Augusta’s housing stock is a rare blend of 1890s Victorians, 1950s G.I.-bill capes, and 2000s vinyl-sided ranches—all trading under the FHA county limit of $498,257. Median sale prices rose only 2.8 % last year, the gentlest curve in Maine, so your pre-approval letter keeps pace with the market instead of chasing it. Inventory hovers at 1.8 months in spring; by July it climbs to 2.4 months as state employees list and transfer, giving patient buyers leverage.

Local insight: Condominium conversions along Water Street list at $165-180k but carry HOA fees of $140-175—factor that into your DTI upfront. On the flip side, duplexes on the east side regularly trade at $210k; use FHA’s 3.5 % down and future rental income from one unit can qualify you for a bigger loan. NMHL’s August team runs the numbers nightly so you can house-hack with confidence.

• Capitol Area: Tree-lined streets within walking distance to the State House and the Kennebec River rail-trail. Expect 1920s colonials updated with heat pumps; median $210k. Parking can be tight—garages add $8-10k to appraised value.
• Western Avenue Corridor: Mix of owner-occupied doubles and single-family ranches. Sidewalks roll straight to Augusta’s new elementary school. Values bumped 6 % when the city repaved the avenue in 2022.
• Sand Hill: August’s version of suburbia—0.3-acre lots, basketball hoops, and trick-or-treat density. Most homes built 1990-2010; ask for a roof-age disclosure because Maine winters ice-dam asphalt.
• North Augusta (River Rd): Here you’ll find 5-acre horse-friendly parcels still inside city water district; USDA eligible. Bring a pole barn and you’ll recoup 70 % at resale.

MaineHousing’s First Home Program is built for Augusta price points. Income limit for a two-person household is $92,900—well above local median family income—so most buyers qualify. Combine the program’s below-market rate (usually 0.25-0.375 % under conventional) with NMHL’s lender-paid PMI, and you’ll save about $110 per month on a $190k loan. If your credit is under 640, NMHL can still approve you using FHA’s standard 203(b) and layer the $10,000 Advantage down-payment grant, forgivable after five years. We handle the stack paperwork in-house; other lenders refer you to third-party agencies and timelines slip.

Pro move: Ask us for a ‘Sample Closing Disclosure’ before you offer—Augusta sellers love seeing a local lender’s logo next to MaineHousing’s commitment letter.

NMHL’s Fresh-Start program serves Kennebec County borrowers rebuilding credit. Recent closed loans include a truck driver with 595 credit and two-year-old medical collections: we approved him for $175k on the east side at 7 % fixed using FHA’s lenient collection guidelines and a 4 % seller credit to buy the rate down. Self-employed loggers with 1099 income used 12-month bank statements to qualify for $220k on a Sand Hill new-build—no tax returns required. If you’re a veteran with a 550 score, we manually underwrite VA files and offset risk with residual income; last month we cleared a $205k zero-down loan on a Western Avenue duplex.

Common-sense conditions: 12 months on-time rent history, two months of mortgage-payment reserves, and no undisclosed debts—Augusta’s underwriters know every local landlord and will verify.

Kennebec County’s registry of deeds charges $88 per thousand of mortgage amount—plan on $420 for an FHA deal. Owner’s title insurance runs $2.60 per $1,000 of sale price; lenders often require the upgraded policy because August’s 1800s courthouse records contain handwritten gaps. Maine state mortgage tax? Zero—one less fee versus New Hampshire. Add survey ($650) and well-water test if you leave city water ($110), and total buyer closing costs sit around $3,200 before pre-paids. Roll those into an FHA or VA loan using seller-paid closing costs up to 6 % (FHA) or 4 % (VA). On MaineHousing deals, the agency’s Low Rate PLUS option credits $1,500 toward those costs.

Upload pay stubs, two months of bank statements, and a driver’s license through NMHL’s encrypted portal by noon, and your Augusta loan officer issues a same-day pre-approval letter with money-backed language sellers trust. We pull a soft credit first—no score drop—then issue a full pre-underwrite if you’re house-hunting seriously. Local real-estate agents recognize our pre-approval as effectively cash; last month 68 % of our buyers beat competing offers. Schedule a 15-minute call, pick your neighborhood—Capitol Area river-view porch or Sand Hill cul-de-sac—and let Augusta’s hometown lender get you home.