Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
(Updated April 15, 2024)
What is Nurse Next Door?
What programs are available?
Do GRANTS have to be repaid?
Do you offer down payment assistance?
Do I have to be a nurse?
Can I only buy certain homes?
Is there an application fee?
Are there any up-front fees?
Is there a fee for using the Nurse Next Door Program?
Do I have to live in the home for a certain period of time?
Will you Pull my credit?
Is there a First Time Home Buyers Program?
Do I HAVE to be a First Time Home Buyer?
How does the Free Home Buyers Service Work?
Am I required to take a HUD First Time Home Buyers Class?
Is Nurse Next Door a Lender?
How do I know what program(s) I qualify for?
Can I buy with NO Money Down?
Can I put more money down if I choose?
Are there any income restrictions?
Can I use the program to refinance?
Do you offer a non-qualifying refinance?
Do you offer a qualifying refinance?
What if I own another Home?
What is the minimum loan amount?
What is the maximum loan amount?
What will my interest rate be?
What is a risk factor?
What is a compensation factor?
Can I get a high interest loan?
Is Nurse Next Door a government agency?
Do I need to use a Nurse Next Door Realtor?
What if I already have a Realtor?
How do I get started?
What is Nurse Next Door? The Nurse Next Door program was designed to increase home ownership among nurses and other healthcare workers, support community development and increase access to affordable housing, free from discrimination. The program is intended to eliminate confusion by streamlining the home loan and home buying process and by matching the individual with the best program available, based upon the specific needs of the medical professionals and their families. Your Nurse Next Door agent will help you locate the right home and negotiate the lowest price possible. Our team will handle all of the purchase, finance and closing paperwork for you. Nurse Next Door is an extension of Teacher Next Door, the largest National Home Buying Program in the United States. Top
What programs are available? For home purchases, there are many different Federal, state and local programs available to nurses and healthcare workers, including the State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP), Keystone Challenge Fund, USDA Rural Program and other specific programs available through HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae and other local agencies. In addition, Nurse Next Door offers private money GRANTS. These grants may be funded, all or in part, by our agent and lending partners and may be used towards your closing cost. Programs vary by city and state. Top
Do GRANTS have to be repaid? NO. Grants available directly through Nurse Next Door and the other programs we utilize, do not ever have to be repaid. Grants are subject to availability. To check availability in your area CLICK HERE. Top
Do you offer down payment assistance? YES. In addition to our grant programs, we have down payment assistance of up to $10,681.00. These programs are available in all 50 states and may include, Home in Five Advantage, Home Plus, Georgia Dream, Golden State Platinum, Florida First, Military Heroes, First Home, Chenoa and Unison, just to name a few. Your Nurse Next Door representative is trained in all of the various programs and will explain your eligibility. Programs are each structured differently and eligibility varies by city and state. Top
Do I have to be a nurse? NO. Nurse Next Door recently expanded the program to include ALL healthcare employees and many other public service professionals. These include police officers, firefighters, government workers and others. We are committed to serving those who serve us in the communities where we all live and work. For a complete list of non-military programs CLICK HERE. If you are current or former military CLICK HERE. Top
Can I only buy certain homes? NO. You may purchase ANY home on the market, in ANY neighborhood, as long as it is within the guidelines of your loan approval. Top
Is there an application fee? NO. There is NEVER any application fee. Top
Are there any up-front fees? NO. There are NEVER any up-front fees charged by Nurse Next Door or our preferred lenders. Top
Is there a fee for using the Nurse Next Door Program? NO. There is NO FEE at all for using the program. In fact, nurses and other medical professionals can expect to save money based upon lower fees charged for the various programs we offer. Plus, nurses and healthcare workers may receive additional discounts on title insurance, home inspections and other services. Top
Do I have to live in the home for a certain period of time? NO. (Except for one or two down payment assistance programs that require a three or five year commitment.) Top
Will you pull my credit? NO. Nurse Next Door will never pull your credit or have access to your personal financial information. When you click APPLY NOW and complete the short Pre-Application, you will be contacted by a Program Specialist who will go over the program with you, answer any questions and discuss your options, including any GRANTS and down payment assistance you may be eligible for. Your credit would then be pulled during the mortgage application process. Top
Is there a First Time Home Buyers Program? YES. Our First Time Home Buyers Program allows buyers the unique opportunity to combine GRANTS and down payment assistance with the other programs we have available, including Fannie Mae's HomeReady, Freddie Mac's HomePossible and HomeOne programs. Down payment assistance programs may include state specific programs such as Arizona Home in Five, Georgia Dream, Florida First and others or may include national programs such as Chenoa and Unison, depending on which has the greater benefit. To be eligible, you must be a nurse or other healthcare employee, teacher or school employee, law enforcement, firefighter or government employees. For more information CLICK HERE. Top
Do I HAVE to be a First Time Home Buyer? NO. If you own a home you may still take advantage of all Nurse Next Door programs and benefits. Top
How does the Free Home Buyers Service Work? Once approved, one of our licensed Realtors will work with you to help find a home in your area. We will let you tour the inside of the homes, negotiate the purchase contract and handle all of the paperwork for you. Top
