Homeownership

qualifications

Need for Housing
  • You are a first-time home-buyer or have not owned a home in the past 3 years.
  • You and all members of your household are U.S. citizens or legal residents of the United States.
  • Your present housing situation is overcrowded, unsafe inside and/or outside, in substandard conditions or lacks inoperable plumbing and heating.
  • Your family lives in subsidized housing.
  • You are unable to secure adequate housing through the private market.
  • Your residence is not accessible to all household members.
  • Your family is currently living with friends or relatives.
Willingness to Partner
  • You will contribute “sweat equity hours” and attend all required classes.
  • You will live where Habitat is building.
  • You understand that you may be offered a building lot OR a renovated house.
  • You plan to stay in the house and become a part of the neighborhood and understand that there are certain resale restrictions.
Ability to Pay
  • Your total household income falls between 30%-60% of HUD Area Median Income.
  • You and/or your co-applicant have a stable combined income of at least $1400 monthly.
  • You have paid rent on time for at least the past 12 months.
  • You have not had a foreclosure or bankruptcy discharged in the past 2 years.
  • You will clear any old debts (judgments, liens and collections) and maintain a low debt level.

The family is committed to maintaining a savings account for emergencies.
Note: Habitat staff can help you make a plan to play off old debts and offers one-to-one or group money management classes.

getting started

Applications may be started at any time.

Download an Application

see application process

Application Steps

  1. 1 Learn About Us
  2. 2 Who is Considered?
  3. 3 Start the Process
  4. 4 Next Steps
  5. 5 Application Decision

Step 01

Learn About Us

Habitat is different from other housing programs.  We partner with qualified families who join us in our goal of renewing neighborhoods as well as improving their own lives.  Habitat builds and renovates houses and sells them at no profit with affordable mortgages over a 20-30 year term.  House size is determined by family make-up, with no more than two persons sharing a room.  Monthly payments, which include taxes and insurance, are based on the family’s income and the cost to build the house.

Step 02

Who is Considered?

Habitat considers the need for housing, ability to make mortgage payments and willingness to partner.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for homeownership without regard to age, color, religion, sex, familial make up, disability, national origin or any other protected status.  Special accommodations are available upon request. Application information will be kept confidential.

Step 03

Start the Process

To learn more about the Habitat Homebuyer Program, to request an application, or to make an appointment for assistance on your application, call Family Services Director, Joyce Williams at 540-344-0747.  You will need to bring copies of all required documentation (CLICK FOR LIST).

Step 04

Next Steps

Once your application and required documentation has been received, Habitat will conduct credit, rental history, background and employment checks and make one or more home visits to establish your need for housing.  This will complete your application.

Step 05

Application Decision

The Habitat Board of Directors will approve or deny your application within 30 days of completion, based on the 3 criteria of Need, Ability to Pay and Willingness to Partner.

Questions

The application process takes roughly 6-8 months. The sweat equity requirement takes 12-18 months. It generally takes about 1.5 to 2 years to complete the entire process, from the date of the application to the house closing.

If applicants do not meet Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley’s criteria for homeownership, and are not selected into the program, they will receive a letter with a description of the reason and a list of HUD approved Financial Counselors or a referral to another qualified organization.

There is no limit to how many times an individual can apply for a Habitat home, so we encourage applicants who do not make it the first or second time to reapply!

Absolutely. For questions or concerns regarding the application process, please call Joyce Williams at 540-344-0747.

Construction of a Habitat house typically takes about 4-6 months, depending on the weather and the number of volunteers available to build. Regular work days are Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and you, along with other future homebuyers, will be required to contribute at least 20 hours of sweat equity per month. Don’t worry if you have never worked on a construction site before—the Habitat staff and other experienced volunteers will teach you what you need to know!

When construction is complete, you and Habitat will hold a Dedication Ceremony to celebrate your hard work and the contribution of sponsors, volunteers and other Habitat families who have worked with you to make your dream a reality. This will be a time of great celebration for you, the new homeowner, and a source of encouragement for other families who are working and waiting to purchase their new home.

Current mortgage payments range from $350.00-$565.00 monthly, depending on household income and the cost of construction.  As each family’s income and household size will differ from other home buyers, so will their monthly payments differ, even for the same size house. Mortgage payments include an escrow for real estate taxes and hazard insurance.

Your monthly mortgage payments help to fund new construction and home renovation for future families.