Delaware First Time Home Buyer

City of Wilmington employees: Are you missing out on a $4,000 homebuyer grant? 🏡💸👇

If you work for the City of Wilmington, you need to know about the "Live Near Your Work" program. Watch this quick breakdown to see how you can get up to $4,000 to help cover your down payment and closing costs!

💡 Here is how the program works:
✅ It is Forgivable: You generally do not have to pay the $4,000 back if you live in the home as your primary residence for at least 5 years.
✅ Location Matters: The home must be a 1-unit property located strictly inside Wilmington, DE city limits.
✅ You Can Stack It: We can often combine this grant with an FHA or Conventional first mortgage to maximize your savings.

To qualify, you must have completed your City probationary period, meet current income limits, and contribute at least $1,000 of your own funds.

Navigating Delaware down payment assistance is exactly what we do. We help City employees line up the right mortgage and coordinate the grant so the funds are ready at the closing table.

📲 Ready to see if you qualify? Send us a DM or click the link in our bio to read our full 2026 guide on the Wilmington Employee Homebuyer Assistance Program!

📍 The John Thomas Team| Newark, DE 👤 John Thomas | NMLS #38783 📞 302-703-0727

LiveNearYourWork DelawareMortgages

Delaware essential workers, this one is important.

If you are a teacher, nurse, first responder, veteran, state employee, or other qualifying essential worker, you may have heard about the DSHA Delaware Diamonds Down Payment Assistance Program.

This program can provide $10,000 in forgivable down payment assistance, but right now the program is currently out of funds and not available. Learn more about Delaware Diamonds at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-delaware-diamond-dpa-program/

That does not mean you are out of options.

DSHA has other down payment assistance programs that may still help, depending on your income, credit score, first-time buyer status, loan type, and where you are buying in Delaware. Learn about all the current DSHA Options at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-loan-programs-delaware/

In this quick video, I explain what Delaware Diamonds is, why it is not currently available, and what other options may be worth reviewing.

The best step is not to guess. Let’s walk through your options and build a plan before you start making offers.

Call me at 302-703-0727 or schedule a quick DSHA down payment assistance review.

John Thomas
Primary Residential Mortgage
NMLS #38783

Delaware home buyers: the DSHA Home Sweet Home Program is no longer currently funded, but that does not mean down payment assistance is off the table.

Home Sweet Home used to offer $12,000 as a 0% forgivable second mortgage. Today, buyers may still have other DSHA options available, including Keys4You, First State, Take5, and Diamond in the Rough. Learn more about DSHA Home Sweet Home at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-home-sweet-home-dpa-program/

The best program depends on your income, credit score, county, purchase price, and whether you are a first-time or repeat buyer. Learn about all the current offers from DSHA at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-loan-programs-delaware/

Have questions? Call or text John Thomas at 302-703-0727, and we’ll walk through your options step-by-step

Thinking about buying a fixer-upper but not sure how renovation loans really work?

A renovation loan allows you to finance both the home purchase and the renovation costs into one mortgage. That means you may be able to buy a home with potential and update it after closing instead of paying out of pocket later.

These programs can work for FHA, VA, USDA, and Conventional financing depending on your situation.

The key is understanding the process before you start shopping.

Watch this quick video where I explain how renovation loans really work step-by-step. Learn more at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/renovation-lending-buy-and-renovate-with-one-loan/

If you’re thinking about buying and renovating a home in Delaware or Maryland, call Loan Officer John Thomas at 302-703-0727 and I’ll walk you through your options.

🏡 Can’t find the right home in Delaware… or everything needs work?

Most buyers pass on homes that need repairs — but that might be a mistake.

With the DSHA Diamond in the Rough FHA 203k Loan, you can buy a home AND finance the renovations into the loan — up to $75,000 in repairs.

💰 And you may also qualify for 5% down payment and closing cost assistance through DSHA.

I’ve personally used this program to save deals when appraisal repairs came back and the seller wouldn’t fix them.

👉 So instead of walking away… you could still get the home.

Learn more at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-diamond-in-the-rough-fha-203k-delaware/

📲 If you want to see if this works for you, call or text me at 302-703-0727
or message me directly here.

