Resources for New and Prospective Home Buyers

Are you interested in this program but are not quite ready to buy a home and need a little help? The following FREE community resources are available to help you get on the path to owning a home! Please contact any of our partners below for help with:

Saving & Budgeting
Improving Your Credit score
Understanding the Home Buying Process

Home Buyer Education

Financial Pathways

A free home buyer education course that will introduce you to home buying. Available online or by phone.

Genworth's Online Course

A free course that will help you understand the homebuying process. Available online.

Stifel’s Buyers Guide to Homeownership

This easy to follow guide walks you through the pros and cons of buying a home, and what you need to do to prepare.

Affordable Housing Financing

Neighborhood Connection Home Loan

Commerce Bank has access to a variety of affordable housing financing options to fit your unique needs, including the Neighborhood Connection Home Loan.
Evette S. Baker - Mortgage Banker314.746.3550
Believable Banking Home Mortgage

A home loan designed to assist people on the pathway to affordable, successful home ownership, while helping revitalize neighborhoods. The unique mortgage structure helps empower people to overcome some of the challenges in mortgage qualification.

  • Pre- and post- purchase home ownership counseling
  • Not credit score driven
  • Mortgage insurance not required
  • Most down payment assistance programs allowed
  • Emergency reserve fund required
Crystal Morris - Believable Banking Home Mortgage314.512.8917midlandsb.com
acrew

acrew is a social impact venture that can help you save for a home and connect you with other down payment assistance options. Every acrew member gets access to:

  • Higher APY savings
  • Match rewards, similar to a retirement plan
  • AI-enabled Down Payment Assistance Finder

Becoming an acrew member is free and usually takes less than 10-minutes.
acrewsavings.com
Gateway Neighborhood Mortgage

The Gateway Neighborhood Mortgage provides loans to purchase and improve homes in neighborhoods with depressed home values.

Visit Justine Petersen for help, including any necessary credit repair, and a credit and financial health check.
Randen Click - Mortgage Banker314.226.5053www.justinepetersen.org

Operation HOPE

One-on-One credit counseling

Work with a counselor to identify issues, review your credit report, and then create a work plan to reach your financial goals. Also offers FREE Classes on the following subjects:

Budgeting
Learn about paying off debt and establishing savings.

Establishing and Rebuilding Your Credit Profile:
Learn about understanding your credit score and reading a credit report.

Reginald D. Garth - Financial Well Being Coach314.613.3196http://www.OperationHOPE.org

BJC Financial Wellness Education

BJC employees have access to Enrich, a free financial wellness experience that you can tailor to your financial needs.

Start your financial journey! Then complete a short financial assessment so that Enrich’s adaptive learning technology can help you start learning about your most applicable money topics. If you wish, you can then call or chat with a Certified Financial Counselor.

Start Your Financial Journey

Approved Lenders

Do you have a lender that is not on this list? Call us at 314-747-2336 or e-mail us at livenearyourwork@wustl.edu

Learn more about our Approved Lenders and Promotions/Incentives

Nathan White
8100 Forsyth Boulevard
Clayton, MO 63105
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Kari Dorf
12300 Olive Blvd
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
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Sue King
4901 Pernod Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63139
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Evette Baker
3134 S. Grand Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63118
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Corey Griffin
6510 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63117
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William Bruce
150 N. Meramec Ave
Clayton, MO 63105 
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Jacob Spratt
11901 Olive Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63141
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Dion Fields
St. Louis, MO
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Rachel Rufkahr
14755 North Outer 40 Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
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Gershman Mortgage
16253 Swingley Ridge Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
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Jean Kavanaugh
22 S. Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
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Doug Haldeman
1120 Wolfrum Road
Weldon Spring, MO 63304
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Melissa Keyser
9717 Landmark Pkwy Drive
St. Louis, MO 63127
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Olga Basilio
212 S. Central Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105
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David Sharp
9925 Clayton Road
Ladue, MO 63124
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Rebecca Walker
500 Chesterfield Center
Chesterfield, MO 63017
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Angie Schulze
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Kevin Singh
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SLCCU Mortgage Team
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Kent Hackstadt
12655 Olive Boulevard
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
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Kimberly Poe
5418 Hampton Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63109
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Mark Hayden
4142 Keaton Crossing Boulevard
O’Fallon, MO 63368
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Lender Discounts & Incentives for Buyers

