Home Ownership

The WI HOME program assists homebuyers by connecting them with a mortgage company and providing a down-payment loan to lower the monthly payments. The down-payment loan is available to families who qualify for a mortgage and purchase a home in West Indianapolis. (Area bounded by two blocks south of Washington Street – RR tracks- on the north, White River on the east, Raymond Street on the south, and Holt Road on the West.)

WIDC works with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Partnership “INHP” to qualify persons to obtain a mortgage loan to buy a home. The WIDC and INHP staffs will work with applicants through the entire home purchase process. INHP will also provide Homeownership training classes to help you better understanding the home buying process.

If you qualify for a mortgage, WIDC will provide a down-payment loan to reduce the amount of your monthly payments. You do not make payments on this loan and it does not have to be repaid until you sell your home. Income limits do apply to this loan.

There are three steps to the WI HOME program:

• Application
• Mortgage Loan approval
• Home purchase

It is important that each step be followed in order and that you do not sign an “Offer to Purchase until you have completed “Step Two – Mortgage Approval.”

Step One – Making Your Application

The application process begins by completing a “Program Intake Form”. It must be signed by the person(s) applying for the mortgage. It asks for information on the mortgage applicant(s) and all persons who will be living in the home. In addition, you must provide copies of the following income documentation (as applicable) on all persons who will be in the home:

• All pay stubs for the last full month
• Tax returns for the last two years with W-2s
• Most recent Bank statements (checking and/or savings)
• SSI Award Letter
• Pension Letter
• Support Payment documentation
• TANF documentation

The income and credit information of the mortgage applicant(s) is necessary to make a preliminary determination if you qualify for the mortgage. The total number of all persons who will live in the home and their income information is required to determine if you will qualify for the down-payment assistance loan.

Return all information to D. at the WIDC office located at 12ll S. Hiatt Street.

Step Two – Mortgage Loan Approval

WIDC will forward your application to INHP who will do a “preliminary review” of your income and credit history. If your credit report reveals any concerns, the INHP counselor will meet with you (at the WIDC office) to determine a plan of action to resolve them. If significant credit problems exist, INHP may refer you to an outside credit assistance organization.

Once all issues from the “preliminary” credit report have been resolved, INHP will pull a “full” credit report and schedule an appointment with you to complete the formal loan application at the WIDC office. The INHP staff person will take your information to the INHP Loan Committee for approval. Once the INHP Loan Committee has approved your loan you will receive an “Approval Letter” which will indicate the amount of your loan approval. This letter will also provide you with the time and dates for Home Ownership Training Classes. You must complete one of these classes to qualify for an INHP or WIDC loan.

You should now contact D. at WIDC (638-9432 x 2#) to discuss Step Three – Buying your Home!

Step Three – Buying Your Home

Now that you have been approved for a mortgage and know your mortgage limit you can select the property you want to buy. You can work with a real estate agent or for sale by owner to purchase any house for sale in West Indianapolis. Remember, in order to qualify for the WI Home Program you must purchase a home in West Indianapolis. You should verify that property you are considering is in this area by contacting Joan at WIDC. She can also provide information regarding any properties for sale by WIDC.

Once you have selected your property you will complete a purchase agreement. When the purchase agreement is accepted by the seller you must provide a copy of the purchase agreement to INHP. INHP will then have an inspection of the property performed to determine what, if any, repairs will be required by them in order for INHP to make their loan on the property. INHP will give you all the information and assistance through this part of the process and the final purchase (“Closing”) of your home.

For more information contact:

D Gaither

West Indianapolis Development Corp.

1211 S. Hiatt Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46221

Telephone: 317-638-9432 x 2#

Fax: 317-638-9514