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First-Time Buyers

You probably qualify for more help than you think.

Oregon runs real programs for first-time buyers. Most renters never find out, because nobody ever walked them through it and they had already decided the answer was no.

What exists

The programs, in plain language.

OHCS Flex Lending

Oregon's current state program, through approved local lenders. FirstHome is for first-time buyers; NextStep does not require you to be one at all. Both carry down payment assistance. The older Oregon Bond program that many websites still describe is being phased out.

Down payment assistance

Assistance is attached to Flex Lending, and there is a separate larger program for first-time and first-generation buyers at or below the area median income. In Lane County it is administered by DevNW, which has a Springfield office. Funding cycles change, so ask what is open today.

Homebuyer education

Required by most assistance programs and genuinely useful regardless. A few hours covering escrow, closing costs, and how not to get taken. DevNW runs classes locally and approved online courses also count.

USDA rural loans

Zero down for eligible buyers at eligible addresses, and a lot of Lane County outside the metro core has historically qualified. Check the specific address, not the town name.

Worth saying plainly: program names, funding, and income limits change, and city-level programs in particular go in and out of funding. Everything here is orientation, not a qualification decision, and I am an agent rather than a lender. Confirm current details with a participating lender, with DevNW, or with the program directly before you plan around any of it.
Ask me where to start
Where to start

Tell me where you are right now.

Renting, saving, already talking to a lender, or just wondering if it is possible yet. I will tell you honestly what the next step is and who to call for it.

  • Early conversations are free and they are the useful ones.
  • I am an agent, not a lender, and I will say so.
  • Nothing here commits you to anything.

An email or a phone number, whichever you would rather hear back on.

Goes straight to Brett Herring (The Operative Group · Real Broker, LLC, Lic. #201228460). Never sold or handed to a lead vendor. Equal Housing Opportunity.

FAQ

First-time buyer questions

Do I really need twenty percent down?

No. This is the most common and most expensive misconception in the whole process. Many loan programs allow far less, and Oregon down payment assistance can help with what remains. Ask a lender what you actually qualify for before you write off buying.

What credit score do I need to buy a house?

There are loan paths at a range of credit levels, and the cutoff people imagine is usually higher than reality. If your credit needs work, a good lender will tell you exactly which two or three things to fix and roughly how long it takes. That is a plan, not a rejection.

What are closing costs and who pays them?

Closing costs cover lender fees, title, escrow, prepaid taxes and insurance, and recording. They typically run a few percent of the purchase price. Some can be negotiated into the deal, some can be covered by assistance programs, and all of them should be shown to you in writing well before closing.

Are first-time buyer programs only for people who have never owned?

Often "first-time buyer" means you have not owned a primary residence in the last three years, which surprises a lot of people who owned once years ago. Definitions vary by program. Worth checking rather than assuming you are disqualified.

Go deeper

Guides for first-time buyers.

Let's talk about your move.

Buying your first place, selling acreage out east, or landing here from out of state — start with a conversation. No pressure, no script, no disappearing act.

Call or text 541-968-9422 Email Brett
541-968-9422