The state of Kansas and the federal government sponsor several first-time homebuyer programs. Some cater to low-income individuals with less-than-superb credit scores. Others support public service professionals like teachers, police officers and firefighters. One even assists people who already have a mortgage. So glance before the scenic beauty that is in Kansas, and get ready to embark on your journey of becoming a homeowner. If you’re looking to get your finances in order before buying, or just want advice on such a large financial decision, consider talking to a financial advisor.
Federal First-Time Homebuyer Programs
There are several first-time homebuyer programs that are backed by the federal government. These will often carry the lowest rates since the government fully guarantees many of these loans in the event of a default. The eligibility requirements might also be a bit less stringent with these types of programs.
FHA Loans
| Pros | – Low down payments – No early payment penalty |
| Cons | – Interest rates could be higher for people with credit scores below 580 |
| Eligibility | – A credit score of at least 500 usually helps you get one – Debt-to-income ration <43% |
| Best For | – People with adequate credit scores and low to moderate income |
Many mortgage lenders in Kansas work through the Federal Housing Administration. They issue FHA loans to low-to-moderate-income individuals who don’t have the best credit scores. In fact, having a FICO® credit score of at least 580 typically helps you land an FHA loan with a down payment as low as 3.5%. In addition, you won’t have to worry about a prepayment penalty, as you would when taking out most other types of mortgages.
And because these loans are backed by the FHA, lenders don’t take as much risk providing favorable rates to people without the best credit histories. However, your down payment may rise to about 10% if your credit score falls below 580. You’d also likely pay mortgage insurance premiums. You’d also owe closing costs. Still, the rates for both tend to sink lower than those tied to conventional mortgages.
Overall, FHA loans should be on the checklist for anyone who dreams of owning a home in the United States but fears income and credit history will stand in the way.
USDA Loans
| Pros | – Low-interest loans with little-to-no down payments – Can qualify with a low credit score or no traditional credit history |
| Cons | – Adjusted household income must lie within 115% of the area median income to qualify for the USDA guaranteed loan program |
| Eligibility | – Property must be in an area designated by the USDA – Adjusted household income can’t exceed 115% of the area median income to be eligible for the USDA-guaranteed loan program |
| Best For | – Low-to-moderate income individuals who wish to live in rural or suburban Kansas |
The United States Department of Agriculture sprouted its USDA loan program to encourage people to buy single-family homes in America’s countryside. But some suburban areas near major cities also fall in the USDA’s scope. In fact, dozens of counties in Kansas sit on the USDA’s radar.
USDA loans usually carry lower interest rates than conventional mortgages. You can even find some with no down payment requirements. To qualify for a USDA loan through the guaranteed loan program, your household income must lie at or below 115% of the median income for the area you want to live in.
But having a FICO® credit score of at least 600 can typically qualify you for a USDA loan with a very low-interest rate and a zero down payment. You can still qualify for a USDA loan if your score dips below that level, or even if you don’t have a traditional credit history at all. However, the rates might not be as favorable and your down payment could rise to around 10%.
Still, this falls far below the interest rate for a conventional mortgage, which normally floats around 20% of the home’s value. Closing costs, which apply to most mortgages, also fall to a low 1% to 3%. Most of these loans are backed by the USDA but issued through traditional lenders. You can also take out a USDA loan for home improvement purposes. Lower-income individuals may qualify for a mortgage directly from the USDA.
VA Loans
| Pros | – Can cover up to 100% of a home’s value |
| Cons | – Generally lower interest rates than conventional mortgages – No PMI required |
| Eligibility | – Most service members, veterans, spouses, and other beneficiaries can qualify for a VA loan |
| Best For | – Veterans or current service members who have satisfactory credit and low-to-moderate income |
To help veterans and U.S. military members afford a home, the Department of Veterans Affairs issues VA loans. Current and retired service members as well as their spouses and certain other beneficiaries may be eligible for a VA loan.
The government backs VA loans, but local lenders throughout Kansas provide them directly to borrowers. Lenders typically charge lower interest rates than those linked to conventional mortgages. Some allow zero down payments to those who qualify.The VA also caps the amount lenders can charge in closing costs. In addition, you won’t be required to buy private mortgage insurance (PMI). Furthermore, the VA appraisal process involves property inspection to make sure it’s safe and reasonably valued.
However, these loans come with an up-front VA funding fee. This fee can range from 1.4% to 3.6% depending on several factors including your military status and whether you’ve had a loan before.
Good Neighbor Next Door Program
| Pros | – 50% discount on the listing price of a home in a revitalization area – You can sell your home after three years and keep profits |
| Cons | – The selection process is highly competitive – Home must be your primary residence for at least three years. |
| Eligibility | – Be a K-12 teacher, EMT, police officer or firefighter |
| Best For | – Eligible public servants with low-to-moderate income |
Public servants from teachers in the classroom to police officers on the beat provide vital services to the communities they serve. So much so that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) wants to help them become homeowners.
The HUD sponsors the Good Neighbor Next Door program. This initiative provides eligible K-12 teachers, police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with a flat 50% discount off the listing price of a home in a revitalization area. These are locations where these professionals don’t take a sizable chunk of the population.
In Kansas, that covers communities from Abilene to Winfield. However, you’re required to make this home your primary residence for at least three years. The program is also highly competitive. In some areas, certain homes get listed on the program’s website for just five days. And if several people apply for the same house and qualify, a random lottery determines the discount recipient.
The approval process also involves preapproval from a Good Neighbor Next Door agent. In addition, Good Neighbor Next Door also offers grants along with closing costs and down payment assistance programs if you qualify. So be sure to ask.
