not feel the same way.

“A lot of young people don’t realize the importance of homeownership. Some of them don’t want the responsibility of mowing the lawn or making repairs or paying for upkeep. They just want to pay the rent and not worry about any other expenses,” Nelson said, adding that government seems to have always done something to enable people to own homes.

The intent of Sweet Home Columbus, the down payment assistance program (DPA), is to make homeownership affordable for residents within the Muscogee County, Ga., area, according to the ColumbusGA.gov website.

Those interested in the program will need to attend an eight-hour Department of Housing and Urban Development approved Housing Counseling Seminar and obtain a certificate of completion.

Counseling should be completed within 12 months prior to purchase.

“After completing the Housing Counseling Seminar, you would contact one of the certified mortgage lenders below to be pre-approved for a mortgage loan,” the website said. “The lending institution will then begin the process of your loan being approved for the DPA Program. Only fixed rate loans are approved.”

Certified Lending Institutions include:

Advocate Home Loans, 3100 Gentian Blvd. #14B, Columbus, Ga. 31907; Phone (706) 223-0555

CMG Mortgage Inc., 1200 Brookstone Centre Pkwy, Suite 105, Columbus, Ga. 31904; Phone (706) 523-1983

Kinetic Credit Union, 1251 13th St., Columbus, Ga 31901; Phone (706) 320-8585

Down-payment assistance is provided in the form of a zero-percent deferred loan of 5 percent of the sales price up to $30,000 which includes $1,000 for pre-paid fees (taxes and insurance). The entire amount must go toward the down-payment of the home.

The purchaser is not allowed to receive any portion of the funds as cash back at closing. The seller or purchaser is responsible for the closing cost of the loan; and the property must be owner-occupied and the principal residence for the purchaser for a period of five to 10 years depending amount of assistance.

Maximum Income Limits (80 percent of the median family income) in effect until June 30, 2025.

For more information, call the Community Reinvestment Department at (706) 225-4613.