My wife and I are trying to buy our first home. We declared bankruptcy two years ago ($250,000+ in hospital bills will do that to you), but if we can come up with a small down payment we've qualified for a mortgage. Any additional help would of course be great so I've started researching HUD grants. Has anyone here had experience with those or know of any other assistance my wife and I could look into.

Also my wife is Hispanic and we're not above taking advantage of that when it comes to getting some kind of assistance for our first home.

If you were not married only one of you might have had to declare bankruptcy. That would leave the other with a decent credit history for a better mortgage rate. If she were not married to you she might stand a greater chance of getting housing assistance as well. I guess that "piece of paper" can be more costly than ya think sometimes. For every reason there is to get hitched there can be just as many to not.


What are your professions? Some grants are profession related. Are you a veteran?

I know my mom bought our house through a Farmer's Home Loan back in the 80's. It was for low income home buyer but not the same as the HUD program.

__________________

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

__________________

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

I've bought two homes without downpayments in the past five years with financing through conventional means. I'm about to buy a third in the same manner in less than a week.

I did it the only way I know how. Working hard at keeping my credit clean and even when my credit took a hit 4 years ago I put a plan in place to repair my credit through repayment and saw my plan through in less time than allowed. My credit report cleaned itself up with my efforts and my interest rates have always been reflective of my credit score (both great and not so much).

*shrugs* my income and single status knock me out of eligibility of any government programs.

I should probably post before I get carried away with my thoughts on all this....

good luck on your home purchase and ownership.

__________________
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and swing.

http://hispaniclending.com/

http://www.minorityprofessionalnetw...ews/Futures.htm

http://hola-america.com/index.php?I...ntent&task=view

__________________

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

http://www.kshousingcorp.org/programs.shtml

http://www.sckedd.org/FHLBANK%20Topeka.html

http://www.fhlbtopeka.com/s/index.cfm?aid=288

__________________

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

No both of us would have probably had to declare bankruptcy since she spent 58 days in the hospital, and our daughter spent 35 days in neonatal intensive care, and I carried the insurance on her causing each of us to carry a bill. I don't know if you've ever priced NICU stays, but they're not cheap. I think you once told me not to make assumptions about other peoples lives.

Thanks for all the links.

That was my point exactly.
I do know how expensive NICU is.

You did not answer as to you or your wife's profession but you could search on home buyer assistance + the professions. Don't forget that some religious or fraternal organizations have assistance programs. I think even some unions have programs.

__________________

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

I tend to doubt either of our professions would help though hers will come in handy after we buy a house because of her contacts within her industry. Neither of us belong to a union.

I meant to ask my realtor today about programs.