Who should you contact for a WSHFC loan?
Mortgage Lending Group LLC does not originate WSHFC programs. This information is educational. Use the Commission’s participating-lender resources for WSHFC financing; Enrique can separately help compare other purchase options.
Ask a participating lender to confirm today’s program limits, funding, eligible costs and education requirements. The October 4 update clarifies MLG’s service scope; it does not represent a new verification of Commission program amounts.
What Home Advantage includes
The first mortgage finances the home purchase. The assistance is a separate loan used toward eligible down-payment and closing expenses. WSHFC’s homebuyer information listed when this guide’s program terms were checked September 26, 2026: Home Advantage DPA options of 3%, 4% or 5% of the first-mortgage amount at 0% interest, subject to the applicable program and lender requirements.
A percentage of the mortgage is different from a percentage of the purchase price. Ask the participating loan officer which first mortgage and assistance option fit together, how mortgage insurance or other program charges affect the balance, and how the assistance appears in the closing figures. Do not assume the largest assistance percentage produces the lowest overall cost.
Income limits and other eligibility questions
The Commission’s first-mortgage overview checked September 26, 2026 listed a $215,000 Home Advantage income limit statewide. It is not a different limit for each of the three counties below. Other assistance programs can use separate limits and definitions. Have the participating lender confirm whose income counts, how it is calculated, and the applicable limit for the actual loan reservation.
You still need to qualify for the first mortgage. Ask which credit, debt-to-income, asset, property and documentation requirements apply to your file. A program income ceiling is not an approval and is not a recommended household budget. This guide does not set a universal credit score or debt-ratio threshold.
| Property county | Home Advantage statewide income limit | Confirm separately |
|---|---|---|
| King | $215,000 | Income definition and first-mortgage eligibility |
| Snohomish | $215,000 | Assistance option and documented household circumstances |
| Pierce | $215,000 | Property eligibility and current program terms |
Repeat buyers, occupancy and homebuyer education
Home Advantage does not require first-time-buyer status. The home must be your principal residence, and the relevant mortgage rules still apply. If you already own a property, disclose it to the participating lender instead of assuming that prior ownership either qualifies or disqualifies you.
WSHFC requires its approved homebuyer education and a qualifying mortgage through a Commission-trained loan officer. Its first-mortgage overview states that the education certificate is valid for two years. Use the Commission’s class finder to select an accepted class; do not assume any online course satisfies the requirement.
Take the class early enough to use what you learn while shopping. Keep the certificate with your financing documents, along with the exact program name, lender contact and a list of items still awaiting verification. A class certificate is a preparation step, not a commitment of funds.
Deferred does not mean forgiven
The standard Home Advantage DPA has deferred payments. WSHFC lists repayment events including selling, refinancing, transferring the home, ceasing to use it as the principal residence, or paying off the first mortgage. Read the actual note and program documents for the obligations attached to your assistance.
Before treating assistance as cash you have saved, write its balance beside the first mortgage. If you expect to refinance or move relatively soon, ask how repaying it would affect that plan. Request an estimated payoff from the servicer when evaluating an actual refinance; a generic online equity estimate does not account for every lien or charge.
Home Advantage, House Key and local programs
Program names matter because eligibility and repayment terms differ. The Commission’s current overview describes House Key Opportunity with county and household-size income limits and first-time-buyer or target-area rules. A city program or community land trust may add its own location, funding, resale or affordability restrictions.
Ask the participating lender to identify the written rules for each option and confirm whether programs can be combined. Do not add several advertised assistance amounts together before that compatibility review.
| Option | Starting point | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Home Advantage | Statewide income limit; repeat buyers may qualify | Which first mortgage and DPA option fit my file? |
| House Key Opportunity | Different income, household-size and location rules | Do first-time-buyer or target-area requirements apply? |
| City, county or other assistance | Program-specific criteria and available funding | Is it compatible, and are there resale or repayment restrictions? |
An illustrative $550,000 Snohomish County purchase
Here is a planning exercise, not a quote or approved Home Advantage scenario. Assume a $550,000 purchase and a 3% down payment: $16,500 down leaves a $533,500 first-mortgage base amount. Four percent of that assumed amount is $21,340. The arithmetic does not establish that a 4% assistance option is available to this buyer or compatible with a particular first mortgage.
If this fictional budget also included $10,000 of eligible closing and prepaid expenses, the starting down-payment-plus-cost total would be $26,500. Subtracting the hypothetical $21,340 assistance leaves $5,160 before earnest money, seller credits, other adjustments and any required contribution. Actual eligibility, financed charges, assistance calculations and settlement figures can change the result.
Keep a household reserve outside this subtraction. Moving, an urgent repair or a temporary income interruption can still require cash after closing. Ask for both an assistance scenario and a conventional purchase comparison using the same price and date. Compare the first-mortgage payment, mortgage insurance, assistance debt, cash to close and cash retained.
How to apply and how MLG can help
Start at WSHFC’s Here to Home website, complete an accepted class and connect with a Commission-trained loan officer. The Commission says not every loan officer at a participating company is trained and approved, so confirm the individual and the program before relying on assistance in an offer.
Mortgage Lending Group LLC does not originate WSHFC programs. This information is educational. Use the Commission’s participating-lender resources for WSHFC financing; Enrique can separately help compare other purchase options.
Bring your household income information, available funds, existing property obligations, education certificate and target property details to that provider. Ask for a written estimate showing each loan, all cash required, the monthly payment, repayment triggers and remaining conditions. Review the timing before agreeing to a purchase deadline.
Five questions to bring to the lender
Use these questions to turn general program information into a property-specific financing plan. Keep the answers with the written estimates so you can revisit the same assumptions if your price, income, closing date or down payment changes.
- Which exact program and assistance option are you pricing, and are you approved to originate it?
- What income is counted, what limits apply, and which eligibility items remain unverified?
- What are my combined monthly payment, cash to close and savings after closing?
- How much assistance will I owe if I sell, move out or refinance, and which documents govern that repayment?
- How does this compare with a purchase loan without assistance using the same property and price?
A few common questions
No. The Commission allows eligible repeat buyers. Occupancy and mortgage requirements still apply; disclose existing property ownership to the participating lender.
The standard Home Advantage DPA is a deferred loan, not a grant. Repayment is triggered by events listed in the program documents, including sale or refinance. Read your actual note.
Ask the participating lender to confirm the first mortgage’s credit limits, eligible costs and program compatibility. Do not assume every credit can cover the required down payment or create cash back.
It is a statewide Washington program. A Seattle property and borrower must still meet the applicable program and lender requirements.
Mortgage Lending Group LLC does not originate WSHFC programs. This information is educational. Use the Commission’s participating-lender resources for WSHFC financing; Enrique can separately help compare other purchase options.
YOUR NEXT DECISION
Turn this answer into a plan.
What should I prepare before shopping?
Start with a comfortable payment, cash available after closing and the documents your lender needs. Then connect the loan options to the property you are considering.
Read the original sources
Program rules and lender requirements can change. Confirm current terms before acting.