$6,000 Home Run Grant

What is the $6,000 Home Run grant?

The Home Run Grant is a mortgage assistance program that grants $6,000 to home buyers who purchase a newly constructed, never-occupied primary residence in Utah. The Home Run Grant is funded by the Housing Relief Restricted Special Revenue Fund, established by Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, the Utah State Legislature and Utah Housing Corporation.

The Home Run grant is available to any Utah home buyer who meets the following qualifications:
o Single person, income not to exceed $75,000.
o Married couple, income not to exceed $150,000.
o If more than one unmarried person is taking title to the eligible home, each such single person is subject to the $75,000 income limit.
Home buyers must occupy the purchased home as a primary, permanent residence no later than 30 days after closing.
If home buyers need a mortgage loan to purchase the home, the loan must be a fixed interest rate, amortizing mortgage loan with a term of 30 years or less. Cash buyers can also qualify by contacting Utah Housing Corporation directly.

To get a first-come, first-served written commitment for the grant, home buyers must:
o Enter into a written contract to purchase a newly constructed home.
o Contact a lender to obtain final underwriting approval for any needed financing.
o Have their mortgage lender furnish required documentation to Utah Housing Corporation for the grant.
o Utah Housing will reserve the $6,000 grant for 30 days.

Homes must be recently constructed, single-family residences that have a certificate of occupancy or a final inspection. They cannot be previously occupied. Eligible property types include single-family detached homes, condominiums, planned unit developments (PUD), twin homes, town homes and manufactured homes permanently affixed to a foundation.

No. Home Run Grants are available to all home buyers who meet the income restrictions of $75,000 for singles, $150,000 for couples and, if more than one single person takes title, the $75,000 limit applies to each such single person.

Mortgage lenders are the key link between the home buyer and the Home Run grant. The mortgage lender assists the home buyer to provide necessary information to secure the grant from Utah Housing Corporation. The home buyer does not work directly with Utah Housing Corporation (unless it is a cash buyer).

If home buyers need a mortgage loan, it must be a fixed interest rate loan with a term of 30 years or less. Loans may be obtained from any lender qualified to make mortgage loans under Utah law.. Examples of qualifying loans include:
o Conventional
o FHA, VA or Rural Housing
o Utah Housing Corporation's FirstHome and FirstHome Plus

Any mortgage lender qualified to make mortgage loans under Utah law can assist home buyers to secure the Home Run grant. Click here to see Utah Housing Corporation's list of currently approved lenders.

Yes, if a home buyer is a first-time home buyer and meets the independent criteria of both the federal and Home Run programs, they may take advantage of both. The $6,000 Home Run Grant is available to both those who are first-time home buyers as well as those who previously owned a home. The $8,000 federal tax credit is available only to first-time home buyers.

A total of approximately 1,600 grants are available. Each grant is $6,000. Only one grant can be used for the purchase of each home. Home Run Grants are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified home buyers. The approximate number of remaining grants will be posted on the UHC Web page at www.utahhousingcorp.org.

The Home Run Grant may be taxable as income under federal and state tax laws. UHC has requested a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about whether or not a Home Run Grant will be taxable. UHC does not give tax advice and home buyers should review the ruling and other pertinent tax information in connection with the preparation of their 2009 tax returns.