Habitat Homeownership
About
Habitat believes everyone should have a decent and affordable place to call home. Through our Homeownership Program, qualified homebuyers partner with Habitat and the community to help build their own houses by putting in sweat equity and purchasing their homes with an affordable mortgage. Habitat does not give houses away. Homebuyers qualify by demonstrating their need for a Habitat house, their ability to pay for it, and their willingness to accomplish their sweat-equity hours and other requirements.
Homebuyer Eligibility
To apply for a Habitat Home, you must meet the following criteria:
1. Income Eligibility
Your total household income must be below 80% of Area Median Income for Snohomish County. Minimum income limits will vary depending on the Habitat Home being purchased.
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|
Maximum Household Income (80% AMI) |
$66,750 | $76,250 | $85,800 | $95,300 | $102,950 | $110,550 | $118,200 | $125,800 |
Based on 2022 HUD Income Limits for Snohomish County
2. Need for Adequate Housing
You must demonstrate a need for safe, affordable housing based on the size, condition, or cost of your current living situation. Some examples of inadequate housing include:
- Unsafe or unhealthy conditions
- Structural problems or inadequate heating, plumbing, or electrical systems
- Temporary Housing / living with family or friends
- Overcrowding
- Cost-burdened / paying too much for rent
3. Ability to Pay
You must have steady, reliable income and be able to pay an affordable monthly mortgage to purchase a Habitat Home. The following requirements must be met for you to qualify to purchase a Habitat home:
- You must be able to qualify and obtain a fixed-term, fixed-rate mortgage through a third-party lending partner
- Must be able to pay closing costs of approximately 1% of the purchase price of the home
- You must have a credit score of 620 or higher
- You must not have any outstanding liens/judgements or open collections
- Any foreclosures must be at least seven years from the date of application
- Any bankruptcy must be discharged at least 4 years prior to application
- Your total debt to income (DTI) ratio must not exceed 30% front-end or 41% back-end of your monthly gross income
4. Willingness to Partner
You must be willing to partner with Habitat in a number of ways, including:
- Volunteering between 250 to 500 hours of “sweat equity” hours towards building your prospective home or volunteering in our Habitat Stores. We will accommodate individuals who are not physically able to work on the construction site on a case-by-case basis.
- Commitment to consistent and honest communication with Habitat staff
- Attend required homebuyer education classes
5. Additional Requirements
- Must currently live or work in Snohomish County
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Must be a first-time homebuyer
- Must use the home as your primary residence
- Must take a First Time Homebuyers class
- Specific application requirements may vary depending on the home being purchased. Please select an available Habitat Home for specific requirements.
Habitat follows a nondiscriminatory policy of home buyer selection. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, religion, age, or sexual orientation, or by any other protected class. We are an Equal Opportunity Lender and follow all applicable non-discrimination laws, regulations and guidelines.
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