CITY
OF TEMPE
DOWNPAYMENT
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
INTRODUCTION,
PURPOSE, AND DESCRIPTION
Ø
The Community Assisted Mortgage Program (CAMP)
was developed to address a number of needs within the City of
Tempe
.
First, the city lacked an affordable homebuyer
program for low-income first time households.
Secondly, CAMP seeks to increase the owner-occupancy rate.
Lastly, providing financial incentives to homebuyers encourages
reinvestment in
Tempe
’s
neighborhoods.
CAMP
will provide deferred loans to eligible households that wish to purchase a
primary residence on an owner-occupied basis within the geographic
boundaries of the City. Loans
are available for down payment assistance, prepaid expenses and reasonable
closing costs.
Ø
The American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI)
is another program offered through the City.
Under the ADDI program, additional downpayment assistance is
offered to low-income families who are first-time homebuyers for the
purchase of single family housing that will service as the family’s
principal residence. As with
CAMP funds, the ADDI assistance is also offered in the form of a deferred
loan.
NOTE: THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO FUNDS FOR THE ADDI PROGRAM.
AMOUNT
OF ASSISTANCE AND TARGETED AREAS
CAMP
FUNDS
Up to thirty five thousand dollars ($35,000) is available to
households purchasing a home in a city-designated Neighborhood Enhancement Area.
ü
Neighborhood Enhancement Areas are defined in
General Plan 2020 (currently all neighborhoods north of
Alameda
Drive
in
Tempe
)
.
Households purchasing homes
outside of a Neighborhood Enhancement Area are eligible for up to thirty thousand dollars ($30,000).
ADDI
FUNDS
Up to an ADDITIONAL
ten
thousand dollars ($10,000) or six percent of the purchase amount is
available to households earning less than 60% AMI and purchase a home in
the city-designated Neighborhood Enhancement Area.
ü
Neighborhood Enhancement Areas are defined in
General Plan 2020 (currently all neighborhoods north of
Alameda
Drive
in
Tempe
)
.
Income eligible households
purchasing a home outside of the Enhancement Area are eligible for up to eighty five hundred dollars ($8,500), or six percent of purchase
amount.
NOTE: THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO FUNDS FOR THE ADDI PROGRAM.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Applicants
must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
Ø
Annual
household gross income
CAMP: Applicants must be at or below 80% of
the area median
(adjusted for family size) for
Maricopa
County
.
ADDI: Applicants
must be at or below 60% of the area median (adjusted for family
size) for
Maricopa
County
.
ü
Area median income limits are
established by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
(HUD) on an annual basis.
Ø
Completion
of a HUD/City of
Tempe
approved homebuyer education class
ü
Currently, one agency has agreed to educate
and/or counsel CAMP applicants. They
are:
NewTowN
CDC,
480-517-1589.
Ø
First
time homebuyer
(as defined by Federal Housing Administration)
ü
FHA defines first time homebuyer as an individual
who meets any one of the following criteria:
·
An individual who has had no ownership in a
principal residence during the three year period ending on the date of
purchase of the property. This
includes a spouse;
·
A single parent who has only owned with a former
spouse while married;
·
An individual who is a displaced homemaker and has
only owned with a spouse.
ELIGIBLE
PROPERTIES
Ø
Single
family homes, patio homes, town homes, condominiums or manufactured homes
attached to a permanent foundation on land owned by the purchaser located within the
City of
Tempe
.
Ø
The
property must be vacant or owner-occupied at the time of purchase offer.
ü
Properties that have been rented to tenants within
30 days prior to the time of purchase offer are not eligible, unless the
applicant is the current tenant.
ü Vacancy or owner-occupancy must be confirmed by a
certificate signed by the seller.
ü All sellers must be furnished with a letter
explaining the Uniform Relocation Act and that this is a voluntary sale.
Sellers are not eligible for relocation assistance.
ü
The City will perform the HQS inspection and report
all deficiencies to the Real Estate Agent of the program participant; all
deficiencies must be corrected prior to closing.