Overall, qualification can be a long process. But the Good Neighbor Next Door Program can give you a headstart on becoming a first-time homeowner while doing what you love. Plus, you can sell the property after three years.
Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac
| Pros | – Flexible options – You can qualify with little-to-no credit – Low down payments |
| Cons | – Strict income limits |
| Eligibility | – Meet income and house-size requirements, unless the property is in a low-income census tract |
| Best For | – Low-income individuals seeking help with purchasing a home |
Created by the federal government, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae work with traditional mortgage lenders throughout the country. They offer special loans to low or middle-income Americans, who don’t have the best credit.
Fannie Mae runs the HomeReady program. Through this plan, you may qualify for a low-interest mortgage with a down payment as low as 3%. A FICO® credit score between 620 and 680 usually secures you the best rates and terms. But you can still qualify with lower scores.
Eligibility also depends on your income and the area you want to live in. But you’d face no income restrictions if your property rests in a low-income tract determined by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to a 2018 report by Fannie Mae, 25% of Kansas falls in this parameter.
Freddie Mac runs a similar program called HomePossible. The HomePossible 97 LTV (3% down payment) loan comes as a 15- to 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. You can also find various adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM).
Both programs allow you to cover down payments with money from family, friends and employer-sponsored programs. Many conventional mortgage lenders don’t permit this. Income limits for loans through the HomeReady and HomePossible programs vary by location and are set each year. Speak with a partner lender for the latest details.
Native American Direct Loan Program (NADL)
| Pros | – Low closing costs and credit score requirements – Small funding fee |
| Cons | – Limited to a small group of borrowers |
| Eligibility | – Home must be on Federal Trust land, Alaska Native Corporation or Pacific Island territory. – Be a service member or veteran who also is one of the following: Native American in an American Indian tribe, native Alaskan village, or in a tribe that holds an MOU with the VA; Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, or person married to an eligible spouse |
| Best For | – Native American service members and veterans with low-to-moderate income |
The VA also backs the Native American Direct Loan Program (NADL). To qualify, a Native American veteran or service member must be considering homes on Federal Trust Land or other areas the VA designates.
Freddie Mac sets the borrowing limit for single-family homes. The VA calculates NADAL interest rates, which are typically low. In addition, closing costs are also low. And these loans require no PMI. The interest rate is subject to change based on market fluctuations and currently starts at 6%. These loans are issued directly by the VA. And the organization is typically very reasonable when it comes to credit score qualifications.
Kansas First-Time Homebuyer Programs
In addition to the federal loan programs, the state of Kansas also backs a few programs that are designed to make it easier for you to own a home. Here are the most relevant programs that you might find useful.
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC)
| Pros | – Low-income individuals qualify |
| Cons | – Not available in some areas including Kansas City |
| Eligibility | – Meet income and house-size requirements |
| Best For | – Low-to-moderate-income Americans interested in purchasing a home within certain areas in Kansas |
The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) stands as the main administrator of the 25 affordable housing programs active in the state of Kansas. It runs a first-time homebuyer program that aims to help low-income individuals make down payments and cover closing costs.
Individuals and families who have not owned a home in the past three years may apply. Eligibility largely depends on income, household size and the potential property’s location. However, the program can’t apply to properties in Topeka, Wichita, Lawrence, Kansas City or Johnson County.
Income levels are based on HUD limits and can be found on the KHRCs website for each designated Kansas area.
To apply, you must find a lender that participates in the KHRC program. The lender will then process your paperwork as well as the mortgage loan before applying to the KHRC program for you. According to the KHRC, approved applicants will receive a soft loan that may be forgivable in time depending on their income. You’re also required to pay 2% of the sale price.
Kansas Housing Assistance Program
| Pros | – Can be used in combination with government-backed loans |
| Cons | – Need a credit score between 660 to qualify for some loans; those with credit scores 640 to 659 can select 3% borrower assistance. |
| Eligibility | – Meet income eligibility as well as house type and location requirements |
| Best For | – People who already have government-backed loans and would like to see if they qualify for additional assistance |
The Kansas Housing Assistance Program helps first-time homebuyers as well as those who already have a 30-year-fixed-rate mortgage through the FHA, VA and USDA.
To qualify if you have a USDA, VA or conventional loan, you need a credit score of at least 640.
You must also meet certain credit score minimums and income limits, as well as the home type and location rules. Income limits are detailed below:
For Those With Government and Conventional Loans
- Kansas City MSA (Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Linn & Miami): $135,520
- Lawrence MSA (Douglass): $132,300
- Ellis County: $121,800
- Nemaha County: $122,360
- Wallace County: $123,200
- All other areas: $121,240
For new mortgages, the maximum home purchase price is $647,200 and you’d have to use the loan to finance a single-family detached home, a duplex, a condominium or a townhouse. If you qualify, you can get a 30-year-fixed-rate loan through a participating lender.
Bottom Line
There are several programs that are designed to help the residents of Kansas to buy their own homes in an affordable manner. It’s important to determine what type of assistance you might need before looking seriously at any individual program. Whether you need help with your down payment or just want an affordable interest rate, Both the federal government and the state of Kansas can help.
House Hunting Tips
- The home-buying journey may involve potential pitfalls you’d want to avoid. If you’d like someone to guide you along the way, consider working with a financial advisor who can provide you with the right advice to help you reach your financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- Mortgages can be complicated contracts when you consider factors like closing costs and PMI. To help you gauge the real cost, we’ve developed our mortgage calculator. You can also use our “How much house can I afford?” tool to help you get a better grasp of what you can manage.
- The Sunflower state is a beautiful place to live. But don’t settle for just anything. We’ve gathered an interactive report on the best Kansas mortgage rates and where you can find the right lender.
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