7 Differences between Good Neighbor Next Door and Teacher Next Door Part of the Good Neighbor Next Door series
Over the past twelve months, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in home prices. Wonderful news if you already own a home. If you’re home shopping, on the other hand, the search could prove a bit more challenging.
While HUD’s Good Neighbor Next Door program offers an amazing opportunity to a fortunate few, we’ve found the Teacher Next Door Program to be more inclusive, less restrictive and provide substantial benefits to thousands of program participants each year.
Here are seven key differences between Good Neighbor Next Door and the Teacher Next Door Program.
1. Half Price Homes (50% off value) – Only Good Neighbor Next Door homes are 50% off.
Although you may purchase any home on the market through Teacher Next Door, including a Good Neighbor home, the 50% discount only applies to the homes selected by HUD for the Good Neighbor Program.
HUD’s Good Neighbor Next Door program offers homes at 50% of the current appraised value. If there is a Good Neighbor Next Door home available in your work area, and you meet the other eligibility requirements, you may be able to purchase the home for only $100.00 down, using an FHA loan. Then, you may also use the Teacher Next Door Grant to help pay all or part of your closing cost. 2. Location – Only Good Neighbor Next Door homes are in specific areas. Through Teacher Next Door, you may purchase any home you wish, in the area of your choosing.
Good Neighbor homes are located in revitalization areas, as determined by HUD. When HUD owns a home in these areas, typically through foreclosure, they may choose to make it available for the Good Neighbor Program.
Teacher Next Door is the largest national home buying program in the United States and not operated by HUD. As such, you may purchase any home on the market and are not required to work in the same area as the home.
3. Eligibility – Good Neighbor Next Door is limited to four very specific job titles; Teacher Next Door does not have that restriction. Thus, is much more inclusive.
The Good Neighbor Next Door program requires that all buyers have one of four very specific job titles: Law Enforcement Officer (with arrest powers), Classroom Teacher (Pre-K through 12th grade), Firefighter or Emergency Medical Technician. (EMT) The Teacher Next Door Program offers grants, down payment assistance and other benefits, and is available to all teachers, nurses, law enforcement, firefighters, EMT’s, government employees and military personnel. In addition, these same benefits are extended to all public servants that serve in any of these categories, regardless of their job title or function. For example, a school secretary, nursing assistant, or 911 dispatcher.
4. Availability – Good Neighbor Next Door homes are extremely limited in their availability, as you might imagine, being half price. In some states, there are urban areas with several Good Neighbor homes available. Whereas many other states may have zero Good Neighbor homes at any given time. When you bid on a Good Neighbor home, it is a lottery style bid. So, if there are 50 bidders, you will have a 1 in 50 chance of having the winning bid. With Teacher Next Door, there are usually plenty of homes available, because you may choose any home, in any neighborhood.
5. Housing Grants - Teacher Next Door offers participants the opportunity to receive GRANTS and other home buying benefits. Good Neighbor Next Door is not a grant program and HUD does not offer grants for single family home buyers. 6. Down Payment Assistance – Teacher Next Door offers down payment assistance. Good Neighbor Next Door does not.
Teacher Next Door has down payment assistance programs available in all 50 states. These programs may include, Home in Five Advantage, CalPlus, Colorado FirstStep, Texas 5-Star Advantage, Military Heroes, First Home, Chenoa and Unison, just to name a few. When you apply, a Next Door Certified Program Specialist will help you determine which loan and assistance programs will help you receive the maximum benefits. Programs are each structured differently, and eligibility varies by city and state.
7. Additional Restrictions - Good Neighbor Next Door adds the following restrictions, Teacher Next Door does not.
Residency Commitment - If you are the winning bidder on a Good Neighbor home, HUD requires a three-year residency commitment, and the home must be located in the same area where you work. Teacher Next Door does not have any limitations when it comes to residency. First Time Home Buyer Status - Good Neighbor Next Door requires you to be a first-time home buyer, Teacher Next Door does not. First time home buyer typically means having not owned a home in the past three years. While Teacher Next Door does not have this requirement, some of the down payment assistance programs may have this limitation.
Please keep in mind that bidding on Good Neighbor homes is only open for 7 days, and all bids must contain a pre-approval.
