EOA Dream America Lease To Own Program

Home Ownership Starts Here!

The EOA Dream America program buys any house you select with your EOA Broker and rents it back to you. Buy anytime and 10% of rent is saved and credited towards your purchase.

500 FICO | $4k/month income | $5k cash needed

How Does the EOA Dream America Lease to Own Program Work?

3 simple steps…

* Click Apply Here using your personalized information and application portal
*Get pre-qualified in minutes
*Search for homes with your EOA sales agent or on this site

It’s free and won’t impact your credit score. Once approved, pick any home listed for sale up to $400K:

Lease until you are ready to buy.
Dream America buys any home you select and leases it back to you for 12 months. We give you a roadmap to help you get mortgage-ready.

Buy your Dream home
At any time, buy your home at a preset price. There is no minimum rental period when you buy. You can also renew the lease if desired.

FAQs: WHAT IS THE EOA DREAM AMERICA LEASE TO OWN PROGRAM?

The EOA Dream America Program offers aspiring homeowners the opportunity to pick any home available for sale in their community within an approved budget. Your EOA Broker helps find the right home for you.  Dream America then buys the home you select and leases it to you until you qualify for a mortgage and purchase it back from Dream America.
Dream acquires the property you select. Your EOA Realty Broker helps you find the right home for you. The process of selecting a home is virtually identical to the traditional process that you would go through if you had already qualified for a mortgage.  The difference is that once you find your home, Dream America will buy it and lease it to you until you are ready to buy it back from Dream. There is NO COST for EOA Brokerage Sales Services!
During your lease, you will follow a personalized plan to mortgage-readiness provided by your EOA Realty Broker.  As soon as you qualify for a mortgage, you can cancel the lease penalty-free and buy your home!

WHAT ARE THE STEPS INVOLVED?
1) Joining the EOA Dream America Program is a personal decision. Please read the Program guidelines to decide if it’s right for you
2) Apply and get pre-qualified in 5 minutes! We only do a soft credit pull
3) Provide supporting income and savings documents to the Dream Team
4) Once approved, pick any home for sale with your EOA Sales Agent that fits your budget. There is NO COST for EOA Brokerage Sales Services! You can pick new construction, resale houses and townhouses
5) Dream America will put an offer on the home you select.  If our offer is accepted, we will order a professional home inspection. The inspection report will be shared with you
6) Make required payments to Dream America and sign Deam America Program agreements
7) Close and Move-in!

*Dream America is not a lender. EOA Realty Brokerage provides home selection and mortgage readiness services. There is NO COST for EOA Brokerage Sales Services! EOA Brokerage will Not provide Appraisal services in Lease To Own transactions.

WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS?
+ FICO score of 500
+ Household gross income of $4,000/month (applicant + co-applicant, if any). For self-employment or those who have a combination of self-employment and wages, the program uses total income from your tax returns as the starting basis in determining qualified income for the program
+ $5,000 – $10,000 or more available from savings, 401k or gift.  If savings, funds must be available in your bank accounts and average greater than $5,000 over the preceding 2 most recent bank statements in order to be considered.  If 401k or gift, bank balance must also average at least $2,000.  
+ Debt to income ratio including Dream rent below 50%
+ 12-month track record of paying rent on-time
+ U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident Alien

IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE?
No.

DOES A PRIOR BANKRUPTCY OR FORECLOSURE DISQUALIFY ME?
No!  We have seen it all. For a bankruptcy, you must wait 12 months after the discharge date before joining the EOA Dream America Program.  For a foreclosure or deed in lieu, you must wait 24 months.  

DOES A PRIOR EVICTION DISQUALIFY ME?
No.  As long as your eviction is more than 12 months ago, you are still eligible for the EOA Dream America Program.

I HAVEN’T FILED TAX RETURNS THAT ARE DUE / I OWE TAXES. DOES THAT DISQUALIFY ME?
Not automatically, but it will weigh heavily on our underwriting decision.  In order to be considered, you will need compensating factors such as higher income and savings to qualify.

IS THERE A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK?
No.  When you apply for a mortgage, there is no criminal background check.  And we are trying to get you ready for homeownership.

