If you're a first-time homebuyer, understanding the process before you find the house of your dreams is a good idea. Four HUD-certified housing organizations would be happy to help walk you through the homebuying process.
Learn what services these organizations provide and where you can find additional information about buying a home.
Westchester Residential Opportunities
470 Mamaroneck Avenue – Suite 410
White Plains, New York 10605
Tel: (914) 428-4507
E-mail for counseling in English
for counseling in Spanish
Human Development Services of Westchester
28 Adee Street
Port Chester, NY 10573
Tel: (914) 939-2005
E-mail:
Community Housing Innovations, Inc.
75 South Broadway, Suite 340
White Plains, New York 10601
Phone: (914) 683-1010
What services do these organizations provide?
Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO) is a federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Certified home-buying agency in the County. Trained and experienced counselors can review your household financial situation and make recommendations to help you prepare to become a home buyer. The counselor will provide information on topics such as down payment, closing costs, first mortgage, PITI, and points and walk you through the home purchasing process. You can also find out how much home you can afford.
Human Development Services of Westchester (HDSW) is a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency serving Westchester County. It is also the designated Neighborhood Preservation Company (NPC) for the Village of Port Chester, with the goals of increasing and preserving affordable housing, and neighborhood stabilization, for village residents
HDSW’s bilingual and multicultural staff provides assistance to individuals and families interested in purchasing their first home through a variety of services. Confidential, one-on-one counseling is available to review your current financial situation, go over credit reports, and develop the best possible strategy to afford a home within budget. In addition, the agency offers group workshops and accelerated counseling to prospective homebuyers who are currently in contract and need to fulfill homebuyer counseling requirements in a timely manner.
Where else can I obtain information on buying a home?
Visit the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Web site, where you can access “100 Questions and Answers About Buying A New Home.” Check out the "Buying a Home Section." It includes information about affordability, your rights, how to shop for a home, and how to make an offer.
Another good site is maintained by the Government National Mortgage Association, also known as “Ginnie Mae.” Ginnie Mae is a federally sponsored agency that helps secure and guarantee the issuance of home mortgages. This site offers a number of helpful tools, such as an easy-to-use calculator to help you compare your income and consumer debt against an affordable mortgage.