Purchase Assistance for an Existing Home

Step 1.Check your income eligibility

• Borrowers/Participants must meet program income eligibility guidelines. When determining household income, all household members are counted, regardless of who is determined eligible/qualified for the first mortgage loan. All household income of people  18 years and older, who will reside in the property, must be included.
• The borrower is not required to be a first-time home buyer to qualify for assistance, but they cannot own another property at the time of closing. 
• Borrowers/Participants must provide documentation of their household income and assets along with other program requirements.
• Homebuyers must contribute at least 1% of the sales/purchase price toward the closing from their own funds.
• Homebuyer must not have received assistance from the city of Clearwater in the past unless the assistance has been paid in full, a satisfaction of mortgage executed and recorded in public records or unless there is some form of hardship (divorce, permanent layoff, physical or mental disability, fire, flood or natural disaster or the death of a family member).
• Homebuyers and residents must be U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.

Check Your Income Eligibility 

Step 2.Contact a bank of mortgage lender

Contact a lender to prequalify for a first mortgage.  

Step 3.Check the property's eligibility

• New or existing single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums are eligible. Two-four family, rental properties, mobile homes, manufactured and trailers and co-ops are not eligible.
• If the property is built prior to 1978 and has peeling or chipping paint, the city will order a lead paint inspection. If lead paint is found, lead abatement will be required before closing. If they refuse to do lead abatement, the property will be ineligible for assistance.
• The property may be owner-occupied, vacant or occupied by the applicant; if the property is occupied by a tenant who will be displaced so that the loan can close, the city is unable to provide assistance.
• The sales price must not exceed 90% of the median area purchase price established by the U.S. Treasury Department (Maximum sales price is $349,525.80).
• The property must be located within city of Clearwater incorporated limits. You can use the Pinellas County Property Appraiser tool to see if the home you’d like to buy is within city of Clearwater limits. The tax code of CW, CWD or CWDO will appear if your property is eligible.

Check the Address

Step 4.Complete a homebuyer education workshop

All borrowers must attend a Department of Housing and Urban (HUD)-certified Homebuyers Education Workshop.  

Prior to entering the world of homeownership, completing a homebuyer education course is highly recommended, and depending on the type of assistance to be provided, it may be mandatory. If you are interested in exploring this type of opportunity, contact one of our partners that provides HUD-certified homebuyer education counseling. 

Workshops are usually eight hours long and held over one or more sessions during a single weekend. At the end of the workshop, you will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate is good for two years.  

Below is a list of HUD-approved agencies that are currently contracted through the city of Clearwater: 

• Tapa Bay Neighborhood Housing Services
  Purchase Assistance and Homeowner Education Classes

  608 N. Garden Ave. 
  Clearwater, FL 33755 
  Phone: (727) 442-4155 
  Email: dharder@tampabaynhs.org  
   

• Suncoast Housing Connections (FKA - Tampa Bay Community Development Corp.)
  Purchase Assistance and Homeowner Education Classes
  2139 NE Coachman Road
  Clearwater, Florida 33758
  (727) 442-7075
  (727) 442-4575
• Email: ellen@suncoasthc.org

For more information, contact Chuck Lane, Assistant Director, Economic Development and Housing Department at (727) 444-7489, or Terry Malcolm-Smith, Housing Programs Administrator at (727) 444-7167. 

Step 5.The city will inspect the property

A HUD housing quality inspection is required to verify that the housing meets applicable safety and code requirements. The city will consult with a third-party contractor to conduct required property inspections. The inspection must be completed using HUD’s Uniform Physical Condition Standards (UPCS) form. The inspection must be completed no more than 90 days before the commitment of HOME funds. There is no charge to the client for this inspection. If any of the minimum housing code standards are not met, these must be completed, corrected and re-inspected prior to closing.

The city code inspection does not replace a need for a home inspection. Please continue to hire an inspector to conduct a detailed home inspection of the property.

Step 6.Contact one of the HUD-approved agencies listed above to start the Home Purchase Assistance process 

For information on documentation required to apply, please contact one of the above agencies.