Apply to the Habitat Homebuyer Program.
The Habitat Homebuyer Program is not currently accepting applications. We accept applications once a year in late spring. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the application opens, or follow us on social media. For more information on the Homebuyer Program, please call the office at 812-265-9697 or email us at office@habitatsei.org
Read the guidelines below to see if you might qualify for the Homebuyer Program:
How to Buy a Home
Thinking about buying a home but not sure where to start? In this informative video, we walk you through the step-by-step process of buying a home the traditional way, featuring insights from an experienced realtor and a seasoned mortgage broker. We also break down the Habitat homebuying process and how it differs. We hope this video equips you with the tools and knowledge to take the next step with confidence!
Everyone should have
a safe, affordable home.
We strive to assist families making 80% or less of the area median
income afford their own home. Affordable costs of housing are
a priority at Habitat. We provide mortgages at no more than
30% of the family’s monthly income with zero interest.
Our partner families work very hard during the construction
process through Sweat Equity. Requirements for Sweat Equity
hours range from 250-450 hours based on the number of adults
within the household. We also provide homeowner education
which teaches accountability, financial well-being, and a sense
of community.
Family selection is based
three main criteria:
• Level of Need
• Willingness to Partner
• Ability to Pay
What is Sweat Equity?
Sweat equity is a term used often when talking about the creation
or building process. It’s about doing the work — the hard work —
to bring an idea to life. That work becomes an investment in the
project. It can be an investment as real as money or land.
At Habitat for Humanity, sweat equity is a new homeowner
investing in their home or one for another family. It’s not a form
of payment, but an opportunity to work alongside volunteers who
give their time to bring to life a family’s dream of owning a home.
Sweat equity can take many forms for partner families working
with Habitat. It can mean construction work on their home or on
a home for another family, cleaning up the build site, working in
a Habitat ReStore, assisting in administrative duties, or countless
other ways of helping out.
Homeowner classes — learning how to manage a home or finances — also count as sweat equity. Families invest their time in the long-term success of their homeownership. Throughout the process of purchasing their home, Habitat partner families can earn sweat equity credit as they learn about their mortgage, insurance, maintenance, safety and more.
That co-worker approach informs Habitat’s emphasis on sweat equity: all of us working together so that homeowners can achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and for their families.
— David Rubel,
If I Had A Hammer: Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity (2009)
Habitat affiliates require only a small down payment because few low-income families can afford more than that. Instead, partner families are required to contribute sweat equity.