ü The applicant must order an independent inspection
from a licensed residential home inspector. the applicant or the
seller must pay for this inspection.
Ø
The
purchase price cannot exceed 95% of the current area median sales price
ü The
current purchase price limit can be found on the HUD website, or by
clicking here.
TERMS
AND CONDITIONS
Ø
The
City’s investment will be secured with a Deed of Trust
or other approved and recorded lien instrument.
Ø
The
assistance is in the form of a zero percent, non-amortizing loan
due in full upon transfer of title, refinancing for other than a change in
rate and/or term, or when the borrower discontinues use of the property as
his/her primary residence.
ü
ANY refinancing that allows for cash/equity to be
taken out of the property, regardless of the purpose, requires repayment
of the assistance.
ü
The City will only subordinate its second position
for a favorable change in rate and/or term.
ü
Upon transfer of title, the assistance is due
immediately in full (usually from sale proceeds).
ü
Upon disclosure to or discovery by the City that
the property is no longer the primary residence of the borrower, the
assistance is due in full within 30 days of notification by the City to
the borrower; primary residence is defined as occupation of the residence
by the homeowner for a minimum of ten months per calendar year.
ü
The lien may be assumed by income eligible heirs
(<80% of area median) if using the property as a principal residence;
heirs need not be first-time homebuyers or graduates of a homebuyer
education class.
REQUIREMENTS
OF THE BUYER
Ø
Borrower
must contribute the greater of $1,000 or 1% of the purchase price
ü
If the first mortgage product requires more than
$1,000 or 1% of the purchase price, it satisfies this requirement.
ü
Borrower’s funds may be used for down payment
assistance, prepaid expenses or closing costs.
ü
Funds must come from borrower’s personal
accounts, they may not be gifted or from other sources.
Ø
Borrower
is responsible for securing either a fixed rate or variable rate mortgage.
In either case, the points and lender fees cannot exceed 5% of the
mortgage amount.
-
Fixed Rate Mortgage:
If the borrower
secures a fixed interest rate mortgage, the annual percentage rate
cannot exceed 8%.
-
Variable Interest Rate:
Adjustable rate mortgages where the initial interest rate is
fixed for a minimum of 5 years may be approved by THS
if the applicant can satisfactorily demonstrate to the City that the
family's income is expected to increase and the family's Principal,
Interest, Taxes and Insurance payment will not exceed 40% of the
family's gross monthly income should the interest rate increase by
the maximum allotted amount as specified in the mortgage loan
documents.
Ø
The
amount of assistance will not exceed the difference between the maximum
mortgage sustainable by the household and the purchase price of the
property.

CAMP
Assistance
Example 1:
|
Purchase Price
|
|
145,000 |
|
Closing Costs +
Prepaids
|
|
3,000 |
|
Acquisition Amount
|
|
148,000 |
|
Maximum
Sustainable Mortgage
|
|
120,000 |
|
Buyer down
payment, or 1% of purchase price
|
|
1,450 |
|
Total Buyer
contribution
|
|
121,450 |
|
Maximum
CAMP
Subsidy
|
|
26,550 |
|
Maximum ADDI
Subsidy
|
|
0 |
|
Additional buyer contribution
|
|
0
|
|
Total
|
|
148,000
|
CAMP
Assistance Example 2:
|
Purchase Price
|
|
165,000
|
|
Closing Costs +
Prepaids
|
|
3,000
|
|
Acquisition Amount
|
|
168,000
|
|
Maximum
Sustainable Mortgage
|
|
120,000
|
|
Buyer down
payment, or 1% of purchase price
|
|
1,650
|
|
Total Buyer
contribution
|
|
121650
|
|
Maximum
CAMP
Subsidy
|
|
35,000
|
|
Maximum ADDI
Subsidy
|
|
10,000
|
|
Additional buyer contribution
|
|
1,350
|
|
Total
|
|
168,000
|
|