HOW MUCH CASH DO I NEED TO JOIN THE DREAM AMERICA PROGRAM?
The upfront cash required is a function of home price (just as it is when you buy).  A minimum of $5,000 from savings, 401k plan or gift from a family member is required in order to be considered for the Dream America Program ($8,000 if your FICO is below 550).  If cash to join is coming from a gift or 401k, you must also have an average bank account balance of $2,000 over the prior 2 months.  
*Please remember, you will also need to pay the 1st month’s rent when you move-in (see calculator above to estimate your rent payment). So add that on to your funds available checklist.

WHEN DO I NEED TO HAVE THIS CASH AVAILABLE?
Payment is immediately due once Dream America has an accepted offer on the home you select (or prior to signing a contract for new construction).  You cannot start the EOA Dream America home search process unless you have funds available.  If you are obtaining funds from a 401k or a gift from a family member, please discuss that with someone on the Dream Team during the application review process.

I WANT TO GET INTO MY DREAM HOME, BUT I DON’T HAVE THE REQUIRED CASH. DO YOU MAKE EXCEPTIONS?
No.  The first step in reviewing your application is verifying you have the cash available needed to join the Program.  If you don’t have the minimum required cash to join today, please establish a savings plan and apply in the future.

HOW DO I APPLY?
Click Apply Here to start the application process.

AFTER I APPLY, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET APPROVED?
After you apply, the Dream Team will review your application and ask you to submit supporting documentation showing income and cash available.  Once all requested documents are submitted, you should receive an answer within 2 business days.  Please note, If your application is declined, you must wait 90 days before re-applying.

WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSES ARE AVAILABLE WITH THE PROGRAM?
EOA Dream America is available in select major metro areas in FL, GA and TX.
Once you qualify, you can go out with your EOA Sales Agent and pick any home for sale near you in available cities.  There is NO COST for EOA Brokerage Sales Services!

WHICH HOMES ARE ELIGIBLE?
+ Asking price of $150,000 up to $400,000
+ Single family home or townhouse (no condo or manufactured homes)
+ New construction or resale
+ Homes built or renovated in the last 15 years.  You are responsible for maintaining the home and the last thing we want you to have is big repair bills!
We order an inspection on all homes before we purchase them and share the report with you.  We then ask the seller to make any necessary repairs.

HOW DOES RENTING FROM DREAM AMERICA WORK?
Rent is determined by house price, property tax, HOA fees and insurance costs, not by neighborhood.  Dream America charges the same rent on a $200,000 house anywhere in Atlanta, Jacksonville, etc. adjusted for property tax and HOA.
To state the obvious, rent is more expensive than your cost of ownership once you obtain a mortgage!  That is why we offer a penalty-free early lease termination when you buy your Dream home.
*EOA Dream America is available for homes listed for sale from $150,000 up to $400,000.

DOES ANY OF THE MONTHLY RENT GO TOWARDS MY PURCHASE?
Yes!  10% of rent paid will be applied as a closing credit towards your purchase of your Dream home if all rent payments are made on time.  We make this easy for you by collecting rent automatically from your bank account on the 1st of each month.

DO I HAVE TO PAY FIRST AND LAST MONTH’S RENT BEFORE I MOVE-IN?
No.  You will only pay the first month's rent before you move-in.  

DO I HAVE TO PAY A SECURITY DEPOSIT?
No.

WHAT FEES ARE INVOLVED IN THE DREAM AMERICA PROGRAM?
You will pay an onboarding fee equal to 1% of your home price as soon as we are under contract to buy the home you selected.

WHO MAINTAINS THE HOME?
You are responsible for maintaining the home during the life of the lease and thereafter once you purchase it.  Please remember, we order an inspection before we purchase the home and share it with you.  If you aren’t happy with the condition of the home, we won’t purchase it.
As an additional benefit, we insure your home comes with a home warranty, covering appliances, electric, HVAC and plumbing repairs.

CAN I MAKE COSMETIC IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HOME?
Absolutely! You are free to upgrade the landscaping, paint the walls, install new carpet, etc. in your Dream home.  Major construction involving structural changes is not permitted.  You need to buy your Dream home first.

ARE PETS ALLOWED?
Yes, pets are allowed but they must be listed in the lease.  A non-refundable $250 pet fee will also apply.  Certain pets may be excluded due to insurance restrictions or community standards.

