Find a Lending Partner

Imagine buying your dream home. Connect with a lender to help you make it happen.

Garden City Realty works with many mortgage companies and banks as well as giving potential homeowners the option to select a mortgage lender of their choice.

We partner with local financing experts who are ready to guide you through the home buying process. These trained and certified loan originators specialize in financing homes in the Grand Strand area real estate market. They are prepared to find the right loan program with competitive rates and low down payments for you.

If you are a first time homebuyer, before you choose a mortgage company and loan officer, find out if you qualify for any of the following programs by choosing a SC Housing participating Lending Partner.

SC Housing Homebuyer Program

SC Housing promotes homeownership opportunities to first-time and move-up homebuyers with fixed-rate mortgages and down payment assistance to help cover down payment and closing costs.

To apply for the SC Homebuyer Program, look for a Participating Lending Partner located in the county you are looking to purchase a home. We have included some Participating Lending Partners in Horry and Georgetown Counties below.

SC Mortgage Tax Credit Program

The SC Mortgage Tax Credit is a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) program administered by the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing). It provides a federal income tax credit to qualified homebuyers of up to $2,000 per calendar year. The MCC allows a homebuyer to convert a portion of their annual interest deduction on their primary residence into a Federal Tax Credit. 

Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program

SC Housing provides current Housing Choice Voucher program participants the opportunity to participate in a home ownership program that will help them advance from rental housing to owning their own home. If a family meets the criteria stated below, the rental voucher can be changed to a home ownership voucher.

Palmetto Home Advantage

Palmetto Home Advantage offers Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loan options for first-time, move-up, and repeat buyers with no first-time home buyer requirements for new and existing homes across all 46 counties in South Carolina. All program options require a minimum 640 credit score, have no sales price limits, and follow all applicable insurer guidelines with a borrower income limit of $115,000. The income limit is not dependent on family size and is not based on total household income.

County First Initiative

County First is a rural initiative designed to provide potential homebuyers, in underserved communities, with additional resources when local economic conditions make homeownership difficult. Funding is available for both first-time and move-up borrowers. The program includes up to $8,500 forgivable down payment assistance and special fixed-rate financing. Borrowers can choose FHA, Conventional, USDA, or VA financing.

Government-backed home loans and mortgage assistance

• FHA Loans
• VA Home Loans
• Single Family Housing Programs
• Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program

Tax Tips for SC Homeowners

Many South Carolina homeowners qualify for annual state tax credits. For instance, if you are remodeling or buying an energy-efficient home, you could qualify for a tax credit. South Carolina also exempts a portion of property taxes for some homeowners, depending on their qualifications.