222 Washington Street, Unit 2

Affordable Housing Program Application

Basic Qualifications:  Guidelines 

A.    Unit Description 
Unit 2 at 222 Washington Street condominium in Winchester is available for purchase by a qualified first time home buyer for the below market price of $234,504.  The two-bedroom, one-bath, second floor unit consists of approximately 1150 square feet.  The unit has a shared basement/storage area and a shared driveway and one allocated parking space. 

B.    Eligibility
1.            Household Size
Anyone can apply, but in accordance with Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Local Initiative Program (LIP) Guidelines, the Winchester FTHB Program will give preference to households/families of two or more over single individuals.  

A “household/family” is defined as two or more persons who will live regularly in the unit as their primary residence and who are related by blood, marriage, law, or who have otherwise evidenced a stable inter-dependent relationship. (See II. Required Documentation for criteria.) 

2.            First Time Home Buyer Definition
The affordable unit is available only to first time home buyers, defined as persons who have not owned a home within the last three years, with the exception of displaced homemakers (as defined in Chapter 23D, Section 26 of General Laws of Massachusetts) and elderly households where at least one household member is 55 or over.

3.            Applicant Mortgage Details

• Applicants must be pre-approved for a mortgage and submit a pre-approval letter with application materials. 
• Applicants must be able to obtain a mortgage and close on the unit promptly.
• The household must have sufficient funds for a down payment and closing costs, as determined by the participating lender, and show evidence of those funds in the financial disclosure of their application. 

4.            Income and Asset Limits (amounts listed apply to total household members, earners and non-earners):        

Income: 1 Person Household:  $62,450
               2 Person Household:  $71,400
               3 Person Household:  $80,300
               4 Person Household:  $89,200

Assets are limited to $75,000.

5.            Participation Limitation
Individuals who have a financial interest in the development and their families shall not be eligible to participate in the lottery.

C.    Preference:  
First preference will be given to households requiring two bedrooms based on LIP criteria. 

D.    Permanent Deed Restrictions
The unit may be resold only pursuant to certain conditions in the Deed Rider to be executed at the time of the purchase. The key restrictions are: first, future purchasers must meet first time home buyer and financial eligibility criteria; and second, the amount of gain which may be derived from resale is strictly limited.      

E.    Schedule for 2020: 
This unit will come on the market the week of February 10, 2020.  The unit will be offered to the first eligible applicant who meets all the criteria according the State’s DHCD LIP Guidelines.  Once the unit is offered to an applicant, there will be time to schedule a home inspection, if desired, before signing a Purchase and Sale Agreement.  Once the Purchase and Sale Agreement is signed, the purchaser will obtain a mortgage as soon as possible and must close on the unit in a timely manner.

II.            Required Documentation & Deadline
Submit to: Town Manager’s Office, Town Hall, 2^nd Floor, 71 Mount Vernon Street, Winchester, MA  01890, ATTN: Jennifer Cafarella, Program Coordinator

Applicants must submit the following for their application to be considered complete:

• First Time Home Buyer Application, completed and signed
• Last five (5) consecutive pay-stubs for all 18+ adult members contributing to household
  • If Self-Employed or Earning Commissions, OT, Bonuses:  Last two (2) years (2017 and 2018 or 2018 and 2019 if completed) Federal Income Tax Returns with all attachments, schedules, & W-2 forms
• Mortgage Pre-Approval Letter indicating the type of loan and amount, and the following language:  
• Pre-Approval from Financing Institutions.  
  • The last two (2) years Federal Income Tax Returns with all attachments, schedules, & W-2 forms
  • The last three (3) consecutive months’ bank/credit union statements and or copies of all pages in bank book.
• Signed statement of “Stable Inter-Dependent Relationship” (SI-DR) if applicable.  Partners must satisfy the following criteria:
  • Are not related by blood
  • Have been residing together in a common household for at least 6 consecutive months
  • Are sole partners of one another
  • Are financially interdependent

Winchester FTHB Participating Lenders—Contacts for Mortgage Pre-Approval   

Winchester Savings—781-729-2130
Winchester Cooperative— 781-729-3620
Northmark Bank— 978-686-9100 

QUESTIONS?  Please contact Jennifer Cafarella at 781-759-9747