The Offer Genies homeowner library
A repair problem does not automatically mean you must sell. Separate immediate safety needs from longer-term improvements, then match the problem to the right program.
One useful thing to do first
Keep your documents in a secure folder. Use the steps below at your own pace; a scheduled sale, court date or safety order needs prompt attention.
Describe what is failing, who it affects and whether there is an active leak, loss of essential service, unsafe access or a notice deadline. Take photographs only where safe. Ask the program which problems it can assess; do not commit to work in expectation of reimbursement.
Use MDHA for Davidson County repair screening; Westminster for older adults or people with disabilities in its seven-county service area; UCP for wheelchair-ramp needs. Rebuilding Together has a narrower neighborhood map. Check the resource cards before applying.
Get the proposed scope, waiting time and written funding agreement. Ask whether help is a grant, loan or forgivable lien; whether any payment is due now; and what happens if you sell, transfer, refinance or die before the agreement ends. Read the actual agreement before signing.
Record the application number and next check-in date. If you have a Codes notice, tell the assigned inspector about the plan and ask what documentation is required. An assistance application alone is not evidence that a notice, hearing or repair deadline changed.
Understand the tradeoffs
Ask about eligibility, total cost, required approvals and what happens if the plan does not work.
Ask which repair category fits. Its September 2026 fact sheet distinguishes grants without liens for accessibility, HVAC, plumbing and tree care from 0% repair loans with liens for rehab, roofs and windows. Some loans have age-based forgiveness; sale or transfer can trigger repayment. Ask for the actual agreement.
Westminster Home Connection covers seven Middle Tennessee counties with income and resident criteria. UCP’s Home Access program helps with wheelchair ramps and has separate material-funding rules. A ramp need, a roof repair and whole-house rehabilitation are different requests.
Rebuilding Together’s current program has a specific service map, income and household criteria, and a five-year forgivable lien. Check the map before applying. Being in Nashville alone is not enough to establish eligibility.
Use THDA’s repair directory to find the agency administering help in your county. Its Emergency Repair Program targets qualifying older homeowners or homeowners with disabilities with critical health or safety needs. Homeowners apply through local agencies.
A closer look
Ask whether you pay anything now, what is secured against the house and what triggers repayment. A “no monthly payment” program can still create a lien. Ask specifically about sale, transfer, refinance, death and the compliance period.
Ask which stage you are in, whether the work is funded and who will call next. Do not hire a contractor expecting reimbursement unless the written program terms authorize it. Keep repair deadlines separate from waitlist estimates.
Get organized
Keep these in your own secure folder. You do not need to upload them here.
Check marks clear when you reload. Print this page to keep a copy.
Words you can use
I own and live in a home in [county/neighborhood]. The problem is [repair or access issue], and the deadline or immediate concern is [date/problem]. Are you screening this address now? What documents do you need? Is this a grant or a loan with a lien? Can you tell me how to confirm receipt and when to follow up?
Keep the representative’s name, date, reference number and next promised action.
You can contact them yourself
The links throughout this guide support the steps above. These core resources are useful to bookmark.
Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency
615-252-8530MDHA
Westminster Home Connection
Rebuilding Together Nashville
United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee
Tennessee Housing Development Agency
Nashville Electric Service
Nashville Codes and Building Safety
Your own plan
Write a short plan and keep a record of your calls. Nothing here is saved or sent to Offer Genies. Reloading clears it. Keep account numbers, Social Security numbers and other sensitive details in your own secure records.
My deadline________________________________
Who I will contact________________________________
My next action________________________________
Follow-up date & result needed________________________________
Record what was promised, what you sent, how you sent it, and when you will check back. Keep proof of receipt with your own documents.
Private worksheet · Offer Genies homeowner library · offergenies.com/comprehensive-guide/
Offer Genies is a property acquisition business, not a law firm or government housing agency. This is general educational information, not advice about your particular case. Rules, eligibility and deadlines vary. Contact a qualified Tennessee attorney or HUD-approved housing counselor when your rights or a sale deadline are at stake.
We prioritize the agencies that run the programs: CFPB, HUD, THDA, Tennessee courts and local providers. Where older pages conflict with current notices, the guide identifies the current limitation rather than promising help.
Resources checked October 29, 2026. This guide has not been reviewed by an attorney. Programs and links can change; confirm details with the provider. Published eligibility is a starting point, not an approval.
Found something that needs correcting? Let us know.
Only if you decide selling is right
Compare selling options and use our private proceeds worksheet. Offer Genies buys property, but this library is here whether you keep your home, sell with an agent, sell to someone else or never contact us.
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