To learn more and check current availability of Good Neighbor Next Door homes, you may click the Good Neighbor Next Door link below.
Good Neighbor Next Door
Next Door Program Reviews
Next Door Programs:
Teacher Next Door
Nurse Next Door
Officer Next Door
Firefighter Next Door
Public Servant Next Door
Soldier Next Door
Congratulations to Deputy Sheriff Townes and family, on your beautiful new home in Florida! Thank you for the 5-star review! We were excited to be part of your journey!
Here is what they had to say about their experience with the Officer Next Door Program.
They ROCK!
Officer Next Door Realtor: Cheri Aumond McClean Officer Next Door Loan Office: Bryan Friedman
"Bryan was knowledgeable and helpful. Cheri and Lisa were amazing, always checking in on us to inform us where and how things were going. Both were always available to answer our questions. They rock!
The Officer Next Door Program is outstanding! They walked me through and explained the process. Cheri was the best. She had great knowledge of the area and the home buying process. She was willing to adjust her schedule to accommodate my schedule and gave great feedback and her honest opinion when asked. The Officer Next Door Program and Cheri are very reliable. If you’re looking for a forever home this is the program to call.”
Thanks,Deputy Sheriff Townes South Florida
Grants and down payment assistance are available through the Officer Next Door Program.
More Next Door Program Reviews
Congratulations Officer Nelson on your beautiful new home in North Carolina! Thank you for being a Law Enforcement Officer! We are happy to be part of your journey.
Officer Next Door Reviews
Congratulations to Officer Butcher and your family, on your beautiful new home in California! The Butcher Family was able to realize their dream of home ownership, using the Officer Next Door Program. We wish you many years of happy memories in your new home. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey.
Certified Online Reviews
Most Recent Certified Buyer Reviews
Attentive! Teacher Next Door Realtor: Selinda DowTeacher Next Door Loan Officer: Brian Cohrt "Brian made my homebuying experience a wonderful one. From the beginning, he was attentive to my needs. He also made sure that I knew the latest information in regard to my loan. Brian is a very personable, honest person who had my best interest at heart. Any time I had questions or concerns, he was there to answer my questions and address my concerns. Brian is a great choice! I appreciate his dedication to helping me secure my first home! :) " Ebony ConyersSumpter, SC Teacher Next Door Review 8/01/2021
Really Cares! Teacher Next Door Realtor: Paulette CarterTeacher Next Door Loan Officer: Sean Baker "Sean is really great! He really cares about the people he works with. Throughout the process Sean responded quickly to any and all questions we had and made sure we understood what was going on-EVERY STEP OF THE WAY! " Kimberly Barfield New Orleans, LA Teacher Next Door Review 8/01/2021
Such a Pleasure! Teacher Next Door Realtor: Sherri PurcellTeacher Next Door Loan Officer: Crystal Hoyt "Working with Crystal and Sherri in my home buying process was such a pleasure. They not only understood my needs and wants but truly went above and beyond by helping me close my property in under 4 weeks of getting an offer accepted. Crystal kept me sane, listened to my concerns without passing any judgements and made me feel confident while deciding on options. I want to personally thank crystal and everyone for helping me make my dreams come true!!!" Bianca Harris Fort Lauderdale, FL Teacher Next Door Review 8/01/2021
Very Helpful! Teacher Next Door Realtor: Beatrice "BJ" McLeanTeacher Next Door Loan Officer: Steven Ehrlich "Steven was very helpful throughout the whole process. He constantly kept us updated and informed on steps we should be doing, which is everything you’d want during the home buying process." Thomas Nelson Charlotte, NC Teacher Next Door Review 08/01/2021
Awesome! Teacher Next Door Realtor: Swana ThomasTeacher Next Door Loan Officer: Brian Cohrt "Brian was awesome. Always on top of everything. Very responsive and timely. He made things easy for me. " Tameeka Jones Brooklyn, NY Teacher Next Door Review 7/31/2021
Thank You! Nurse Next Door Realtor: Brian GentryNurse Next Door Loan Officer: Nick Fountotos "Thanks so much for walking us through the process!" Jacob Beazer Orthello, WA Nurse Next Door Review 7/30/2021
Very Knowledgeable! Nurse Next Door Realtor: Carlos AbelaisNurse Next Door Loan Officer: Jacob Lavoto "Jacob was very knowledgeable and genuinely wanted to help us with the home buying process." Jaymie Smoot Tucson, AZ Nurse Next Door Review 7/30/2021
More Reviews
Congratulations to the Soper Family on your beautiful new lakefront, pool home in sunny South Florida!
