How much is the mortgage on a habitat for humanity house

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Does the Habitat homeowner own the house?

Yes, partner families who have completed all requisite requirements purchase the house from Habitat through an affordable loan. The average monthly payment is $550, including property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Homeownership provides each Habitat family the opportunity to build equity in their home. The revenue from mortgages paid by Habitat homeowners is placed in a revolving fund that supports the construction of more homes.

How does Habitat qualify its partner families?

These are the criteria for qualification:

• Be living and/or working in Greenville County for at least one year
• Applicants must meet minimum & maximum income requirements (minimum- 30%; maximum- 60% of the area’s median income for your family size). Habitat counts the gross monthly income of the applicant & co-applicant(s) when determining if the monthly income meets the minimum qualifications. If so Habitat examines the income for all members of the household to determine if the total household income exceeds the maximum income qualifications for the Homeownership Program.
• Be employed a minimum of 1 year on your current job or have 2 years of verifiable income
• Have a definite housing need—either living in unsafe, substandard housing or paying excessive rent in relation to income.
• Complete an educational program provided at no cost by Habitat to prepare applicants for homeownership. This includes 25 hours of classes in personal finance, budgeting, credit, mortgages, home maintenance and repair, conflict resolution, being a good neighbor and others. Classes are offered in the evening and certain classes are available online.
• Be willing to complete a minimum of 200 hours of volunteer service to Habitat, known as “sweat equity.” This includes work on the prospective homeowner's home, other Habitat homes and possibly, volunteering with other nonprofit organizations.

Ability to Pay: Have sufficient income available to be able to enter into an agreement with Habitat to pay the monthly mortgage.

Who pays for the cost of building Habitat homes?

Habitat’s financial partners fund construction of the homes. A business, church or other organization may fund an entire house and supply all the volunteer support, or, several groups may work together to fund and build a home. Volunteers provide much of the construction labor with contractors being brought in for aspects such as grading, foundation work, electrical, drywall, plumbing, cabinetry and HVAC.

How do volunteers participate in home builds?

Aspects of construction such as framing, siding, roofing, interior trim, painting, hardware installation and landscaping are completed by volunteers under the supervision of Habitat’s site superintendent (a member of the Habitat construction department staff). Members of our Quality Assurance Team (QATs) and task leaders (who are trained by Habitat) provide invaluable volunteer leadership on the build site.

Qualifications for Homeownership

We select eligible homeowners based on three qualifications.

1. Qualifying Need

You must have a "qualifying" need. Your living situation may be inadequate due to Safety Concerns, Poor Maintenance by Landlord, Overcrowding, Lack of Disability Access, Excessive Rent Payment (more than 30% of your gross income), or other circumstances.

2. Ability to Pay

You must demonstrate your ability to afford a repayment plan. Your income must be within 30% - 60% of the Average Median Income (AMI) for Miami or Shelby Counties. Your income must be steady, reliable, and documented. Your collection debts normally cannot be more than 43% of your income. You cannot have any outstanding liens or judgments. Collection debts cannot be more than $5,000.

3. Willingness to Partner

Complete 400 sweat equity hours which includes attendance at required education meetings, financial management courses and participating in the home building process. You must accept a home location where we are building or rehabbing. You must be a positive ambassador for Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties, OH.

These are the 7 steps to becoming a Habitat homeowner. Please read below to get started on your journey towards homeownership! Steps are subject to change.

1

Complete a Homeowners Application form. Submit the completed application to the HFHMSCO’s office @ 150 E. Race St. Troy, OH 45373.

2

Our Family Selection Committee and Staff will then review your complete application and documents. If you do not meet our requirements at this time, we mail out a letter of notification.

3

If your complete application and documents meet our initial requirements, we will conduct a home visit to determine your approval for our traditional homeownership program.

4

Once approved you will receive a letter of notification and be asked to sign a Partnership Agreement.

5

You are then eligible to start earning sweat equity hours. Each family is required to contribute at least 400 hours of sweat equity, which consists of education, community service, and building your home. Education classes are held and cover topics such as finance, home maintenance, and interior design.

6

Your journey towards homeownership could be just a few months or up to two years depending on a range of factors. You will be asked to pay a minimum of $300 upon signing at the mortgage closing. This to cover closing costs and your first year of homeowner insurance.

7

Make your house a home! After moving into your home, your monthly mortgage payments will begin. Our average homeowner pays $450 monthly for a 20 year interest free mortgage.

If you are interested in entering the homeownership Program here at Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties, you can call or email Miranda Sharp at - 937.332.3763 Ext.2

A Means to Self-Sufficiency

Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties, OH is ministry faith-based organization that provides low-income individuals and families the life-changing opportunity to purchase and own simple, quality, affordable homes. HFHMSCO offers an opportunity for self-sufficiency, by providing a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a long-term investment for your future.

Habitat homes are affordable thanks to volunteer labor and community support. Selected Habitat homeowners pay a modest down payment, invest up to 400 hours of "Sweat Equity" in the construction of their home and are responsible for monthly mortgage payments and upkeep.

In addition, HFHMSCO prepares Habitat Homeowners to be successful through a comprehensive homeownership education program. Habitat Homeowners must meet our qualifications. If you are interested in becoming a homeowner, please see our How to Qualify section for more information on our qualifications.

Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties, OH provides equal housing opportunities for all, and ensures fair and equal access to its programs and services regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, familial status, disability, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, source of income, or other characteristics protected by law.

The Homeowner's Perspective

Watch the three-part video series on building a habitat home from the perspective of the homeowner in Jackson Center, Ohio.

Homeownership FAQ's

No, but if you meet the criteria and are accepted into the Homeownership Program, you will purchase a home with a 0% interest mortgage. The length of the mortgage can vary from 15-30 years depending on the house price and your family income. Depending on the home selected, monthly payments (including taxes and insurance) are normally between $450 to $600.

All our homes are simple, decent and affordable homes for you and your family. Most homes are built new as 3, 4, or 5 bedrooms depending on your family size. Others may be renovated / recycled to current local code. If needed, homes can be built or renovated (when possible) to ADA standards.

All homes (new, renovated or recycled) are in Miami or Shelby Counties.

The application process can take up to a few months (partly dependent on you) and then, if approved for the program, it takes least 12-18 months to purchase a home. The completion of your home will depend on the overall construction schedule and other variables including funding sources, building requirements, and whether it is a new build or rehab of an existing home.

Yes. Once the application is filled out the Family Services Committee will review your ability to pay, and pull credit, criminal and sex offender checks as part of the vetting process.

Once approved for the program, each future homeowner will be required to completed 400 sweat equity hours (volunteer hours) prior to closing on their house. As part of Sweat Equity, future homeowners attend required monthly education meetings and communicate twice a month with a Support Partner who is a volunteer who helps each future homeowner through the program.

We also ask future homeowners to demonstrate a Willingness to Partner. This includes advocating for Habitat for Humanity and decent housing, fulfilling requirements, and communicating any changes in your life (job, family, health) to us in a timely way.

Sweat Equity is the way that you partner with us and work alongside team members and volunteers. Each future homeowner must complete 400 volunteer sweat equity hours. Friends and family may help work some of these hours.

Sweat Equity is completed primarily through:

• Volunteer hours on construction sites, especially on your future home
• Volunteer hours in the office and at the ReStore
• Required educational classes that provide information about the responsibilities of homeownership, home maintenance, and mortgage documents
• Required financial management class
• Attendance at Home Blessings and Home Dedications for your home as well as for other Future Homeowners

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