Home Buying Help Offered in Tri-Cities
Around this time last year, home buyers and realtors were scrambling to find homes that qualified for the federal $8,000 First Time Homebuyer’s Credit. That program is over, but KEPR discovered you might not have lost out.
Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco all offer thousands of dollars to families that qualify and I found it's not just for low-income buyers.
They're also for families who maybe have a stay-at-home parent or meet other these income restrictions.
A family of four can’t earn a dollar more than $51,850 a year. For one person the cut-off is just over $36,000, about $42,000 for two people, and almost $47,000 for three.
Action News asked Carol Hughs with the City of Kennewick how this fit into the needs here in the Tri-Cities and the apartment shortage we've covered.
"Well with the 99 percent occupancy rate, I know people moving from in or out of the area were looking to buy a home," said Hughs Evans.
And to get the money, you don't have to stay in one part of town or even live in the city where you're applying.
Last year, Kennewick opened up the program to cover the whole city not just downtown.
"We were very, very busy that year."
A surge of applicants meant 43 families got up to $14,000 towards their new home for a total of half a million dollars.
Compare that to only $124,000 so far this year with a quarter of the year already gone.
Richland didn't see as much of a surge. Almost $150,000 divided among 24 families in 2009, more than $200,000 given out last year.
The money is out there. It's available, and they expect you'll start calling to apply.
“Anytime we talk about it in a public manner, like TV I bet my calls will increase tomorrow," said Hughs Evans.
We tried to get Pasco's numbers as well, but the person who runs the programs there is out this week.
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