Flat Branch Home Loans has expanded its Zero Down Doctor Loan Program, making it available to a broader range of healthcare professionals. The program offers up to 100% financing with no mortgage insurance on loans up to $1.5 million and financing up to $2.5 million with minimal down payment requirements, while requiring only a 680 minimum credit score. Eligible borrowers now include physicians, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, pharmacists, veterinarians, podiatrists, optometrists, and certain other healthcare professionals, as well as residents, fellows, and interns. The program is designed for primary residences, is not limited to first-time homebuyers, and may be used alongside down payment assistance programs when available.
Tabernacle Community Development Corporation (TCDC) expands access to affordable housing in St. Louis through its Affordable Rental Program, which renovates homes to provide safe, quality housing for low- to moderate-income residents. It also develops affordable homeownership opportunities, including new for-sale housing projects in North St. Louis neighborhoods. Through its broader Village initiative, TCDC combines housing development with neighborhood revitalization and economic development efforts.
Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis helps low- and moderate-income families become homeowners by building affordable homes that are sold with affordable mortgages. Homebuyers complete financial education and contribute volunteer “sweat equity” hours while helping build homes. Habitat partners with community organizations to expand affordable housing opportunities and strengthen neighborhoods across the St. Louis region.
This financing program from Flat Branch Home Loans offers a 100% FHA loan with no income limits, a minimum 600 credit score, and no geographic restrictions on where a home can be purchased.
The Jayson Tatum Foundation, in partnership with the SoFi Generational Wealth Fund, will provide grants to qualifying low-to-moderate income first-time homebuyers to assist with some of the down payment costs for those qualifying applicants purchasing a home in St. Louis City, St. Louis County or St. Charles County, as well as a grant up to a maximum of $1,000 (of which up to $750 covers the home warranty if not provided by seller or a third party) for an annual home warranty with roof leak repair coverage, and approved and associated service call fees, for the twelve months immediately following the home purchase for the first-time homebuyers who are eligible.
St. Louis Community Credit Union has partnered with Starlight to offer members the Pathways Resource Connector—a free, secure online tool designed to help you identify and apply for state/government assistance programs and other local resources. Receive personalized, step-by-step support, including program application guidance and reminders.
The Buyer’s Guide to Homeownership from Stifel is an informational resource designed to walk prospective buyers through the homebuying process. It outlines key steps such as preparing finances, getting pre-approved, shopping for a home, securing a mortgage, and closing on a property.
acrew is a social impact venture that can help you save for a home and connect you with other down payment assistance options. Every acrew member gets access to:
  • Higher APY savings
  • Match rewards, similar to a retirement plan
  • AI-enabled Down Payment Assistance Finder
Becoming an acrew member is free and usually takes less than 10-minutes.
This program from Midwest BankCentre is a limited-time offer that helps make homeownership more affordable by providing an interest rate about 1.5% below current market rates on eligible mortgages. It’s primarily geared toward income-qualified buyers purchasing a primary residence and applies to 30-year fixed conventional loans, helping reduce monthly payments and overall borrowing costs. To qualify, borrowers generally must meet income limits, use the home as their primary residence, and satisfy standard credit and underwriting requirements. The program is still open as of March 2026.
This program from Guild Mortgage is designed to help first-time and underserved homebuyers afford a home by reducing upfront costs. It provides a lender credit of up to $5,000 that can be used toward closing costs, making it easier to purchase a home in eligible areas. The program can be combined with common loan types (like conventional, FHA, and VA loans) and allows low down payments (as little as 0–3%). The eligible census tracts are very similar to the LNYW program boundaries.
Midland States Bank offers reduced closing costs (about $1,295 in savings) to people who serve their communities, such as healthcare workers, teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and military members. Eligible applicants can apply through a loan officer using the promo code “HERO” and must provide proof of their profession or service. The program applies to a wide range of loan types, including conventional fixed and adjustable-rate mortgages, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo loans, and down payment assistance programs.