ASSET BUILDING

Our homebuyer program is available to individuals who do not currently own a home and wish to purchase a primary residence in Columbiana County. Certified housing counselors provide one-on-one housing counseling to those interested in learning about the buying process. Participants may be eligible for financial assistance under the Columbiana County Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) program to provide for down payment and rehabilitation on the home to address repairs.

CAA administers CHIP for the cities of East Liverpool, East Palestine, Salem, and Columbiana. The CHIP-funded programs provide down payment assistance in the amount of 10 percent of the sales price, and additional funding is available to assist with repairs that are needed on the home.

In addition to the CHIP program, CAA also administers the Ohio Housing Trust Fund program. This program provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first time homebuyers who are income eligible.

All participants receive one-on-one housing counseling. The housing counseling covers topics such as budgets, credit analysis, debt-to-income ratios, lender underwriting criteria, real estate agent roles, predatory lending, benefits and responsibilities of home ownership, insurance products, mortgage products, inspection tips, purchase agreements, closing costs, and home maintenance.