Buy a Home

How do I become a homeowner with BNCLT?

  1. Attend a Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust information session (one hour, virtual).
  2. Must be a first time home buyer (not owned in the last three years).
  3. Meet with a BNCLT board member to determine if you income qualify, see chart below.
  4. Earn a HUD certificate, free class for first time home buyers. We recommend Mid-Central Community Action in Bloomington, IL.
  5. Attain a pre-approved letter for a mortgage from one of our partner banks including the Bank of Pontiac, Heartland Bank, and Credit Union for All
  6. It is not Here to Stay’s policy, our bank partners require everyone on the mortgage to have a social security number.
  7. Down payment of 1% to 3% of the purchase price. This will be determined by the bank and/or down payment assistance.

A family can not earn more than 100% of Area Median Income (AMI) for Bloomington-Normal. Income for everyone 18 years and older is included. Income is counted using total gross (before taxes). For more information, see the table below.