Homeownership Support FAQs

We offer a Homebuyer Education workshop which covers the basics of the home buying process. We host monthly hybrid In-Person/Zoom Home Buyer Education Workshop courses and you can find the upcoming schedule here – https://www.homemattershere.org/how-to-buy-a-home/.  There is an online option that allows you to take the class at your own pace and you can register here – https://www.ehomeamerica.org/wwht. The cost for these courses if $99. This fee can be waived if you are a WWHT tenant, receive a Section 8 voucher, or otherwise cannot afford the course.

Yes, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust will purchase appropriate translation services to help provide you with the best services we can.

Yes Windham & Windsor Housing Trust will purchase appropriate ASL interpreter services and use other communication technology that you would prefer.

A Homeownership Specialist will reach out to you to schedule a 1:1 counseling session. You must complete at least one counseling session in order to receive a Homebuyer Education Certificate of Completion. The certificate is valid for 12 months after the date of issue. The certificate may be requirement if you are a first-time homeowner applying for down payment assistance or specific loans, such as VHFA loans.

Windham & Windsor Housing Trust offers down payment assistance to income-eligible homebuyers through its Shared Equity Program. To learn more about this program, please contact our Homeownership Program Coordinator, Jeremy Paquette. We can also discuss other down payment assistance programs during 1:1 counseling sessions. These include USDA Direct Loans which do require a down payment, ASSIST loans from VHFA, First Generation grants, Equity Builder grants and other programs from Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston and others.

We will provide counseling in your preferred manner. We can meet with you at our office in Brattleboro. In addition, we have arrangements for confidential space for meeting in Bellows Falls or White River Junction. We also will provide counseling and coaching via Zoom or another remote conferencing application. We also will respond to your questions via phone and email as needed.

Windham & Windsor Housing Trust occasionally has homes available for resale through its Shared Equity Program. You can find the current list here – https://www.homemattershere.org/search-homes/.  To learn more about the Shared Equity Program, please contact our Homeownership Program Coordinator, Jeremy Paquette

It is a program that helps provide and support affordable, sustainable homeownership to present and future buyers.  To learn more about this program, take a look at this short clip or please contact our Homeownership Program Coordinator, Jeremy Paquette

Windham & Windsor Housing Trust does not assist homeowners with selling their homes unless they are part of our Shared Equity Program.

Please contact Bruce Whitney at 802-246-2111 to discuss this further.

Requirements can vary based on the lender, so you are encouraged to contact your lender to determine their specific requirements. However, the homebuyer education course as well as 1:1 counseling can provide you with information about what is generally required when applying for a home loan. Here are links to some lenders that work with our programs – USDA – https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-direct-home-loans; VHFA Windham – https://www.vhfa.org/homebuyers/lenders/county/Windham;  VHFA Windsor – https://www.vhfa.org/homebuyers/lenders/county/Windsor

During the 1 on 1 counseling sessions that follow the completion of the homebuyer workshop, our Specialists will work with you to see what is possible for you.  They will talk with you about mortgage-readiness, credit scores, loan and grant options, and other important steps towards affordable home ownership.  You can continue to meet with our Specialist as much or as little as you like on your journey to buying a home, at no cost to you.

Contact Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s rental department at 802-246-2120 to get on their wait list for apartments or VT Legal Aid at 800-889-2047 for more information about the eviction process and your rights

Contact VT Legal Aid at 800-889-2047 for assistance or GreenPath at 800-550-1961 for foreclosure counseling

The Locust Hill park lot is a lot we own in Putney with a slab on it but there is no home on the site.  The homeowner would need to move in a specific size home (14′ x 60′) to the lot.  Our partner organization, Champlain Housing Trust, has a 0% loan to assist with the purchase of a manufactured home.  If you are interested in looking into their loan and possibly buying the lot, you would need to take a Homebuyer Education course through us and work with one of our Housing Specialists

Windham & Windsor Housing Trust cannot assist with these payments. Please contact your servicer to work out a payment plan or contact GreenPath at 800-550-1961 for financial counseling