First-time buyers · Twin Cities suburbs
Eden Prairie, Edina, Bloomington, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Woodbury, Burnsville, Lakeville, Shakopee and everything in between — Taylor works from Eden Prairie, so the suburbs are home turf. Here is how buying works out here, what help exists, and what to do first.
Where buyers are looking in Twin Cities suburbs
Licensed statewide in Minnesota — these are just the areas that come up most. Any address in the Twin Cities suburbs works.
Down payment help in the Twin Cities suburbs
Minnesota Housing's Start Up program is built for first-time buyers (anyone who has not owned a home in the last three years). It pairs a Minnesota Housing first mortgage — conventional, FHA, VA or USDA — with down payment and closing cost loans: a Deferred Payment Loan with no monthly payment, repaid when you sell or refinance, or a Monthly Payment Loan with a small payment alongside the mortgage. Income and purchase-price limits apply by county, and a homebuyer education course is part of the deal.
Taylor · Loan OfficerBuying in the Twin Cities suburbs, specifically
Property tax rates vary noticeably from one suburb to the next, and so do the special assessments that show up on the tax statement. Two houses at the same price in Eden Prairie and Shakopee can carry different monthly payments. Taylor pulls the real figures for any address before you write.
A lot of suburban first homes are townhomes, which means an association. Dues count in your qualifying payment, and the association itself has to pass muster for the loan. Taylor reviews both so the townhome that fits your budget on paper fits it at closing too.
Parts of the outer ring — toward Carver, Scott, Wright, Sherburne and Isanti counties — are USDA-eligible, which means $0 down for eligible buyers. If you are flexible on commute, the eligibility map is worth a look. Taylor checks any address in seconds.
Loan programs for Twin Cities suburbs 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 smaller communities across Minnesota — far more towns qualify than buyers expect.
Learn more →Minnesota all have real down payment help — Minnesota Housing 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 Eden Prairie
Text, phone, video, secure document upload, and a closing at a title company near you. Your real estate agent and Taylor 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 Twin Cities suburbs first-time buyer questions
Suburban Twin Cities 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 outer-ring communities, and Minnesota Housing's Start Up program for down payment and closing cost assistance.
Some outer-ring communities and surrounding counties are USDA-eligible; eligibility is address-specific and the map changes over time. Taylor can check any address against the current USDA eligibility map.
Yes. Association dues are included in the monthly housing payment used to qualify you, so a townhome with high dues qualifies for a slightly lower purchase price than a single-family home with none. The association must also meet lender requirements.
Taylor Kranz works from Fairway Home Mortgage's Eden Prairie, MN branch and is licensed in Minnesota (NMLS #2093249), covering every Twin Cities suburb and the rest of the state.
the Twin Cities suburbs buyers
After that it's just a conversation. Text Taylor what you're wondering about buying in the Twin Cities suburbs — tonight is fine.
Applications happen on Fairway's secure site — never here.
