BUYER INFORMATION

The Buying Process:

1. See if you might qualify - income ceiling

a. Find your annual gross household income in this table (Your income must be less than the value shown for your household size):

Household Size	Purchasing in Idaho	Purchasing in Washington
One Person	$52,600	$57,750
Two People	$60,100	$66,000
Three People	$67,600	$74,250
Four People	$75,100	$82,500
Households larger than 4	See this page for ID	See this page for WA

Table updated with current income levels effective 5/14/2026

b. Income floor

All buyers must have an income greater than 50% AMI for a household of one, unless overridden by a project’s funding sources.

c. Do you have some savings for down payment & closing costs?

d. Do you have assets to consider?

Asset Limitation Includes all household members
ASSETS MAY NOT BE TEMPORARILY WITHDRAWN OR MOVED IN ORDER TO APPEAR UNDER THE ASSET LIMIT. ATTEMPTS TO HIDE ASSETS OR INTENTIONAL NON-DISCLOSURE WILL DISQUALIFY THE BUYER FROM PURCHASE.
Buyers will be required to sign a certification they have disclosed all assets from all sources.
Income from non-retirement assets over $5,000.00 (interest, dividends, etc.) is required to be included in the income calculation.
Age 62+ (Elderly) households must be able to qualify for and accept a primary mortgage on the unit.
Age 62+ (Elderly) households may be eligible to keep more in liquid assets than non-elderly households (excluding retirement accounts). Eligibility is determined at the time of income and asset review.

2. Find a lender

You have a choice of lenders, below. HRHT gets funding from several sources, including a Federal program called HOME administered by Idaho Housing and Finance Association. In the event a home’s construction funding is via HOME, the lender must work with Idaho Housing Finance Association (IHFA). See more on the Lender Information page.

If the project does not use HOME funds, your options for lenders is wider, but a lender must still be willing to work with a Communuty Land Trust sale. Buyer, direct your lender to the Lender Information page.

3. Get on the Buyer List

Please use this short survey to help us complete your intake so you can be on the list. The list is First Come/First Served based on the date you are determined to be a qualified buyer. There is one buyer list for both Idaho and Washington homes.

Homeowner Intake Form

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Resources:

What can you afford?

Try this Loan Calculator.

Suggested guesses:

NOTE: The suggestions above are guesses for a land trust buyer. Visiting a mortgage lender can help you get a better picture of your true buying power.

Credit & Budgeting

University of Idaho Extension offers several free short-courses on establishing credit and improving your credit score, paying down debt, and other financial planning which could help a family be more ready to decide to purchase, see this page.

Buying Process

You can learn more about all aspects of buying a home through Idaho Housing Finance Association’s class Finally Home!® Classes are offered online.

The Washington Homeownership Resource Center has information for homebuyers, including funding resources specific to Washington state.

Idaho Resources

Contacts

Karen Richel, AFC, CMC

krichel@uidaho.edu

Direct Line: (208) 883-2241

200 S. Almon Street, Suite 201 Moscow, ID 83843

Washington Resources

https://www.homeownership-wa.org/for-homebuyers/

The Washington Housing Resource Center (WHRC) team can start intake and help you get the ball rolling on your journey, including housing counseling, homebuyer ed, etc. WHRC can also review down payment assistance options in Washington, to see if you may be eligible. There are no commitments and you can work at the pace that makes sense for you.