Frequently Asked Questions:

Once you have reviewed our qualifications, you can look at our homes to find one that you would like to apply for. You will need to provide all the required information in the application, including all required documents.

After completing your application, our selection team will let you know if you are financially eligible for the home. If you are financially eligible, you will meet with our selection team to talk about our program, your finances, and your community connection, as well as confirm your Willingness to Partner.

If you are selected, you will pay your $2,000 program deposit, begin our program, and eventually close on the home once construction has completed.

If there are no available homes that you would like to apply for, you can join our mailing list to be notified when new homes become available. For more information on how to apply, click here.

The first step is to review our qualifications and then fill out the online application for the home you are interested in once that application is open.

If there are no available homes that you would like to apply for, you can join our mailing list to be notified when new homes become available.

A resale home is a home that a Habitat homeowner has sold back to us. We do necessary repairs on the home, then sell it to another income-qualified homebuyer. Resale homes can become available in many parts of King county and are typically ready for move-in sooner than new construction.

Willingness to Partner is our homebuyers’ contribution to the building of their community and furthering of Habitat’s vision – a world where everyone has a decent place to live – through participation in volunteer opportunities.

These opportunities can be completed in a variety of ways. Examples include working at the Habitat construction sites or stores, helping with Habitat or partner events, participating in a speaking opportunity or video, or by working in our office.

A pre-approval letter is a document from a lender that specifies you have been approved for a mortgage of a certain amount. Getting a pre-approval letter is a requirement to purchase the home, but this does not need to be done until after applying with Habitat. Our team will let you know when you need to get a pre-approval letter. Learn more about pre-approval letters and review a list of approved lenders.

Homebuyers must possess a minimum of 1% of the purchase price at the time of applying (typically $4,000-$6,000). Upon being selected, homebuyers must pay a $2,000 non-refundable deposit which will later be applied to the cost of the home at closing. The rest of the 1% buyer contribution will be paid at closing when the homes are ready for move-in.

Some homes may require more or less than 1% depending on the specific home and your finances.

Habitat builds a wide range of homes including condominiums, duplexes, multiplexes, and DADUs. Home sizes range from studios to 4-bedroom homes. A stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer, and dishwasher are provided with all homes.

Most Habitat homeowners are part of a Homeowners Association along with the other homeowners in their development.

A Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation that is democratically run by owners within the community. Owners pool resources (through monthly dues) and agree on what to use the money for, whether it be upkeep of common spaces, exterior maintenance of homes, or other priorities.

Living in an Association comes with responsibilities that continue throughout your time in the home. Paying monthly assessments on time to contribute to the operation and maintenance of the property, preparing for future needs of the Association, and building a vibrant community of connected neighbors making these decisions together. With the help of a professional Association manager and Habitat, owners commit to serving terms on the Board of Directors, volunteering when called, participating in meetings and elections, paying their assessments on time, and building a lasting community.

To learn more, please see our HOA information page.

Habitat does not build custom homes. The location of the homes depends on where Habitat is able to acquire land.

Yes, if we determine an applicant is otherwise eligible for our program, Habitat will run a credit check. There is technically no minimum credit score required to qualify for our program, but you do need to have a credit history, have no active credit disputes, meet our debt-to-income ratio requirements, and show a history of on time payments. For more information on our requirements, please go here.

If you are determined to be financially eligible based on your completed application, you will have a meeting with our selection team. This meeting will give you the opportunity to learn more about our program, and Habitat the opportunity to learn more about you. Final selection will be based on the extent to which applicants demonstrate the following:

• Ability to pay – Applicants must demonstrate that they can afford the home’s mortgage payment without being cost burdened. For more information on Ability to Pay, please see our qualifications.
• Connection to community – Utilizing resources in the development neighborhood, living or working in the development neighborhood, or having family that has previously lived or currently lives in the development neighborhood.
• Willingness to partner – Homebuyers contribute to the building of their community and furthering of Habitat’s vision, a world where everyone has a decent place to live, through participation in volunteer opportunities. Applicants can demonstrate additional willingness to partner by attending an info or application session hosted by Habitat staff, and by demonstrating timely communication with Habitat staff during the application process.

For new construction, we do our best to select homebuyers when the homes are approximately 6 months from being move-in ready. Due to the unpredictability of the construction industry, we can’t guarantee that it will be exactly 6 months, but we keep homebuyers updated on the timeline as we move through the construction process.

For resale homes, it depends on the repairs that are needed, but they are usually ready within weeks or months.

Yes, but there are resale restrictions on all of our properties. If a Habitat homeowner wishes to sell the home to another homebuyer, that homebuyer must be income-qualified according to Habitat’s qualifications. Otherwise, the Habitat homeowner can always sell the home back to Habitat.

The type of resale restrictions can vary, so we recommend that all Habitat homeowners contact our Homeowner Services team at (206) 855-5213 if they want to sell their Habitat home.

The Debt Barrier Removal Program aims to remove debt as a barrier to homeownership for those who would otherwise qualify for a home. If an applicant is selected for the Debt Barrier Removal Program program, Habitat will pay off their debt as needed (up to $50,000) so they can qualify for the home loan needed to purchase a Habitat home, allowing their debt to become an asset and build equity.

All applicants are screened to see if they qualify for this program; it does not need to be applied for separately. To learn more about the Debt Barrier Removal Program, click here.