Find Your Dream Home in Fort Wayne
From your first viewing to closing day, we're with you every step of the way to make your home buying journey smooth and successful.
Expert Guidance for Home Buyers
Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. Our team brings decades of local expertise to help you navigate the Fort Wayne market with confidence, ensuring you find not just a house, but a home that fits your life.
Personalized Home Search
We listen to your needs and find homes that match your lifestyle, budget, and dreams.
Market Analysis
Receive detailed comparative market analysis to ensure you're making informed decisions.
Expert Negotiation
Our experienced agents negotiate on your behalf to get you the best possible terms.
Seamless Closing
We guide you through every step of the closing process, making it stress-free.
Down-Payment Help Built for Indiana Buyers
Most Fort Wayne buyers don't realize how much down-payment and tax-credit help the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) puts on the table. We walk every qualified client through these programs and pair them with the right loan type.
IHCDA First Step
Up to 6% of the purchase price as down-payment and closing-cost assistance, structured as a non-forgivable second mortgage. Pairs with a 30-year fixed FHA or Conventional first loan. Open to first-time buyers — or anyone purchasing in an IHCDA-targeted census tract; veterans are typically exempt from the first-time rule. 640 FICO minimum.
IHCDA Next Home
Down-payment assistance of 2.5% to 3.5% of the purchase price — and you don't have to be a first-time buyer. Pairs with FHA or Conventional 30-year fixed financing. Built for repeat buyers in Allen County who need help bridging the down payment without selling first.
Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)
A federal tax credit equal to 25% of the mortgage interest you pay each year (capped at $2,000), claimed against your federal income tax for as long as you live in the home. Subject to MCC income and purchase-price limits set per Allen County, and pairs with non-IHCDA first mortgages.
USDA Rural Development (0% Down)
Roughly 55% of Allen County by area — the rural townships outside Fort Wayne city limits, including parts of Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Hoagland, and Monroeville — qualifies for USDA's zero-down-payment loan. We check eligibility on the USDA map by exact address before writing your offer.
We also work with FHA 3.5%-down loans, Conventional 3%–5% loans (Fannie HomeReady and Freddie Home Possible for first-time buyers), and VA 0%-down loans for eligible service members and surviving spouses. Local IHCDA-participating lenders we coordinate with include Ruoff Mortgage and Centier Bank — the loan officer choice is yours; we work with whoever fits.
Your Home Buying Journey
We've refined our process to make buying a home as straightforward and stress-free as possible.
Initial Consultation
We'll discuss your goals, timeline, budget, and must-haves to create a personalized search strategy.
Pre-Approval
Get pre-approved with a local lender — common picks in Fort Wayne include Ruoff Mortgage (HQ on Magnavox Way), Centier Bank, ProFed Credit Union, and 3Rivers FCU. We help match the loan type — FHA, Conventional, USDA, VA, or an IHCDA program — to your situation.
Home Search
We'll curate listings that match your criteria across Fort Wayne, New Haven, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, and the Aboite, Northwest, and East Allen school districts, and schedule showings at your convenience.
Make an Offer
When you find the one, we'll craft a competitive offer and negotiate on your behalf. Indiana law (HEA 1068, effective July 2024) requires a written buyer-agency agreement before any tour — we keep the scope plain-English and tied to your search.
Inspection & Appraisal
We coordinate the home inspection and lender appraisal, walk you through any radon, well/septic, or older-home findings common to Fort Wayne housing stock, and negotiate repairs or credits.
Close & Celebrate
Sign the deed and final paperwork at a local title company. We file your Indiana Sales Disclosure Form, hand off the keys, and remind you to file your homestead deduction with the Allen County Auditor to lock in the 1% property-tax cap.
New to Home Buying?
Buying your first home can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Our team has helped hundreds of first-time buyers navigate the process with confidence. We'll explain every step, answer all your questions, and celebrate with you when you get those keys.
What Closing Actually Costs in Allen County
Indiana keeps closing simple compared to most states. Expect total buyer closing costs in the 2%–5% of purchase price range, depending on loan type. Here's the line-item view our clients see at the closing table.
No state real-estate transfer tax
Indiana is one of roughly thirteen states with no state-level real estate transfer or conveyance tax — a meaningful savings versus neighbors like Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois.