Thank you so much to Teacher / Officer Next Door Realtor® Sherri Purcell, for your help and for your years of dedication to this program, and commitment to helping others. Shout out to TND / OND Program Specialist Rahmun Aung Khin, for the amazing job you do each and every day!
For more info on grants, down payment assistance and other programs through Teacher Next Door® and Officer Next Door®, please visit the official website at www.TeacherNextDoor.us.
Reviews
Congratulations to the Mcclinton family on your beautiful new home! We hope you enjoy many happy new memories! Britney is a nurse in the Durham, NC area. It was our please to work with her and to give back to someone who does so much for others!
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Amazing Experience!
"Working with Samantha was such an amazing Experience! As a first-time home buyer, saying I was a bit lost was an understatement. Sam was extremely clear, so I knew exactly what to expect before anything happened. She made sure I felt comfortable at every point. Her communication skills were top-notch throughout the entire process. I could not be happier with my choice. Samantha killed it!"
Kelsey ChenowethDamascus, MD
Above Expectations!
"Brian went above my expectations. He dealt with all my questions...and I had a lot. He walked be through the process of buying a home, gave advice, was knowledgeable, patient and helped me even when it was past "business hours" to get things accomplished. Danielle was also a God send. I'm so grateful! I actually have a home now thanks to this team! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"
Melissa MelendezOrlando, FL
American Dream!
"The American dream is to own your own home and I'm so thankful to Sean and his Team for helping make this a reality for me! They made the process smooth and simple. They were always available and responsive if I had any questions and were able to work with the unique challenges of my situation. 10/10 would recommend to anyone!
Carissa HawesLexington, KY
Read 100's of Reviews
Help is here for Police, Law Enforcement Officers and support staff!In the past 12 months, Officer Next Door has helped over 20,000 law enforcement professionals and other public service employees, navigate the home buying process. If you work in law enforcement, you are eligible for the Officer Next Door National Home Buying Program™. There is no fee for using the program and the benefits are substantial.
Home Loans: For the mortgage loan, an Officer Next Door Certified Program Specialist will discuss your individual situation and help you determine which home loan program will benefit you the most. All loan types are available in connection with the Officer Next Door Program, including conventional, FHA, VA and USDA. In addition, you may qualify for special programs such as Fannie Mae’s HomeReady or Freddie Mac’s HomePossible or HomeOne programs.
Grants: Housing GRANTS up to $6,000.00 are currently available to law enforcement and support staff. Depending on the area, these grants may include government grants and/or the Officer Next Door Grant. Some of the state specific programs may include Arizona Home in Five, Georgia Dream, Florida First and others.
Down Payment Assistance: Officer Next Door works with over thirty different down payment assistance programs, including national programs such as Chenoa and Unison. Currently, down payment assistance amounts may be up to $10,681.00, depending on your location and individual circumstance.
First Time Home Buyers: The Officer Next Door Program is not limited to first time home buyers. However, law enforcement officers and support staff who are first time home buyers may also benefit from Officer Next Door’s First Time Home Buyers Program.
Other Benefits: Law enforcement and support staff may purchase any home on the market through Officer Next Door and there are no 3-year residency requirements. There are no application or up-front fees and the Simple Docs Program™, available in most states, may reduce or eliminate the need for you to gather many of the verification documents typically associated with a mortgage loan.
For more information on the Officer Next Door Program you may visit www.OfficerNextDoor.us or www.teachernextdoor.us/Officer-Next-Door.
With us every step of the way!"We wanted to give a shout out to Cheri Aumond-McLean for helping us find our dream home here in Tampa, FL. She was with us every step of the way (and I definitely appreciated her quick responses to ALL of my questions). She gets stuff done! Without this program, we would have been at a loss during the whole process. We appreciate the team (Cheri, Jose, Albie, and everyone else behind the scenes) that came together to guide us - we're at a loss of words for how thankful we are!"Danielle Matte, TeacherTampa, FLRead more Certified Buyer ReviewsAPPLY NOW