Separate the SC Housing mortgage, assistance and housing-authority decisions
SC Housing offers homebuyer resources through approved lending partners. Research providers in the city directories above, then identify the named mortgage and any assistance attached to it. A directory listing does not establish program participation, a funding reservation or borrower eligibility.
Check the program against your purchase county and ownership history
SC Housing's lender finder lets you select the county where you plan to purchase. Its Homebuyer (Bond) Program focuses on first-time buyers and eligible repeat buyers in targeted areas. Palmetto Home Advantage serves first-time, move-up and repeat buyers statewide without a first-time-buyer requirement. Ask an approved lending partner which route fits your ownership history and proposed property, and which income and property rules apply to that program.
The agency's program overview marks Palmetto Heroes closed for 2026. Do not build a closing plan around that allocation or an older promotional announcement. Ask the lender to review another named program and confirm any assistance reservation before using it in your purchase budget; the closure notice does not establish that another program has available funds.
Read the second-mortgage terms before assuming assistance is forgiven
The Bond Program describes its down payment assistance as an interest-free second lien with no monthly payments and a 15-year occupancy term for forgiveness. Its guide in the March 2026 training materials requires full repayment before maturity if the home is sold, refinanced or stops being the borrower's primary residence. Request the actual note, mortgage and payoff conditions before signing or planning a later change.
Palmetto Home Advantage also describes forgivable assistance with no monthly payment. Have the lender explain that program's own agreement, forgiveness date and sale, refinancing or occupancy conditions. The Bond Program's term should not be assumed to apply to another product. Ask for a closing-cost breakdown that shows the first mortgage, assistance and remaining buyer funds separately.
Confirm the course and certificate for the named mortgage
The Bond guide in SC Housing's March 2026 training materials allows classroom or online homebuyer education and requires completion by at least one borrower, including a repeat buyer. It identifies HomeView, CreditSmart and qualifying HUD-approved education among the options. Ask the loan officer to confirm the course, certificate validity and completion deadline for your specific mortgage before enrolling.
If you need individual preparation as well as a course, ask a housing counselor to review your purchase budget, credit and assistance questions. Confirm any service fee and accessible appointment format directly with the provider. Keep the mortgage course, a local assistance program's education requirements and any housing-authority classes identified separately so you can provide the right certificate to each reviewer.
Start voucher homeownership with the authority administering your voucher
SC Housing's voucher homeownership page directs current Housing Choice Voucher participants to their public housing agency. It explicitly says not every agency participates. Ask your caseworker whether homeownership is an option through that authority and how your purchase county, voucher history and household circumstances are reviewed; voucher participation alone does not establish eligibility to buy.
Under the process described, the authority's required education comes before its referral to an approved SC Housing lender, and the authority supplies the estimated homebuyer subsidy for the lender's review. Confirm who handles each step and what documents are needed. Completing the authority's requirements does not guarantee mortgage qualification or approval of the proposed home.
Published by Mortgage Firm, an independent directory. Program administrators and lenders determine current availability and eligibility. Our editorial approach