Sales Disclosure Form fee
$20 collected by the Allen County Auditor under IC 6-1.1-5.5 when the deed is recorded. Funds are split between county sales-data work and the state assessment-training fund.
Allen County Recorder fees
Currently $25 to record a deed and $55 to record a mortgage at the Allen County Recorder, with small additional fees for oversize pages or extra references.
Title insurance
Indiana custom in Allen County: the buyer pays the lender's policy if financing; the seller pays the owner's policy. Both are negotiable and contract-controlled — we negotiate this with you, not for you.
Property-tax proration
Indiana property taxes are paid one year in arrears (spring installment due May 10, fall installment due November 10). At closing the seller credits the buyer for accrued-but-unbilled taxes; the title company calculates the day-of-closing figure.
Indiana 1% property-tax cap
Indiana's constitutional 'circuit breaker' caps annual property taxes at 1% of gross assessed value for an owner-occupied homestead (Article 10, §1 of the Indiana Constitution). Other residential property is capped at 2%; commercial at 3%. Filing the homestead deduction with the Allen County Auditor after closing is what activates the 1% cap on your home.
Indiana Buyer Questions, Answered
The questions Fort Wayne buyers actually ask us — with the named programs, statutes, and Allen County specifics so you can compare against what you read elsewhere.
Start by getting pre-approved for a mortgage with a local lender — Ruoff Mortgage (headquartered on Magnavox Way in Fort Wayne), Centier Bank, ProFed Credit Union, and 3Rivers FCU are common picks. Then, contact Indiana Home Match to discuss your needs, sign the buyer-agency agreement Indiana law (HEA 1068) requires before any tour, and start viewing homes. We'll guide you from initial search through closing at a local title company.
The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) runs four programs we walk Fort Wayne buyers through: First Step (up to 6% down-payment assistance as a non-forgivable second mortgage, FHA or Conventional, 640 FICO minimum), Next Home (2.5%–3.5% DPA, repeat buyers eligible), Step Down (rate-only product), and the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) — a federal tax credit equal to 25% of the mortgage interest you pay each year, capped at $2,000. USDA Rural Development offers 0% down on roughly 55% of Allen County by area (the rural townships outside Fort Wayne city limits). FHA accepts 3.5% down and VA is 0% for eligible service members.
Article 10, §1 of the Indiana Constitution caps annual property taxes at 1% of gross assessed value for an owner-occupied homestead, 2% for other residential property, and 3% for commercial property. To activate the 1% homestead cap on a home you just bought, file the homestead deduction with the Allen County Auditor — it's a one-time filing that applies as long as the home is your primary residence.
Total buyer closing costs in Indiana run roughly 2%–5% of the purchase price. Indiana has no state real-estate transfer tax, which is a meaningful savings versus Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. Other line items include a $20 Sales Disclosure Form fee at the Allen County Auditor (IC 6-1.1-5.5), recorder fees of $25 for the deed and $55 for the mortgage at the Allen County Recorder, the buyer-paid lender's title policy (the seller customarily pays the owner's policy in Indiana), the lender's origination and appraisal charges, and prorated property taxes credited from the seller (Indiana taxes are paid one year in arrears).
Popular family-friendly neighborhoods include Aboite Township (Southwest Allen County Schools, including Homestead High School), Leo-Cedarville (East Allen County Schools, Cedar Creek area), West Central (historic Victorian homes near downtown), and Huntertown / Northwest Allen (Carroll High School district, newer subdivisions). Each offers different price points and commutes — we map school district priorities to your budget before we tour.
Closing typically runs 30–45 days from accepted offer to keys, depending on financing. Fort Wayne is a faster-moving market than the national average — Redfin reported a March 2026 median of 30 days on market for the city. Finding the right home can take a few weeks to several months depending on inventory in your target neighborhoods.
Indiana law (HEA 1068, effective July 1, 2024) and the NAR practice change (effective August 17, 2024) both require buyers to sign a written buyer-agency agreement before touring homes. The agreement spells out your agent's compensation. Buyer-agent fees can no longer be advertised in the MLS, but sellers can still offer concessions or buyer-agent compensation negotiated as part of the contract. We walk you through your options so the cost picture is clear upfront.
Ready to Find Your Home?
Let's start the conversation. Tell us about your ideal home and we'll help make it a reality.