// First-time buyers
Your first home, financed smart and bought right.
The scariest part of buying your first home is what you do not know yet. This hub covers the money: the programs, the costs, and the order of operations, so you walk in with the full picture.
// Free resource
The First-Time Buyer Guide and Checklist
An honest, step-by-step guide to buying your first home in Snohomish County.
// Money you may not know exists
Down payment programs in Washington, 2026.
Washington has a well-funded set of first-time buyer programs, and in Snohomish County they can stack together. Income limits, price caps, and funding change often, so treat these as the starting map, then confirm current terms with a WSHFC-approved lender. Curt works with lenders who close these loans regularly.
Washington State Housing Finance Commission
Home Advantage + Down Payment Assistance
The state’s flagship first mortgage (30-year fixed on conventional, FHA, VA, or USDA loans) with a paired second mortgage covering 3% to 5% of the loan at 0% interest, deferred until you sell or refinance. Income limits roughly $180,000 to $215,000 depending on county and household size.
wshfc.orgWashington State Housing Finance Commission
House Key Opportunity DPA
A lower-income program offering up to $15,000 at 1% simple interest, deferred for 30 years. In King and Snohomish counties the income limit is about $93,000 for one to two people and $116,000 for three or more, as of mid-2026.
wshfc.orgAdministered through HomeSight
Snohomish County Down Payment Assistance
Up to $50,000 as a 3% interest, 30-year deferred loan for income-qualified buyers purchasing inside Snohomish County, and it can generally be layered on top of state programs. Homebuyer education is required.
homesightwa.orgPart of every WSHFC-assisted loan
Homebuyer education, required
All Washington State Housing Finance Commission programs require a homebuyer education course. It takes a few hours, it is genuinely useful, and Curt will point you to the approved class.
Sources: Washington State Housing Finance Commission (wshfc.org) and HomeSight (homesightwa.org), as reported in mid-2026. Verify current limits before relying on any figure.
// The full cost picture
It is not just the down payment.
Earnest money
Typically 1% to 3% of the purchase price, held in escrow and credited to your down payment at closing.
Inspection & appraisal
A home inspection runs a few hundred dollars; the appraisal is ordered through the lender. Both protect your offer.
Closing costs
Count on roughly 2% to 5% of the purchase price for title, escrow, lender fees, and prepaids. Seller credits can cover much of this.
Ongoing costs
Property taxes and insurance are usually escrowed into the payment, and condos add HOA dues. Budget for them from day one.
// The order of operations
How it works, step by step.
- 01
Education first
Take the required homebuyer education course. It unlocks the assistance programs and genuinely teaches you the process.
- 02
Get pre-approved
A real pre-approval from a lender, not a pre-qualification estimate. This sets your budget, your interest rate, and your negotiation position.
- 03
Set your shortlist
Communities that fit the budget and the lifestyle. Curt’s area guides cover the county town by town.
- 04
Make the offer
The winning first-time offer protects you: inspection, appraisal, and financing contingencies, with terms that still compete.
- 05
Inspect carefully
Construction-trained eyes on the report read out loud, so you know which findings matter and which are routine.
- 06
Close with confidence
Final walkthrough, paperwork explained, and keys. Then the fun part: furnishing it.
// Get matched with a lender
No lender yet? Start here.
Tell Curt a little about your situation and he will connect you with a WSHFC-approved lender who knows down payment assistance inside out, or review the options with you himself. First-timers are his favorite clients. Nobody is better positioned to appreciate what that first key means.
First-time buyer intake
Curt reads every one of these himself and replies with next steps and a lender recommendation.