Selling Carolinas Group
Keller Williams Preferred
Text START
Columbia, South Carolina, The Midlands
How to buy a home in the Midlands without a big pile of cash in the bank.
Most renters here think they need $50,000 saved. They do not. South Carolina has money set aside right now to help you buy, and most people never hear about it. This guide shows you what is real, what you qualify for, and who to call. Text me and I will run your real number with you the same day.
Questions while you read? Text START to 803.974.7816.
6 pages . Free . No signup
Taquoia Beals Team Lead and REALTOR
$10,000
Toward your down payment through SC Housing. Zero interest, no monthly payment.
640
The credit score you need. Lower than most people think.
$450,000
The price cap on the $10,000 program. That buys a lot of house here.
Who you are working with
Team Lead and REALTOR
I am a Realtor with Selling Carolinas Group at Keller Williams Preferred, right here in the Midlands, and I work with a lot of first time buyers. My job is to educate you on how this actually works, advocate for you at every step, and build a plan around what you want. I will lay out your options in plain language and what each one means for your money and your timeline. The decision is always yours. Step one is a short conversation with a lender I trust, so the numbers we plan around are real.
Section One
The middle price for a home in Columbia is about $275,735. Move the slider and see the cash you would actually need at the table.
The middle price in Columbia is about $275,735.
Cash you would need at the table
$8,000
FHA 3.5 percent down plus about 3 percent closing costs, minus $10,000 in help.
| Home price | Cash needed on your own | Cash needed with $10,000 help |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | About $16,000 | About $6,000 |
| $300,000 | About $19,500 | About $9,500 |
Based on an FHA loan with 3.5 percent down plus about 3 percent in closing costs. Your real number depends on your loan and the seller. Ask us and we will run yours.
Look at the second column again. Ten thousand dollars in assistance is the difference between needing $16,000 saved and needing $6,000. For most buyers, that is the difference between three more years of renting and buying this year.
Median sale price, city of Columbia, three months ending May 2026. Redfin.
Want your real number? Text START to 803.974.7816 and we will run it today.
Text START to 803.974.7816Section Two
You pick one, not both. Here is what each one gives you.
$10,000 toward your down payment
3 or 4 percent of your loan amount
You pick one, not both. Which one wins depends on your income and your price range. That is a five minute conversation.
Not sure which one fits you? Text START to 803.974.7816.
Text START to 803.974.7816Section Three
Five quick questions. Nothing is stored and nothing is shared. This is a starting point, not an approval.
Read these before you decide you cannot.
If you have not owned in the last 3 years, you count as a first time buyer again.
You need a 640. That is lower than most people think, and it can often be fixed in a few months.
A family of three in Richland or Lexington can earn up to $110,170 and still qualify. Palmetto Home Advantage goes much higher.
The price cap is $450,000. That buys a lot of house in the Midlands.
Veterans get a one time pass on the first time buyer rule. Ask us how it works.
Think you might qualify? Text START to 803.974.7816 and we will find out in one call.
Text START to 803.974.7816Section Four
This is the part nobody tells you. Not every lender is approved for these programs, and some will talk you out of it because it is extra paperwork for them. Wahead is approved, he is local to us, and he closes these loans.
Start with Wahead. He knows these programs cold, he answers his phone, and he will give you a straight number to plan around.
Start here
Cornerstone
Wahead will tell you the truth about what you can do today, even when the answer is not yet. When it is not yet, he tells you exactly what to fix and how long it takes, then puts it in writing. This is the first call I ask my buyers to make.
Current as of July 2026. The full approved list lives at schousing.sc.gov under Find a Lender.
Want us to introduce you to one we trust? Text START to 803.974.7816.
Text START to 803.974.7816Section Five
Takes ten seconds.
Free, takes about fifteen minutes, and it tells you where you really stand instead of where you guess you stand.
Nothing is real until you have one.
Your number, not the number Zillow guessed.
And we negotiate the seller into helping with your costs.
From that first text to keys in your hand is usually 45 to 60 days.
One text starts it
Text START and it comes straight to me. I will walk you through your options, show you which programs you may fit, and get you in front of Wahead so the numbers are real before you fall in love with a house.
6 pages . Free . No signup
Selling Carolinas Group at Keller Williams Preferred, Columbia SC. sellingcarolinasgroup.com