Lethbridge Real Estate - Most Lethbridge homeowners and Realtors are unaware that there is Gov't money available for homeowners to fix up their houses. How do I know? When I was young, I was able to use this money to fix up my first Lethbridge home!
Homeowner Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program — Homeowner RRAP
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers financial assistance to low-income homeowners for mandatory home repairs that will preserve the quality of affordable housing. The program helps people who live in substandard dwellings and cannot afford to pay for necessary repairs to their home.
Who Can Apply?
Homeowners may qualify for assistance if your property is eligible and if your total household income is at or below the Income Threshold set by CMHC.
Eligible Properties
Your property may be eligible for Homeowner RRAP if your home is:
- valued below a certain amount;
- at least five years old; and
- substandard and needs major repairs in one of the following areas: heating, structural, electrical, plumbing and fire safety.
Your home may also qualify if work is needed to help reduce overcrowding.
Eligible Repairs
In general, mandatory repairs related to heating, structural, electrical, plumbing and fire safety are eligible for funding under Homeowner RRAP. The quality of the repairs should ensure the useful life of your home for at least 15 years.
All work required to bring your home up to minimum standards of health and safety must be completed in order to receive RRAP assistance.
If the cost of mandatory repairs is more than the maximum forgivable loan available, you, as the owner, will be required to cover the additional cost.
Any repairs carried out before the Homeowner RRAP loan is approved in writing are not eligible.
Financial Assistance
Assistance is in the form of a fully forgivable loan. The loan does not have to be repaid if you agree to continue to own and live in this house during the earning period, which could be up to five years (the loan forgiveness period). The amount you could receive is based on the cost of mandatory repairs and the area in which you live. The maximum amount you could receive varies according to the three geographic zones:
| Maximum Loan/Unit | |
| Zone 1: Southern areas of Canada | $16,000 |
| Zone 2: Northern areas | $19,000 |
| Zone 3: Far northern areas | $24,000 |
| Additional assistance may be available in areas defined as remote. |
Here are a few of my favorite past articles from my Lethbridge real estate and mortgage blog you might have missed or wish to recommend them to a friend.
Robert May is a Realtor, as well as the broker and owner of Rainbow Realty of Lethbridge Alberta . He is also a licensed Lethbridge mortgage broker and financing expert with Canada First Mortgage of Calgary Alberta. He has been in the Lethbridge real estate industry since 1993 and offers full Lethbridge real estate services to Lethbridge and surrounding area, as well as Lethbridge mortgage financing, mortgage refinancing , preapprovals, and Lethbridge loans financing to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta. He can be found online at this link: mortgage broker Lethbridge
Let me share my 16+ years experience in the local Lethbridge real estate and financing market with you! It is the first step towards making a profitable real estate decision.
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