- Arkansas
Down Payment Program Makes Home Purchase a Reality for Young Family
They had been looking for something affordable and within their budget for about nine months when Steven Reynolds, their mortgage loan officer at Eagle Bank Mortgage, texted a flier about the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) Homebuyer Equity Leverage Partnership (HELP) down payment and closing cost assistance program.
“Eagle Bank has been helping Arkansans become homeowners with HELP for more than four years,” Mr. Reynolds said. “When a new round of funding opened up in January 2024, I immediately thought about the Conways, and I’m so glad they were able to qualify and find a home for their new family.”
HELP assists income-qualified, first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance and closing costs.
For 2025, FHLB Dallas set aside $17 million of its Affordable Housing Program funds for HELP. Funds are provided through FHLB Dallas members participating in the program, in this case it was Eagle Bank.
Soon after learning about HELP, the Conways’ search for an affordable home came to a successful end in Sherwood, Arkansas.
The couple received a $19,176 down payment HELP grant.
It was a game-changer, Elizabeth Conway said.
“I think we still would have been able to buy, but it would have been a lot harder on our finances as I’m now a stay-at-home mom,” she said.
The couple bought a 1,350-square-foot home in an area where neighbors are friendly and look out for each other. They live in the home with their 1-year-old daughter.
“It’s different when you are in your own home and you know it is yours,” she said. “It feels more like a home.”
Visit fhlb.com/help for more information.
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