The
American Dream
Grant
Up to $10,000 toward your first home in the Salt Lake Valley —
applied to your down payment or closing costs at the table.
Two minutes. No credit pull, no obligation, no cost to ask.
For first-time
homebuyers
You can’t have owned a home in the last three years.
Credit score
required
A qualifying credit score above 620.
Up to $10,000
toward your home
Funds may be used for down payment or closing costs.
How it works
Four steps from
curious to keys
The grant is administered by a participating lender, not by us. My job is to get you in front of the right one, keep the paperwork moving, and make sure the funds are still there when you write your offer.
Tell me where you’re starting
Fill out the form below. Six questions, no credit pull, no cost. I’ll call or text you back the same business day.
Today
Confirm you qualify
I’ll introduce you to a lender who offers the program. They verify the first-time-buyer window, your credit, and your income against the current program terms — and put a pre-approval in your hands.
2–5 days
Lock the grant to your loan
The lender reserves the funds and ties them to your file before you go under contract. This is the step people skip — and it’s why offers fall apart at closing.
Before you shop
Find the house and close
Now we shop. I write the offer, negotiate, and manage inspection through closing. The grant lands on your settlement statement as a credit toward your down payment or closing costs.
30–45 days
Step one
Start with
one form
You’ll hear from me directly — not a call center, not a lead-routing service.
-
No credit pull to find out whether you’re in range. -
No cost, no obligation. Plenty of people find out they should wait six months. I’ll tell you that. -
Same-day response on any form submitted before 6pm MT on a weekday. -
Grant programs are funded in rounds and can close without notice. Earlier is genuinely better.
See if you qualify
Takes about two minutes. Required fields marked *
Got it — thank you
I’ll reach out personally within one business day. If you’d rather not wait, call or text me at (385) 318-3259.
Who you’ll be working with
Kirsten Horning
Realtor® · Cottonwood Realty Group
I spent a decade in finance and investor relations in New York City before real estate, which is a roundabout way of saying I read the numbers before I read the listing photos. First-time buyers get the same underwriting-grade analysis my downsizing sellers get.
I live in Cottonwood Heights and sell across the Salt Lake Valley — Draper, Holladay, Millcreek, West Valley, and everywhere in between. If a house is a stretch for you, I’ll say so. Accurate numbers beat flattering ones every time.
The Perry Group at Real Broker · 2025
Straight answers
Questions people
actually ask
Do I have to pay the $10,000 back?
Grant funds are generally not repaid the way a second mortgage is. Some programs do attach a retention period — meaning if you sell or refinance within a set number of years, a portion can be recaptured.
Terms vary by program and change over time, so I won’t guess at yours. The lender will put the exact terms in writing before you commit to anything.
What counts as a first-time buyer?
For this program, it means you haven’t held an ownership interest in a primary residence in the past three years. If you owned a home four years ago and have rented since, you likely qualify.
Married or buying with a partner? The rule usually applies to everyone on the loan. Worth a two-minute conversation.
My credit score is under 620. Am I out?
Not permanently. 620 is the current floor for this program, and scores move faster than most people expect — sometimes 30 to 60 points in a few months once you know which two or three things to fix.
Send the form in anyway. I’ll connect you with a lender who will map out exactly what to do and roughly how long it takes, at no cost.
Is there an income limit or a map I have to buy inside?
Down payment assistance programs commonly carry income caps, property-location rules, or both, and the specifics differ by program and by county. Salt Lake County has plenty of qualifying areas.
The lender confirms both against your actual numbers and the current program guidelines during step two.
What does it cost me to work with you?
Nothing to ask, nothing to find out whether you qualify. If you go on to buy a home with me, my compensation is set out in a written buyer agreement we sign before we tour anything — you’ll see the number and agree to it in advance.
Can I use the grant with an FHA, VA, or conventional loan?
Assistance programs are typically paired with specific loan products, and not every combination is allowed. The lender will tell you which loan types this grant layers onto, and whether a different program fits you better — there are several running in Utah at any given time.
How long do these funds last?
Grant programs are funded in rounds and can pause or close with little notice. That’s not a sales line — it’s how the funding works. If buying in the next year is realistic for you, get the eligibility check done now so you’re ready when a house shows up.
$10,000 is roughly
two years of saving
Find out in one business day whether it’s on the table for you. No credit pull, no cost, no pressure.