Apply to Become a Habitat Homeowner

Our Future Homeowner selection is based on three specific criteria:

1. The applicant’s level of need
2. The applicant’s willingness to partner with Habitat
3. The applicant’s ability to repay a mortgage through an affordable payment plan

Habitat Homeownership Process

Please find below a step-by-step overview of what to expect when you apply. Once you confirm you meet all program requirements you can fill out the Pre-qualification form at the bottom of this page.

STEP 1: REVIEW OUR PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS

General Requirements

• Must be a first time homebuyer
• Must live and/or work in Charlotte County for at least one (1) year
• Must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (green card holder)

Financial Requirements

• Show 2+ years of stable employment history
• Have no bankruptcies within the last three (3) years, sufficient credit history, with no accounts in collection, no unsatisfied public records
• Establish a monthly savings account
• Total debt-to-income ratio, including a Habitat mortgage payment of 30% of household income, must be less than 41%

Income Requirements

• Family Size / Maximum Gross Household Income
  • 1 Person / $45,050
  • 2 Persons / $51,450
  • 3 Persons / $57,900
  • 4 Persons / $64,300
  • 5 Persons / $69,450
  • 6 Persons / $74,600

STEP 2: DETERMINE IF YOU ARE READY

If we are currently accepting Pre-Qualification forms and you are ready to take the next step and see if you qualify to the Homeownership Program:

• You may fill out our Pre-Qualification Form (found below) if you meet all program requirements (listed above in Step 1). Once you submit your completed form, you will receive a notification within 2 weeks, either providing you with a submission checklist for the program or providing reasons why you do not qualify. After reading all the steps of how to apply, you will find our Pre-Qualification Form.

If you currently do not meet, or are unsure if you meet all requirements but are interested in our Homeownership Program:

• Please call our Family Service team at 941-639-3162. We can answer any questions and discuss in more detail the requirements of our program.

STEP 3: ATTEND HABITAT PRE-APPLICATION MEETING

Submissions that successfully meet all requirements will receive a pre-application checklist and must attend a Homebuyer Program meeting which includes:

• Meeting with our Family Service team to answer your questions
• Submission packets will be reviewed by our team to verify income, credit, and background.

STEP 4: FAMILY SELECTION COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVAL

• If the information provided throughout all the above steps meets all of the criteria and guidelines, the applicant’s submission packet will move to our Family Selection Committee.
• The Family Selection Committee recommendations will be presented to our Board of Directors for final selections into the Homeownership Program. This process is usually completed in 30 days.

Due to the rigorous evaluation process, you may not receive an update of your status for several weeks. The Family Selection Committee will notify each applicant of the outcome of this process within 30 days. Please submit all questions via email to families@charlottecountyhfh.org or call 941-639-3162.