Choose the lender who knows the county assistance program cold and treats Phoenix as several markets rather than one. Phoenix buyers have access to a Maricopa County program that can put several percent of the loan amount toward down payment and closing costs, and most people never hear about it because their lender does not participate.
That is the first filter. The second is that Phoenix is not one housing market, and a lender who prices it as one will hand you an approval that does not survive the appraisal.
The five questions that separate lenders
- "Do you participate in Home in Five, and have you closed one?" Not every lender is approved for it. Ask for a closed example, not a brochure.
- "Will you underwrite me before I shop, or just pre-qualify me?" A pre-qualification is a calculator. An underwritten pre-approval means the documents were read first.
- "Are you a broker or a single lender?" One shelf versus several, which matters when a property or a file is not standard.
- "Who answers the phone when my offer is due on a Saturday?"
- "Will you put cost to close in writing today?"
Phoenix has its own money on the table
Home in Five is run by the Phoenix and Maricopa County industrial development authorities and covers Maricopa County, which is the whole city.
As verified against the program's own materials on September 9, 2026:
- Base assistance of 3% to 6% of the loan amount, as an interest-free forgivable second
- An additional 1% for qualifying K-12 teachers, US military, veterans, first responders, and income-qualified borrowers
- BOOST adds up to a further 1.5% in low-income census tracts
- Minimum 640 FICO, maximum 45 DTI
- Income limit $141,820
- Forgivable second offered on 3-year, 7-year or 30-year terms
- Homebuyer education required
Read that list again if you are a teacher, a first responder, or you served. The bonus tier is the part people leave on the table.
Home Plus is the statewide alternative: up to 4% as a forgivable second, fully forgiven after 60 months with repayment due if you sell or refinance inside that window, income limit $155,386 as of April 6, 2026, and no first-time buyer requirement. Both programs change their terms, so confirm current guidelines rather than planning around a number you read once. The two are not stackable, and which one wins depends on your census tract, your profession and your income, which is exactly the arithmetic a lender should be doing for you unprompted.
Neither of the other two reaches Phoenix. Arizona Is Home excludes Maricopa County outright, and Pathway to Purchase is limited to 17 named municipalities that do not include the city. A lender who puts either in front of you has not looked at where you are buying.
Phoenix is not one market, and the appraisal knows it
A pre-approval is a statement about you. An appraisal is a statement about a specific house on a specific street, and in Phoenix those diverge more than in the smaller suburbs.
| Where you are buying | What tends to complicate it |
|---|---|
| Historic districts such as Willo, Encanto, Coronado | 1920s to 1940s construction, original systems, and a designation that can restrict exterior changes |
| Central corridor infill | New build next to teardowns, so comparable sales are genuinely hard to find |
| Maryvale and west Phoenix | Older stock, condition-sensitive on government-backed loans |
| Laveen and south Mountain | Newer subdivisions, more standard, occasionally a special taxing district |
| Ahwatukee | Established, HOA-heavy, more predictable |
| North Phoenix and Desert Ridge | Newer, master-planned, builder incentives in play |
Two of those need care.
Historic districts. A designated historic home is financeable, but character is not the same as condition. Knob-and-tube wiring, original panels, cast iron drain lines and pre-1978 paint all interact with minimum property requirements on FHA and VA. See FHA loans in Phoenix for how that program treats condition. If the home carries a designation, ask what exterior work requires review before you budget for repairs a lender may require.
Thin comparable sales. Where a block holds a 1935 bungalow, a 2021 infill build and a vacant lot, appraisers have little to work with, and appraisals come in under contract price more often. Ask your lender what happens if it does: whether you can bring the difference, renegotiate, or walk. Decide that before you are under contract, not after.
Protect your file until you close
You are underwritten continuously. Between approval and closing, do not open new credit, finance a car, take a "same as cash" furniture offer, move large sums without a documented trail, change how you are paid, or co-sign for anyone.
So who should you choose in Phoenix?
Judge a lender on whether they bring you the assistance program before you ask, and whether they price the neighbourhood rather than the city.
- We run both programs against your actual numbers, census tract and profession included, and tell you which one wins and why.
- Broker model. Multiple investors instead of one bank's shelf, which matters on older homes and thin comps.
- Underwritten pre-approvals before you shop, with written cost to close.
- You talk to the principal. Ricky Khamis is President of EPiQ Lending, NMLS #173141, lending in Arizona since 1999. Direct line: (480) 999-9842.
EPiQ Lending is NMLS #1936984. Verify all of it before you trust any of it: Ricky's EPiQ Lending profile, the Scottsdale branch at 7975 N. Hayden Road, Suite A-101, and the license itself at NMLS Consumer Access. That is the standard to hold any lender to, including us.
Tell me your target neighbourhood and your household income and I will tell you which assistance program you actually qualify for.
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is general information, not a commitment to lend or an offer to extend credit. Rates, terms, and program guidelines change and depend on credit approval, property appraisal, and other qualifying factors. Not all applicants will qualify.
