First-time buyers · East Valley
Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley and everything in between — Chad's office sits on the Ahwatukee side of the I-10, so the East Valley is home turf. Here is how buying works out here, what help exists, and what to do first.
Where buyers are looking in East Valley
Licensed statewide in Arizona — these are just the areas that come up most. Any address in the East Valley works.
Down payment help in the East Valley
The Arizona IDA's HOME+PLUS program is the state's workhorse down payment assistance program, and it is available in every county, city and ZIP code in Arizona. It pairs a 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage — conventional, FHA, VA or USDA — with down payment assistance delivered as a second lien that carries no monthly payment and is forgiven over a short term if you stay in the home. The assistance can go toward the down payment, closing costs or both. A statewide income limit applies, homebuyer education is part of the deal, and you do not have to be a first-time buyer.
Chad · Loan OfficerBuying in the East Valley, specifically
Eastmark, Ocotillo, Power Ranch, Seville — a lot of East Valley first homes sit inside a master-planned community with an HOA, sometimes two, and a community facilities district on the tax bill. Dues and assessments count in your qualifying payment. Chad pulls all of it for any address before you write.
The East Valley straddles Maricopa and Pinal counties, and that line matters: Home in Five Advantage only works in Maricopa, property tax rates differ, and some Pinal County addresses are USDA-eligible. Chad checks which side of the line a house is on and what that unlocks.
The fastest-growing corners of the East Valley are new construction, which means builder incentives tied to the builder's lender. Chad runs the builder's offer against a Fairway loan side by side so you can take the incentive with your eyes open — or beat it.
Loan programs for East Valley first-time buyers
The workhorse of home financing — flexible terms, competitive costs, and down payments as low as 3% for first-time buyers.
Learn more →The first-time buyer favorite — 3.5% down, friendlier credit requirements, and forgiving guidelines for real-life finances.
Learn more →For those who served — $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and some of the strongest terms in all of lending.
Learn more →$0 down for homes in eligible communities across Arizona and most of New Mexico — far more towns qualify than buyers expect.
Learn more →Arizona and New Mexico both have real down payment help — HOME+PLUS, Home in Five and Housing New Mexico programs can put thousands toward your down payment and closing costs.
Learn more →Six myths busted and the six-step path from first text to keys — the page to read before anything else.
Start here →How it works from Phoenix
Text, phone, video, secure document upload, and a closing at a title company near you. Your real estate agent and Chad talk directly at every milestone — offer-day numbers in minutes and a call to every listing agent included.
Timing varies by file and depends on receiving complete documentation. Turnaround figures are typical, not guaranteed. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement; not all customers will qualify. Rates, programs and terms are subject to change. All loans subject to credit and property approval.
the East Valley first-time buyer questions
East Valley buyers can use conventional loans with 3% down, FHA with 3.5% down, VA with $0 down for eligible buyers, USDA with $0 down in eligible Pinal County communities, the Arizona IDA's HOME+PLUS program statewide, and Home in Five Advantage for Maricopa County addresses.
Some outer communities in Pinal County — toward San Tan Valley, Florence, Coolidge and parts of the Maricopa/Casa Grande corridor — are USDA-eligible; eligibility is address-specific and the map changes over time. Chad can check any address against the current USDA eligibility map.
Yes. Association dues — and community facilities district assessments — are included in the monthly housing payment used to qualify you, so a home with high dues qualifies for a slightly lower purchase price than one with none. The association must also meet lender requirements.
Chad Stallings works from Fairway Home Mortgage's Phoenix branch on Agave Road in Ahwatukee, minutes from Chandler and Tempe, and is licensed in Arizona and New Mexico (NMLS #221569).
the East Valley buyers
After that it's just a conversation. Text Chad what you're wondering about buying in the East Valley — tonight is fine.
Applications happen on Fairway's secure site — never here. Prefer your phone? Get the FairwayNow app.
