Step Up Program Saves the Sale for First-Time Buyer

November 19, 2024

Alex Castanza, a loan officer with Guild Mortgage in Montgomery, described a recent “win” using AHFA‘s Step Up down payment assistance.

“I had a borrower who had just enough money to either pay for closing costs or put a down payment on her home,” he said. “She found the perfect starter home for her, but the sellers were not going to give her any help on her closing costs. With that, we were able to use the Step Up program to secure her down payment funds and close on her first house ever. Thank you, AHFA, for making this possible.”

Going the extra mile for borrowers earned Guild Mortgage special recognition as AHFA's Top Participating Lending Company for the fourth quarter of FY2024. Step Up gives lenders like Castanza an option for reaching moderate-income homebuyers who can afford a mortgage but need help with the down payment. Nearly 1,000 households earning less than $159,200 benefitted from Step Up's down payment assistance loans last year, resulting in approximately 22,000 families helped since the program’s inception. For more information, please visit the Step Up page on AHFA.com.