What Happens After You Apply for the First-Time Homebuyer Program in Montgomery County, PA

After submitting your application for the Montgomery County First-Time Homebuyer Program, here’s what you can expect:

  1. Credit Check
    • The county will pull your credit report.
    • If you want to avoid receiving unsolicited calls, make sure to opt out from receiving credit offers before mailing your application by visiting: https://www.optoutprescreen.com/.
  2. Application Review
    • Your application will be reviewed.
    • If additional documents are needed, the county will contact you by mail.
  3. Counseling Notification
    • If no further documents are required, you’ll receive an email from a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor at Genesis Housing Corporation regarding the counseling requirement.
    • You can start shopping for a home, but I would recommend waiting until you receive the Letter of Intent.
  4. Home Study Packet
    • You’ll receive a home study packet via USPS.
    • Complete the packet (including answering the required questions) and email it back to the HUD-Certified Housing Counselor to request a counseling appointment.
  5. Counseling Session
    • Your counseling session will be scheduled. It can be held either in person at the Norristown office or via Zoom.
    • Please email your pre-approval and loan estimate (LE) received from your lender to the counselor before the counseling session if they are available.
    • Sessions last approximately 1 hour.
  6. Letter of Intent
    • After completing the process, you will receive a letter of intent that includes the sales price and loan amount.
  7. Begin Shopping for a Home
    • Start shopping for a home within the sales price stated in the Letter of Intent.
  8. Find a home
    • Once you find a home, send the Agreement of Sale (before the seller signs) to the county.
    • When the Agreement of Sale is approved, the seller can sign.
    • Please note that a fully executed Agreement of Sale must be provided within 90 days of the issuance of Letter of Intent, or Letter of Intent will expire.
  9. Hire a home inspector
    • Hire a home inspector and have them fill out the inspection form.
  10. Proceed with Mortgage
    • Continue with the mortgage process.
  11. Closing
    • Prior to closing, you will need to obtain a home warranty.

Taking these steps will help you prepare and make the application process smoother. Good luck on your journey to homeownership!

Need More Information?
If you’d like to learn more about the program, here are some helpful resources:

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