CAN I RENEW MY LEASE AND PURCHASE CONTRACT?
Yes.  While we want to see all of our clients purchase their home in the next 12 months, you may renew your lease and purchase contract if needed.  At the time of the renewal, the rent and future Purchase Price will both increase by 5%.
Please note, if you pay your rent late two or more times during the initial lease (or Dream files for an eviction even once), the renewal option is void.

BUYING MY HOME. AND WHAT IF I DON’T BUY?
How does the contract to buy my Dream home work?
The contract to buy your Dream home requires an upfront earnest money payment.  This payment is credited back to you when you purchase your Dream home.

I NEED TO INCREASE MY CREDIT SCORE. WILL DREAM AMERICA HELP ME?
All Dream clients will be given a roadmap to help them build their credit during the life of their lease.  In addition, clients must sign the Dream America Pledge which includes steps to increase mortgage-readiness.

WHAT IF I DECIDE I AM NOT GOING TO BUY MY DREAM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE LEASE?
Dream America is not a try before you buy program.  We are focused on helping people that are serious about homeownership. If you are not 100% committed to becoming a homeowner, please look for another alternative.  However, if after renting for 12 months your plans change and you decide not to buy the home you can ask Dream America to sell it.  If we are able to recoup our costs, your earnest money will be returned after the house is sold.

I’M A VET ELIGIBLE FOR A VA MORTGAGE. DOES THIS REDUCE MY UPFRONT PAYMENT?
No.  A VA mortgage has no down payment, but you still have closing costs including a VA fee.

HOW IS THE FUTURE PURCHASE PRICE DETERMINED?
The longer you continue to rent from Dream America, the more you will pay when you buy your Dream home.  If you buy your home in the first 6 months, you will pay 6% more than Dream America’s Acquisition Price (the price today including Dream America’s closing costs).  Thereafter through expiration in month 12, you will pay 10% more.

IS DREAM AMERICA  A GOOD DEAL?
That depends on many factors.  The best alternative for you may be to continue to rent and wait to buy in the future once you qualify for a mortgage.  But if housing prices continue to rise, you will pay more in a year than you will today.  Maybe your lease is ending and you need to move now.  And you want to move into your Dream home that you select.  Not just another rental.  Moving to another rental also means that you will have to move twice in the next year – now and when you qualify for a mortgage.  Dream America eliminates the cost and hassle of that extra move.
Also, you should know that Dream can probably get a better deal today than you can on the home you select.  We buy houses with no financing contingency and close in 2 weeks.  This makes us more attractive to sellers and generally allows us to get a better deal.  The less we pay today, the less you pay in the future.

WHAT IF I STILL CAN’T QUALIFY FOR A MORTGAGE IN 12 MONTHS?
Dream America is not a mortgage lender and acceptance into the Program does not guarantee future mortgage-approval.  However, as part of the approval process, your application is reviewed to see if there is a path to mortgage-readiness over the next 12 months.  If there isn’t one, we won’t accept you.  However, we understand that circumstances change.  Things happen.   That is why your lease contains a renewal option so that you can rent for a 2nd or even 3rd year if needed.

WHAT IF THE HOUSE DOESN’T APPRAISE FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE WHEN I WANT TO BUY?
As described above, your Purchase Price is set when your lease begins.  We don’t have a crystal ball and don’t know what the appraisal will be in the future.  In order to bridge any gap, you can first use the 10% rent closing credit (see above for details).  We will also ask the mortgage lender to contribute towards closing.  If that doesn’t close the gap and you need to contribute additional funds due to a low appraisal, Dream America will match your contribution.  For example, if the appraisal is $5,000 below your Purchase Price, your rent closing credit is $1,500 and the lender contributes $1,000, you will still have a $2,500 shortfall ($5,000 - $1,500 - $1,000).  In this example, Dream America would contribute $1,250 to the shortfall and you would contribute $1,250.

ARE THERE ANY CLOSING COSTS?
Dream America pays all upfront closing costs which are then included in the Acquisition Price.  You will pay all closing costs when you qualify for a mortgage and purchase your Dream home.  You can get an estimate of closing costs from a mortgage lender. Please note, your down payment requirement plus closing costs will exceed your upfront earnest money payment to Dream America.  It is very important that you save additional funds during the life of your lease.