Hi and welcome to the Business.gov community! While there is a lot of conflicting and misleading information regarding federal grants, the general answer is that they do not provide grants to start or expand a business. Check out our Small Business Grants Guide to find out more information on the type of grants the federal government does provide. Also, try using our Grants and Loans Search Engine to see what assistance you would be eligible for. Thanks for your post and please continue to use the community as a resource! Message Edited by JamieD on 03-02-2009 07:42 AM

If you have some money to invest, there are some substantial tax incentives (up to 50%) for buying in the 'Go Zone' or the 'Gulf Opportunity Zone'. Check out http://www.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/opportunities/incentives--programs/gulf-opportunity-zone.aspx There's a time limit on this... you've got to get the property in use by 12/31/2010 to cash in on the incentives.

  There are programs available for providing real estate grants, but the qualifications for obtaining one vary from agency to agency. There may be a minimum and maximum income level and there may be a cap on how many properties you can own to be eligible. There may also be other restrictions and requirements depending on the government agency. However, a real estate grant is attainable for many people. You can get cash to put toward your down payment or a risk-free loan. The advantage of using a real estate grant is not only that you do not have to put up your own money, but also that you never have to pay it back.

I can tell you in the Phoenix, AZ area (where I live) through HUD, if you qualify, you can participate in the Neighborhood Stabilization Program which gives prospective homeowners up to $15,000. This program is only valid in certain neighborhoods and is a program that could expire soon. Check the HUD website to see if this program is being offered in your area. HUD recently instituted this program to help communities hit hard with foreclosures and as the name implies hopes to help in stabilizing neighborhoods by helping first time home buyers.

From time to time, through the Housing and Urban Development program or HUD, the United States government assists by funding programs that help people with things such as purchasing their first home or even helping experienced investors willing to buy distressed properties in certain areas for the purpose of repairing them to resell at a profit. The government sometimes even offers funding programs for builders for the construction of real property for both residential and commercial use. Anyone truly interested in applying for grants to invest in real estate should do a thorough amount of research on financial aid funds and grants that are available to assist in an investment.

Great information on loans and grants buried in this forum and main site. This can be up for discussion but depending on the situation, how will bonds differentiate? A colleague referred an article (jacksonville.com/business/2009-10-28/story/tisons_landing_becomes_yellow_bluff_and_attracts_builders_for_subdivision) about a company we were considering doing business with who used bonds (assuming Surety Bond) to finish the development of new homes in Jacksonville, FL. -- This post was edited to remove a commercial link. Read our discussion policies for more Community best practices.

Here in the phoenix area there are a lot of grants for buying homes. Although it's not as easy as everyone thinks. Here are some things home buyers don't know about the grants.   1. They take a long time to get, so don't plan on closing in 30 days. 2. Work with a loan officer who knows your state and city grant programs. If they aren't experienced with grant programs you're wasting your time.  Interview them good!!! 3. Do your research on all government, state, county and city grants. There are a lot of them out there.   I hope this helps.

Hi there,   Federal and Foundation Grants are constantly wrongly advertised as being the panacea for small business owners.  The reality is that there are very few grants to startup businesses unless they serve very specific social and community causes.  The arts and humanities are two disciplines where I have seen small businesses being able to receive modest grant monies from private foundations.   I am going to recommend that you research government grants at this excellent forum and also check out our extensive free list of private foundations to see if you qualify.   Good luck.

Hi there,   Federal and Foundation Grants are constantly wrongly advertised as being the panacea for small business owners.  The reality is that there are very few grants to startup businesses unless they serve very specific social and community causes.  The arts and humanities are two disciplines where I have seen small businesses being able to receive modest grant monies from private foundations.   I am going to recommend that you research government grants at this excellent forum and also check out our extensive free list of private foundations to see if you qualify.   Good luck.

Hi and welcome to the Business.gov community! While there is a lot of conflicting and misleading information regarding federal grants, the general answer is that they do not provide grants to start or expand a business. Check out our Small Business Grants Guide to find out more information on the type of grants the federal government does provide. Also, try using our Grants and Loans Search Engine to see what assistance you would be eligible for. Thanks for your post and please continue to use the community as a resource! Message Edited by JamieD on 03-02-2009 07:42 AM