First-time buyers

Your first home in the Wichita area, step by step

Buying for the first time has a lot of pieces. Here they are in order, with the help programs that exist around here, so you know what is next before you get there.

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The steps

  1. Know your numberTalk to a lender before you tour. Pre-approval tells you how much you can borrow and what payment fits, and it makes a seller take your offer seriously.
  2. Check the help programsInside Wichita city limits, the HOMEownership 80 program helps with down payment and closing costs through the City's partner builders and nonprofits. Outside the city (Maize, Goddard, Derby and the other towns), the Kansas Housing first-time homebuyer program offers a 0% second mortgage. Both have income limits and rules; your lender can tell you which one you qualify for.
  3. Sign an agreement with your agentSince 2024, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately and put in writing before you tour homes. Sometimes the seller agrees to pay part or all of it as part of the offer. We walk you through how it works before we open the first door.
  4. Tour homes and make an offerWhen you find the one, we put the offer together: price, earnest money, contingencies and closing date. The terms matter as much as the price.
  5. Inspection, appraisal and closingThe inspection tells you what shape the house is in; the appraisal confirms the value for the lender. Then you sign at the title company and get the keys.

Help programs around Wichita

City of Wichita: HOMEownership 80 Down payment and closing cost help for first-time buyers in the City's program areas, through partners like Mennonite Housing and Habitat for Humanity. Income limits apply. wichita.gov →
Kansas Housing: First Time Homebuyer A 0% second mortgage that is forgiven over time, for income-eligible buyers. It cannot be used inside Wichita city limits. kshousingcorp.org →

Programs, amounts and limits change. Confirm the current details with the program and your lender. Nothing here is financial advice.

Read before you start

Let's start on your first home

No pressure. We walk you through the steps, connect you with a lender if you do not have one yet, and send homes that fit.