Donald Smith, a 12-year-volunteer with the Crumpton Volunteer Fire Department, received a $50,000 zero interest, deferred payment loan as part of Queen Anne’s County’s Critical Workforce Mortgage Program.Pictured from left are County Commissioners Steve Wilson and Commissioner Mark A. Anderson, new homeowners Donald Smith and Anna King and County Commissioner Jack N. Wilson.
The Queen Anne’s County Department of Housing and Community Services is pleased to announce the 74th qualified candidate for the Critical Workforce (CWF) Deferred Second Mortgage for moderate-income homebuyers in the county. Under this program, eligible recipients can receive funding to help purchase a home in the county.
Critical Workforce Employees are defined as: Queen Anne’s County volunteer firefighters,
who have served for at least 12 months and have been verified by the president or chairman of the volunteer chief’s association, Detention Center corrections officers, emergency medical technicians, county and Centreville police and teachers who are employed by the county’s board of education.
The funding comes in the form of a load that will not have to be paid back until the sale of the home. Loans will be awarded to applicants who meet all the criteria in an amount not more than 33 percent of the appraised value of the home or not to exceed $50,000. The home must be located in Queen Anne’s County and must be the applicant’s primary and only residence. No payments need to be made on the loan until the property is sold or is no longer the owner’s principal residence at which point the interest free loan is due and payable in full. Once the loan has been paid back, those funds go back into the program.
Critical Workforce Mortgage Loans are awarded on a first-come first-served basis and not guaranteed.
In addition to meeting the certain income limits, an individual or family may not currently own a home, nor have owned a home within the last five years. They must have a good credit rating, steady income, and the home must be affordable for their income. Along with the application process, an individual or family must be able to obtain a pre-qualification letter from a lending institution for an amount not less than the purchase price and remain income eligible up to the time their mortgage is submitted for underwriting. Each eligible person must provide a certificate showing they have completed 6 hours of home ownership counseling, and have 90 days to secure a contract on a home.
For more information, and to obtain an application, please contact Anne Van Benschoten, Housing Program Administrator at (410) 758-3977 x 2064 or visit our website www.qachousing.org and click on the Affordable & Workforce Housing Unit link on the left-hand side.