Amy Bonis
Branch Manager, Loan Officer, NMLS #106455
Office: 919-230-2985
Serving in FL, GA, NC, SC, VA
525 S. White St.,Suite 123, Wake Forest, NC 27587
Contact Amy Bonis
Buying Your First Home Might Be Easier Than You Think
Amy Bonis helps first-time buyers understand their options, explore down payment assistance programs, and feel confident through the homebuying process.
You May Qualify for More Than You Realize
There are programs available that may help with:
- low down payments
- down payment assistance
- first-time buyer options
Amy can help you understand what may be available based on your situation.
A lot of people think buying a home requires:
- 20% down
- perfect credit
- a huge savings account
That’s not always true. We can have a quick, no pressure chat, to discuss your options.
Simple Next Steps
Step 1 – Fill out the quick form.
Step 2 – Talk with Amy about your options.
Step 3 – Start planning for your future home.
Why Work with Amy
Based on her client reviews, Amy Bonis is known for making the mortgage process feel clear, strategic, and personal. As a trusted local lender, clients frequently praise her responsiveness, industry expertise, and ability to guide them confidently through every step while making even complex situations feel manageable and stress-free
FAQs
Do I need a 20% down payment?
Not always, you may need nothing for a down payment. However, people often confuse down payment with cash to close.
Cash to close is always higher than the down payment and includes:
- Homeowners insurance
- A prorated portion of property taxes
- Sometimes your first month’s mortgage payment
- Closing costs not paid by the seller
- Your down payment
- First-time buyers typically get in with less than 5% down, as they are offered many first-time buyer programs.
- In NC, we have a great $15,000 down payment assistance program (and others) that we can offer. Some programs are available for non-first-time buyers, and some are even allowed on manufactured housing with no income limits.
What is down payment assistance?
Programs that may help eligible buyers with upfront homebuying costs.
Does filling out the form affect my credit?
No, the form is simply your contact information to start the conversation and review possible options.
How long does the mortgage process take?
If you do the work and get preapproved with us ahead of time, we can close very quickly—in just a few weeks—which may help you get your offer accepted over another.
A typical closing for most buyers in NC, SC, VA, FL, and GA is about 30–45 days.
We have closed loans in as little as 2 weeks. On the other hand, if you are building a home, it could take up to a year, so timelines vary.
Since our underwriting is local, we can move very quickly, which helps when negotiating with sellers.
A pre-approval speeds up the process and identifies any weak points we can improve before closing.
Are there first-time homebuyer programs available in North Carolina?
Yes, there are numerous and plentiful first-time homebuyer programs in NC and other states like GA, SC, FLA, VA as well. NC has around 5 programs. We try to layer them and stack them whenever we can. Some of them are linked to income, and some are not.
There is one downpayment assistance program that also applies to people that are not first-time buyers, in fact they can keep that first home that they already have.
A very popular and easy to use program is the NC downpayment assistance program where first-time homebuyers get $15,000 to use towards their downpayment and closing costs.
You are only a first-time homebuyer one time, so it is great to work with a lender like us that loves these programs. We can pre-approve you for multiple programs and you can choose the loan after you finalize which house works best for the dream.