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About the WVHDF Movin' Up Program
The WVHDF Movin' Up Program is a 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage from the West Virginia Housing Development Fund for moderate-income buyers who already own a home or earn too much for the Fund's Homeownership Program. Rates are 7.750% for Movin' Up and 7.625% for Movin' Up Special on reservations received from October 7, 2026. It is the only WVHDF purchase loan open to repeat buyers in every county.
To qualify for Movin' Up, income for everyone on the note or deed cannot exceed $171,120, a single statewide limit for locks made on or after January 2, 2026. The sales price and the first mortgage amount cannot exceed $350,000 in any county. There is no first-time buyer requirement. The home must be in West Virginia and can be a single-family house, townhome, approved condo or PUD unit, or a new or existing post-1976 doublewide, with no acreage limit. FHA, VA and USDA loans need a 620 credit score, a total debt-to-income ratio of 49.99% or less, and an Approve/Eligible DU or GUS finding with no manual downgrade. Movin' Up Special adds a stricter test: loan qualifying income at or below county 80% AMI, such as $64,160 in Kanawha or $82,400 in Monongalia.
Movin' Up no longer comes with down payment help. Effective September 30, 2026, the Low Down Home Loan is not eligible with Movin' Up or Movin' Up Special, though locks made before then are unaffected. Special borrowers also get lower-cost PMI with reduced coverage, such as 16% on a loan between 90% and 95% LTV. By comparison, the Homeownership Program charges 5.790% and pairs with a $12,000 Low Down Home Loan, but caps income at $57,040 to $102,100 by county.
How much assistance
Eligibility
- Income limits: $171,120 statewide for everyone on the note and/or deed (locks on or after 1/2/2026). Movin' Up Special: loan qualifying income at or below county 80% AMI, $55,760-$131,280 (2026-27 chart dated 6/25/2026).
- Purchase price limit: $350,000
- First-time buyer required: No
- Credit score minimum: 620
- Geographic restrictions: Property must be located in West Virginia.
- Homebuyer education required: Yes
How to Apply for WVHDF Movin' Up Program
Step 1: Compare Movin' Up with the Homeownership Program
Check the Homeownership Program first, because it charges 5.790% versus 7.750% for Movin' Up. Outside targeted counties it requires no ownership of a principal residence in the past three years, and it uses county income limits from $57,040 to $102,100 and a $300,000 price cap ($350,000 in Berkeley and Jefferson). If you own a home now or earn above your county limit, Movin' Up is the WVHDF option.
Step 2: Check your income against the Special limit
Find your county on the Movin' Up Special chart dated June 25, 2026. If your loan qualifying income, the figure your lender uses in Desktop Underwriter, is at or below the county's 80% AMI limit, you get the 7.625% Special rate and lower-cost PMI. Examples include $55,760 in Raleigh and Fayette, $68,160 in Cabell, $81,280 in Berkeley and $131,280 in Jefferson. Special is available on conventional loans only.
Step 3: Find a WVHDF participating lender
Apply through a lender on the Find a Lender page at wvhdf.com, or call the Fund at 304-391-8600 or 800-933-9843 for a referral. Ask the lender whether your loan will use conventional, FHA, VA or USDA insurance, since government loans carry the Fund's 620 credit score and 49.99% debt-to-income overlays. Get a second quote from a non-WVHDF loan so you can compare the 7.750% rate and fees.
Step 4: Complete homebuyer education if required
Homebuyer education or counseling is required on conventionally insured or uninsured Movin' Up loans. FHA, VA and USDA loans follow the insuring agency's education rules instead. Finish the course before closing and give the certificate to your lender. Gather two years of W-2s or tax returns, recent pay stubs and bank statements, because income for everyone on the note or deed counts toward the $171,120 limit.
Step 5: Choose an eligible home under $350,000
Shop for a single-family home, townhome, approved condo or PUD unit, or a doublewide built after 1976. There is no lot size or acreage limit. Both the sales price and the first mortgage amount must stay at or under $350,000 in every county. New construction can get permanent financing, but WVHDF does not offer construction loans. Make your offer once your lender confirms your payment and cash to close.
