Two agents from Wailea Realty Corp. helped three clients benefit from a county-administered down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers.

In an effort to help first-time home buyers, the County of Maui introduced its First-Time Home Buyer’s Down Payment Assistance Program, one of more than 2,000 down payment assistance programs nationwide.

Administered by the county’s Housing Division, the program is designed for low- to above-moderate income first-time home buyers who need help with a down payment and/or closing costs. Grants up to $30,000 are allocated to eligible applicants with qualifying properties. Eligible borrowers only receive financial assistance up to five percent of the purchase price or appraisal value; the actual amount of funding is determined by need and on a case-by-case basis.

The deadline for applications was Jan. 4, and on Thursday, Jan. 17, 66 of those applicants were selected through a lottery drawing process in the J. Walter Cameron Center auditorium.

Adelle Lennox (left) and Melissa Zupner Montgomery (right). PC: Wailea Realty Corp.

Among the 66 applicants selected were Adelle Lennox and Victoria and Curtis Trice; they were represented by Wailea Realty Corp. A Boutique of Windermere Real Estate agents Melissa Zupner Montgomery and Jai Jimenez, respectively.

Montgomery helped Lennox navigate the home buying process from start to finish. In late April, she handed Lennox the keys to her new condominium in Kahului. “It was really exciting helping Adelle find her first home,” Montgomery said. “It is a big step to take in order to purchase a home, especially your first home. It is usually the most sizable purchase that any of us make. We went through the process together, along with our escrow and lending partners, and the end result was very rewarding for all involved. I am so happy that Adelle now has her own Maui hale.”

Jimenez, who represented the Trices, says he was elated to help the couple purchase their single-family home in Kīhei. “The county’s down payment assistance program was such an amazing blessing for my clients because it provided them with an opportunity to purchase a home here on Maui,” he said. “Knowing how much this meant to Victoria and Curtis…it gave me such a sense of gratitude and appreciation for this program.”

To learn more, visit www.wailearealty.com.

For more information about the county’s First-Time Home Buyer’s Down Payment Assistance Program, contact the Housing Division administration office at 270-1741.