After graduating from Delaware State University, Dominique Bennett lived with family in Millsboro while she saved money to buy her first home. But with a position as an evaluation specialist in New Castle, her commute was long and she was anxious to find a home closer to the school where she worked. Dominique had been preapproved for a $185,000 loan in 2024, but finding something she liked in that price range proved difficult and she decided to wait until she had more income and savings. She used the time to research homeownership programs and found Delaware State Housing Authority’s website, where she learned about mortgage loan products for first-time and repeat homebuyers.

In the fall of 2025, Dominique decided to try again and chose Pike Creek Mortgage Services from DSHA’s preferred list of lenders. This time, working with mortgage consultant Rich Mazzio, she was preapproved for a DSHA Welcome Home first mortgage of up to $275,000. Mazzio connected Dominique with Realtor Shana Pepper, of Iron Valley Real Estate Premier. In November, after touring a few homes, Dominique made an offer on one of them, a four-bedroom, one- and-a-half bath detached rowhouse in the Trinity neighborhood of Wilmington. Her offer was accepted, contingent on the seller finding another home to buy. That made for a a stressful week or two, but by December, the seller had found their new home, and Dominique’s closing was scheduled for January.

In addition to the DSHA Welcome Home first mortgage, Dominique qualified for DSHA’s down payment and closing costs assistance loan of 5 percent of the first mortgage loan amount. But her modest savings presented the biggest challenge for her, so she asked the seller for assistance. The seller came through with a credit and Dominique went to closing with $1,500 of her own money.

Dominique says the DSHA mortgage program, especially the down payment and closing costs assistance loan, was very helpful in getting her to the homebuying finish line. “It made it a lot less stressful,” she says.

While it has been a learning experience, Dominique says she enjoys being a homeowner. Her advice to others looking to buy a home for the first time is to be patient and take the time needed to find the right house.

“I was prepared to wait until I found what I wanted,” she said.