Step 6: Lock the rate and close on time
Your lender reserves the loan with WVHDF, and the rate in effect on the reservation date applies. Movin' Up allows a 45-day lock on existing homes, and missing it can bring extension fees or worst-case pricing. WVHDF changed Movin' Up rates four times between July and October 2026, so lock once you have a signed contract. Lenders send lock questions to lockdesk@wvhdf.com.
Real Cost Example
On a $235,000 home in Morgantown, Movin' Up with 5% down means an $11,750 down payment and a $223,250 loan. A buyer whose qualifying income is at or below Monongalia County's $82,400 limit gets the 7.625% Special rate, for principal and interest of about $1,580 a month. Above that income, the 7.750% Movin' Up rate raises the payment to about $1,599, before taxes, insurance and PMI.
Estimated closing costs in the Morgantown area run $4,500 to $7,000, putting cash to close near $16,250 to $18,750. At 95% LTV, Fannie Mae caps seller-paid costs at 3% of the price, or $7,050 on this home. A seller who covers the closing costs within that cap brings the buyer's cash need down to about the $11,750 down payment.
A Morgantown buyer under Monongalia's $78,720 Homeownership Program income limit who has not owned a home in three years should price that program instead. The same $235,000 home fits its $300,000 cap, it finances up to 100% of the price at 5.790%, and the Low Down Home Loan adds up to $12,000 at 2% over 15 years.
Combining With Other Programs
Since September 30, 2026, Movin' Up has no paired WVHDF assistance, so the biggest savings come from the insurer you choose. Movin' Up works with VA and USDA loans, which allow eligible buyers to finance without a down payment, and with FHA insurance at 3.5% down. FHLBank Pittsburgh's First Front Door grant, up to $15,000 for buyers at or below 80% AMI with a $1,500 contribution, closed its 2026 round and expects updates in early 2027.
The Low Down Home Loan, up to $12,000 at 2% for 15 years, now works only with the Homeownership Program on first lien LTVs of 80% or higher. You cannot combine Movin' Up with the Homeownership Program, since each is a separate WVHDF first mortgage. Movin' Up Special is conventional only, so it cannot be paired with FHA, VA or USDA. Call WVHDF at 304-391-8600 or 800-933-9843 to confirm current options.
Seller concessions are the other main lever. Fannie Mae allows 3% of the price above 90% LTV and 6% from 75.01% to 90%, so putting 10% down doubles the seller's allowed share. On a $300,000 home, that is $9,000 versus $18,000. Movin' Up Special's PMI coverage also drops to 12% at 85.01% to 90% LTV.
Pros and Cons
Movin' Up is the only WVHDF loan open to repeat buyers statewide, and its $171,120 income cap is far above the Homeownership Program's $57,040 to $102,100 county limits. The $350,000 price cap applies in all 55 counties, compared with $300,000 in most counties for Homeownership. It accepts conventional, FHA, VA and USDA financing, covers post-1976 doublewides with no acreage limit, and carries a 30-year fixed rate. Buyers at or below county 80% AMI get the 7.625% Special rate and reduced PMI coverage, such as 6% at 80.01% to 85% LTV.
The biggest limitation is cost. Since September 30, 2026, Movin' Up comes with no down payment assistance, and its 7.750% rate is nearly two points above the Homeownership Program's 5.790%. WVHDF raised Movin' Up rates on August 19, September 16 and October 7, 2026, so a quote can change before you lock. The 45-day lock on existing homes leaves little slack, and Special is conventional only. Buyers who qualify should compare the Homeownership Program with its $12,000 Low Down Home Loan, a standard FHA loan at 3.5% down, or VA and USDA loans from any lender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the WVHDF Movin' Up Program only for first-time homebuyers?+−
Can I get down payment assistance with the Movin' Up Program?+−
What is the current Movin' Up interest rate?+−
What are the Movin' Up Special income limits by county?+−
Can I use an FHA, VA or USDA loan with Movin' Up?+−
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Program details last verified: October 17, 2026