First Front Door

First Front Door (FFD) provides down payment and closing cost assistance to eligible first-time homebuyers. Offered through participating FHLBank Pittsburgh (FHLBank) members that provide first- mortgage financing. By contributing a minimum of $1,500 toward down payment and closing costs, homebuyers are eligible for a maximum FFD grant of $15,000.

In order to expand access to homeownership opportunities for minority and first-generation first-time homebuyers, the First Front Door Keys to Equity fund (Keys) was established. Also offered through participating FHLBank members that provide first-mortgage financing. By contributing a minimum of $1,000 toward down payments and closing costs, homebuyers in the Keys program are eligible for a maximum Keys grant of $20,000.

FHLBank Pittsburgh members benefit from FFD and Keys in a variety of ways:

• Enhances first-time homebuyer products
• Improves market competitiveness
• Strengthens member underwriting
• Provides Community Reinvestment Act credit
• Empowers first-time homebuyers, deepening banking relationships

Qualified first-time homebuyers can use FFD grants toward down payment and closing costs. Each prospective homebuyer must:

• Be a first-time homebuyer
  • A person who has not owned an eligible property used as their primary residence in the last three years,
  • This also includes if purchasing jointly with other individuals, at least one person has not owned an eligible property used as a primary residence in the last three years,
  • This also includes any person that has owned an eligible property jointly with another individual and is now independently purchasing an eligible property, or
  • If an investment property is owned, the person has not lived there and has not owned an eligible property used as a primary residence in the last three years.
• Contribute personal funds as part of the down payment and closing costs
• Have household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income at the time of registration
• Complete at least four hours of homeownership counseling, including the topic of predatory lending, prior to the purchase of the home

Who qualifies for Keys Funding?

Qualified first-time homebuyers can use Keys grants toward down payment and closing costs. Each prospective homebuyer must:

• Be a first-time homebuyer and identify as a Minority and/or First-Generation Homebuyer, as defined by FHLBank Pittsburgh
• Contribute personal funds as part of the down payment and closing costs
• Have household income at or below 120 percent of the area median income  at the time of registration
• Complete at least four hours of homeownership counseling, including the topic of predatory lending, prior to the purchase of the home

Prospective homebuyers should visit the FFD homebuyer website to learn how homebuyers can qualify and apply for FFD funding.

Only members registered to participate in the FFD program may apply for funding on behalf of their homebuyers. To enroll in FFD, members must complete the FFD Enrollment Agreement and FFD Member Agreement Form. Eligible members can then submit FFD applications during open funding rounds.

To participate in Keys, members must execute the FFD Enrollment Agreement, FFD Member Agreement Form and the Keys Participation Agreement. Please email firstfrontdoor@fhlb-pgh.com to request the Keys Participation Agreement needed to sign up for Keys. Keys applications may only be submitted by members that have already executed the Keys Participation Agreement.

When the FFD and Keys funding rounds opens each year, enrolled members can then follow these steps to register homebuyers for FFD or Keys funding:

1. Prospective homebuyer works with a participating member
2. Member and homebuyer gather income documentation and submit FFD or Keys registration request
3. FHLBank Pittsburgh processes and approves completed registration requests within 10 business days
4. Within six months of registration approval, prospective homebuyer completes homeownership counseling and buys home
5. Member provides the first mortgage and advances eligible grant amount
6. Member submits disbursement request with required documents to FHLBank Pittsburgh for reimbursement