Let’s find a way to get you into a home — even if it’s not perfect yet.

— John Thomas

DelawareRealEstate

Trying to buy a home in Delaware but stuck on the down payment?

This is one of the biggest things holding people back right now… and honestly, it’s where a lot of buyers get it wrong.

There’s a program called the DSHA First State Home Loan that could give you 3% of your loan amount toward your down payment and closing costs.

On a $300K–$350K home, that’s roughly $9,000–$10,500 in assistance.

Here’s the part most people don’t realize…

It’s a 0% interest second loan with no monthly payment.
You don’t pay it back monthly — it just sits there until you sell, refinance, or move out.

So instead of waiting years to save up, a lot of buyers are using programs like this to get in the market now.

Learn more about DSHA First State Home Loan Program at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/delaware-down-payment-assistance-programs/

It works with FHA, VA, USDA, and Conventional loans, and it’s available statewide here in Delaware.

Not everyone qualifies, but if you’ve been thinking about buying and the upfront cost is what’s stopping you… this is worth a look.

All right, so here’s what I’d do next…

Book your free mortgage consult below and find out how much you could qualify for — or just call/text 302-703-0727 and we’ll walk through it with you.

Think you don’t qualify for Delaware homebuyer programs because you make too much… or you’ve owned a home before?

That’s where most people get it wrong.

The DSHA Open Door loan program is built for buyers who don’t fit the typical “first-time buyer” box — and it offers 3%–4% down payment assistance to help reduce your upfront costs.

I’ve helped a lot of buyers here in Delaware who assumed they were out of options… and they were closer than they thought.

Learn more about the DSHA Open Door Loan Program at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-open-door-loan-delaware/

The goal is to make the process simple and help you understand exactly what your options look like before you start house hunting.

If you’re thinking about buying and not sure where you stand, feel free to reach out.

📲 Call or text me at 302-703-0727

Or just send me a message — happy to walk through it with you step-by-step.

Most people think you need $20,000+ to buy a home in Delaware.

That’s just not true.

The DSHA Welcome Home loan program can offer up to 5% down payment assistance — which, on a $300,000 home, could be around $15,000 toward your down payment and closing costs.

A lot of buyers are surprised to find out they already qualify.

If you haven’t owned a home in the last 3 years, you may be considered a first-time buyer.

And you don’t need perfect credit to get started.

The goal is to make the process simple and clear, so you know exactly what your options are.

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Delaware, I’m here to help. Learn more about the DSHA Welcome Home Program at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-welcome-home-mortgage-loan/

Send me a message or schedule a quick call — we’ll walk through everything step-by-step so you can move forward with confidence.

HomeBuyingTip

Buying a home in Delaware and need help with the down payment?

The DSHA Keys4You Down Payment Assistance Program may provide 4% assistance toward your down payment and closing costs, with no monthly payment on the assistance.

This program may be available for both first-time and repeat Delaware homebuyers when paired with the right DSHA mortgage program.

Learn more at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/dsha-keys4you-home-loan-delaware/

The key is knowing how the program works, what you qualify for, and how much assistance you may be able to receive

I’m John Thomas with Primary Residential Mortgage in Newark, Delaware, NMLS #38783. My team and I help Delaware buyers compare DSHA options and understand the numbers before they move forward.

Have questions about Keys4You or Delaware down payment assistance?

Call me, John Thoms at 302-703-0727 and I’ll walk through your options step-by-step.

DelawareHomeBuyer FirstTimeHomeBuyer

There’s a program called DSHA Take5 that can give you 5% of your loan amount to cover your down payment and closing costs.

No interest.
No monthly payment.

For many buyers, that can mean getting into a home with a lot less cash out of pocket.
Learn More at https://delawaremortgageloans.net/take5-home-loan-delaware/

For example:
$300,000 home = about $15,000 in assistance

This is one of the most powerful options available for first-time home buyers in Delaware, but not everyone knows how it works—or if they qualify.

If you’ve been on the fence about buying, this could be the piece you’re missing.

Call or text me at 302-703-0727 and we’ll walk through your options step-by-step so everything feels clear from the start.

HomeLoansDelaware