Are you weighing the decision to buy your first home in West Virginia? Would you like a free gift of money to help you purchase that first home? Unfortunately, the state of West Virginia does not directly provide free grant money for its residents who are first time home buyers and need help with the down payment and closing costs as some other states do. However, there is still Federal Grant money available as well as grants from private foundations. This is free money that shouldn’t be passed up! The grant awards can be in the thousands of dollars. It will be well worth your time to educate yourself about the grant programs that are available to residents of West Virginia.
The agency in West Virginia that provides down payment, closing cost and educational help to first time home buyers is the West Virginia Housing Development Fund. There are currently no direct grants available from the WVHDF, regardless upon your income. However, Down payment and closing cost assistance loans are available to home buyers to reduce the amount of upfront money needed to purchase a home. Home buyers will be able to select the following option if they qualify:
A 15-year loan with a maximum amount up to $15,000 for qualified borrowers with a deferment period of five (5) years. During the deferment period, the interest rate would be 0% with no payment due. The remaining ten (10) years would be a fully-amortizing loan at 2.75% interest. In effect, you are receiving a grant of the interest that you would have had to pay. To find out the specific details, please visit the West Virginia Housing Development Fund website page specifically describing this beneficial grant program. You can reach it at this link.
Here is the contact information for the West Virginia Housing Development Fund:
West Virginia Housing Development Fund
5710 MacCorkle Avenue SE
Charleston WV 25304
Phone: (304) 391-8600
Toll-free: 1-800-933-9843
Federal First Time Home Buyer Grants
Even though there are no state home buyer grant programs, there are federal funds and grants available to first time home buyers in West Virginia through the Homes and Communities program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. On their website you’ll find complete grant information, application forms, description of available funds, as well as many other helpful tools.
Every potential home buyer should investigate what they have to offer. You can visit the website by going here: US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Also, there is a website that has a complete list of all grant programs available through the United States Federal Government: Grants.gov. You should spend an ample amount of time researching to determine how many individual grants you may qualify for. You can visit the website by going to Grants.gov and using their search tool to find other opportunities for getting grants in West Virginia.
Other Grants in West Virginia
In addition to the home buyer grant programs described above, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides assistance and grants in every state. There are multiple grant programs designed specifically for people that meet certain requirements, such as grants for people with disabilities so they can continue to live independently at home. It is worth visiting HUD’s website to see what assistance is currently available. For your convenience, simply go to this website.
Here is the contact information for the HUD office in West Virginia:
Charleston Field Office
405 Capitol Street
Suite 708
Charleston, WV 25301-1795
Phone: (304) 347-7000
Fax: (304) 347-7050
