Reading for buyers
Plain reading for first-time buyers in Oklahoma
Straight talk for Oklahoma school staff, officers, firefighters and EMS crews on the things that trip up first-time buyers here: storm-season insurance, shelters, property tax, rural and manufactured homes, tribal help and how OHFA's 3.5% really works.
Self-employed in Oklahoma and ready to buy a first home
Oklahoma contractors, oilfield hands, ranch welders and booth renters: which down payment programs fit self-employed buyers, how lenders figure your income, and the papers to gather.
Read it →Delivering or driving for apps in Oklahoma? Here's how buying a home works
Spark Driver, DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Instacart and Amazon Flex earners in Oklahoma: which down payment programs fit, how mileage shrinks qualifying income, and how long you need to have been driving.
Read it →Your first Oklahoma home and the homestead exemption
How the Oklahoma homestead exemption works for first-time buyers: the $1,000 cut in assessed value, the January 1 and March 15 dates, the 3% cap and the reset when a home sells.
Read it →What you'll pay at an Oklahoma closing table
A plain walk through Oklahoma closing costs: the documentary stamp tax, lender and title charges, insurance and tax prepaids, money due before closing, and where OHFA's 3.5% goes first.
Read it →Hail, wind and the roof: insuring your first Oklahoma home
Before you buy in Oklahoma, check the roof and the wind and hail deductible. How percentage deductibles work, replacement cost vs. actual cash value, and the state's FORTIFIED roof grant.
Read it →Storm shelters and safe rooms for first-time Oklahoma buyers
What to check when an Oklahoma house has a storm shelter, what to do if it doesn't, and how the state's SoonerSafe rebate works for new owners: up to $3,000, random selection, install after you're picked.
Read it →USDA home loans in small-town Oklahoma
How USDA's no-down-payment loan works for Oklahoma buyers outside the big metros, the two income tests to pass, and how OHFA's 3.5% and REI's gift change when the down payment is zero.
Read it →Buying a manufactured home with land in Oklahoma
How Oklahoma buyers finance a manufactured home on their own land: OHFA's multi-section rule and 660 score, title cancellation through Service Oklahoma, homestead and shelter rules.
Read it →Oklahoma City or Tulsa: what changes for a first-time buyer
A side-by-side look at buying in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas: OHFA and REI income limits, local down payment programs, the Tulsa teacher program, and county lines that change what you can get.
Read it →Tribal homebuyer programs and Section 184 loans in Oklahoma
What Oklahoma's tribal nations offer first-time buyers: Cherokee Nation MAP, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Osage help, HUD Section 184 loans, and how they line up with OHFA 4 Schools and Shield.
Read it →How lenders count a school contract, summer work or overtime
How Oklahoma school staff and first responders' pay is counted for a mortgage: 10-month contracts, summer school, new hires, overtime and shift pay, and how extra hours affect OHFA's income limit.
Read it →OHFA's 3.5% second mortgage: when you pay it back
OHFA's down payment help is a 0% second mortgage, not a grant. When it comes due, what happens when you refinance or sell, how it compares with forgivable Oklahoma programs, and the federal recapture tax.
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