hey prescott.
See what you qualify for

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington

City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division · Wilmington, North Carolina

Last verified
See what you qualify forOfficial program site →
Assistance

$25,000

The maximum the program publishes — not an offer

Income limit

80% AMI

Of area median income; varies by county and household size

Repayment

Repayable

Repaid on the terms set by City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division

What is Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington is a second mortgage for homebuyers in Wilmington, North Carolina, administered by City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division.

  • The City of Wilmington, in partnership with local banks, offers the Home Ownership Pool (HOP), a city-administered second-mortgage down payment assistance loan program for low-to-moderate income households unable to qualify for a conventional mortgage under standard underwriting. HOP provides up to $25,000 in down payment assistance. The property must be purchased within the city limits of Wilmington. Homebuyer Education is the first step; applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
  • Up to $25,000 in down payment assistance.
  • Second-mortgage gap financing for buyers who cannot qualify for a conventional mortgage.
  • Stackable with HOP 2gether, CPLP, and other DPA programs.
  • Free homebuyer education and one-on-one HUD-certified housing counseling.
  • Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.
  • This is a federal program, so it is available beyond a single state or city.
  • Funding comes from Partner banks provide approximately $1 million annually; supplemented by City of Wilmington General Funds appropriated to the Housing Loan Funds and federal HUD CDBG and HOME funds.

How much assistance does it provide?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington offers up to $25,000 in assistance.

  • The program can be combined with HOP 2gether, CPLP, and other down payment assistance loan programs.
  • Amounts are the program's published maximums, not an offer — City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division determines any individual award.

Do you have to pay it back?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington is a second mortgage and is repaid under the terms set by City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division.

  • The assistance is recorded in Second position.
  • Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Who qualifies?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington is open to buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence.

The program requires

  • The home is occupied as a primary residence
  • A completed homebuyer education course, through City of Wilmington Community Development Home Buyer Education classes (certificate valid two years); topics include credit, working with a real estate agent, fair housing, shopping for a home loan, and inspections.
  • Residency: Property must be purchased within the city limits of Wilmington.
  • DRAFT (dpa-gap-finder 2026-06-12): pending review; staged by gap-finder, not yet published. This City of Wilmington HOP is administered by the City and restricted to homes inside Wilmington city limits; it is DISTINCT from the New Hanover County Home Ownership Pool already in the catalog. Applicant must complete City Home Buyer Education before becoming HOP-eligible; household income at/below 80% AMI for the Wilmington Metro Area. Application requires the City Housing Programs Application plus a HOP Addendum with credit report, pay stubs, bank statements, and two years of tax returns. Exact 4-person income dollar limit, credit score, DTI, interest rate, term, and purchase-price cap were not extractable from the scanned source PDF and were left blank rather than guessed.

The program excludes

  • Households above 80% of area median income

These are the program's own published rules, not a decision about any individual — the administering agency and a lender determine who actually qualifies.

What are the income limits?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

  • Households at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the Wilmington Metro Area, using HUD HOME Program income limits adjusted for household size (2025 limits).
  • The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower’s.
  • Area median income figures are published by HUD and updated annually, so check the current table for the county before relying on a number.

What kind of home can it be used for?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington can be used for Single Family.

  • New construction is eligible.

Where does it apply?

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington is a federal program, so it is not limited to North Carolina.

How do you apply?

Applications for Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington go through City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division, which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site.

  1. Take a homebuyer education course

    Required by the program, through City of Wilmington Community Development Home Buyer Education classes (certificate valid two years); topics include credit, working with a real estate agent, fair housing, shopping for a home loan, and inspections..

  2. Contact City of Wilmington Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, Community Development & Housing Division to reserve funds

    Funds are reserved with the provider and are subject to availability.

  3. Work with a lender who handles the program

    Hey Prescott is not a lender and does not accept applications; this page describes the program so a buyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.

Learn this program

Short reads on how it works, in plain language. Free, no sign-up needed to read.

Free course from Hey Prescott

Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington, explained

A short, free course on Home Ownership Pool (HOP) - City of Wilmington: what it is, who it is for, when it is repaid, where it applies and how to apply. Based on program data from July 2026. About ten minutes.

5 modules · About 10 minutes

Read the course

Other programs in Wilmington, North Carolina

See every program in Wilmington, North Carolina →

90-second match

Not sure which you qualify for?

Answer 9 questions and we'll match you to every program you can actually use — in about 90 seconds. No SSN, no credit pull.

Find my programs