Am I required to take a HUD First Time Home Buyers Class? NO. You are NOT required to take a 4-hour or 8-hour HUD First Time Home Buyers class. Nurse Next Door does not require any classroom home buyer counseling in order to utilize the program. Top
Is Nurse Next Door a Lender? NO. Financing for the Nurse Next Door Program is provided by our preferred direct lenders and select U.S. National Banks. Nurse Next Door does not collect, store or have access to your personal financial information and does not receive compensation from mortgage loan transactions. When you complete the online pre-application, you will be contacted by a licensed Program Specialist from our preferred lender who is knowledgeable in all of the programs available to you, including the Nurse Next Door Grant and various down payment assistance and other programs. Top
When you complete the online pre-application, you will be contacted by a licensed representative from our preferred lender who is knowledgeable in all of the programs available to you, including the Nurse Next Door Grant and various down payment assistance and other programs. Top
How do I know what program(s) I qualify for? Your Loan Officer will help place you in the appropriate program and guide you through the process based upon your individual circumstance including credit, down payment (if any) and the location of property. Top
Can I buy with NO Money Down? YES. But there are some restrictions for some of the zero down programs. The most common of which is the area in which the home is located. If a zero down loan is not available, the typical minimum out of pocket expense is approximately three to three and a half percent (3 – 3.5%) of the purchase price. This typically includes down payment and other fees such as insurance, appraisal etc. This may come in the form of a gift or 401(k) disbursement. Your Loan Officer can explain additional options. Top
Can I put more money down if I choose? YES. You may put down any amount you like. If you put 20% or more down, you will typically be able to avoid PMI and you could qualify for a lower interest rate. Top
Are there any income restrictions? NO. However, you must make enough to cover the payment. Also, some local down payment assistance programs may have a maximum income you may earn in order to qualify. Top
Can I use the program to refinance? YES. Our national preferred lenders offer very competitive rates, terms and programs for nurses, healthcare workers and other public service professionals. Top
Do you offer a non-qualifying refinance? YES. Our national preferred lenders may offer a "Streamline Refinance" as well as the Federal HARP refinance program, which could assist you if you are under water on your current mortgage. Top
Do you offer a qualifying refinance? YES. Nurses, healthcare workers and other public service professionals will always receive excellent rates and terms when you refinance through our national preferred lenders. Top
What if I own another Home? No Problem. If you own a home you may still take advantage of all Nurse Next Door programs and benefits. Top
What is the minimum loan amount? We accept all applications, regardless of the loan amounts. Our Preferred Lenders are required to offer loans down to the individual state minimums, which in most cases is $10,001.00. However, lenders must also meet all other regulations and some lower loan amounts may not meet these regulations, due to individual borrower and loan characteristics. Top
What is the maximum loan amount? There is no maximum loan amount. In many states, the maximum conforming loan amount is $417,000.00. This number is higher in other states. Our preferred lenders also offer Jumbo Loans. Please discuss specific loan amount questions with you Program Specialist. Top
What will my interest rate be? Since Nurse Next Door is not a lender, we do not set interest rates. Our preferred lenders have agreed to provide you with an extremely competitive rate for your loan based upon your individual loan application and loan program. Your interest rate will be adjusted by the Federal underwriting guidelines based upon risk factors, as well as compensating factors. Top
What is a risk factor? As with insurance, underwriter guidelines contain upward adjustments to the interest rate based upon risk factors. These may include: low credit score, high loan-to-value, first time home buyer, no rental history, short time on the job, etc. Top
What is a compensation factor? Whenever possible, underwriters use compensation factors to counter other risk factors to help keep the rate low. These may include, high credit score, long time on the job, recent college grad, good rental history, large down payment, etc. Top
Can I get a high interest loan? NO. Nurse Next Door's preferred lenders must adhere to Federal conforming guidelines. They do not offer sub-prime loans. Top
Is Nurse Next Door a government agency? NO. The Nurse Next Door program is administered by Teacher Next Door, PLLC. (License No. FLCQ1044110) It is a private organization, licensed Real Estate Brokerage and registered with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to sell HUD homes and represent buyers in the purchase of HUD owned homes. (HUD License No. NAID-TCHRNX832) Top
Do I need to use a Nurse Next Door Agent? YES. Since our Agent Partners agree to contribute a portion of their commission towards your closing cost, to receive the full benefit of the Nurse Next Door Program, you need to be exclusively represented by a Nurse Next Door agent. Our Agent Partners are all highly trained, state licensed professionals and members of the National Association of Realtors. Upon loan approval, we will assign one of our knowledgeable agents in your local area who will work directly with you to find the right home and handle all of the paperwork. If you decide to use a non-Nurse Next Door agent, you may not receive the agent rebate, as they are not required to contribute any of their commission. Top
What if I already have an Agent? Your agent may contact our business office in order to become an Agent Partner of Nurse Next Door.
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