Lottery Eligibility Survey
This is a pre-screening survey to assist in determining if you may be eligible to participate in a lottery for home ownership. This is not a formal application or confirmation of eligibility, and all information is subject to approval by the lottery agent.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OWNERSHIP LOTTERY Q & A’s
Who is eligible to participate in an affordable housing lottery?
A first-time homebuyer, as defined below, who is income and asset eligible and can be pre-approved for a mortgage that complies with Affordable Housing Program Standards for New Mortgage Loans (see “Application Process”) is eligible to apply for an affordable housing lottery. Individuals who have a financial interest in this development and their families are not eligible to be in this lottery. Applicants must have down payment funds available for at least 3% of the purchase price and 1.5% of the purchase price must be an applicant’s own money for down payment.
1) First-Time Homebuyer Criteria
Do I qualify as a first-time homebuyer? Applicants are considered first time homebuyer(s) if they:
- Have not had ownership interest in a residential property in the last 3 years.
- Are displaced homemakers-an adult who has not worked full-time for a number of years but has worked to care for home and family without pay and owned a home or resided in a home with his or her partner.
- Are single parents, unmarried or legally separated from spouse with sole or joint custody of one or more children or is pregnant who has owned or resided in a home with his/her partner.
- Have owned or currently own a principal residence not permanently affixed to a permanent foundation.
- Owned property that was not in compliance with state, local or model building codes and that cannot be brought into compliance for less than the cost of constructing a permanent structure.
- Have at least one household member who is age 55 or older.
2) Household Asset Criteria
What is the asset limit?
- The asset limit is $75,000 per household for a lottery for a home restricted to sale to up to 80% and 100% Area Median Income buyers. The asset limit is $125,000 per household for a lottery for a home restricted to sale to up to 120% Area Median Income buyers. Household assets divested for less than full and fair cash value within the past 2 years will be counted at the full and fair cash value for purposes of calculating eligibility.
- What is a household asset?
- Cash in savings accounts, checking accounts and safety deposit boxes, etc.
- Certificates of deposit, bonds, stocks, treasury bills, mutual funds, and money market accounts.
- Revocable trusts.
- Equity in rental property or other capital accounts.
- Cash value of life insurance policies available to the applicant before death.
- Personal property held as an investment: Gems, jewelry, coin collections, or antique cars, etc.
Personal jewelry is NOT considered an asset.
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- Lump sum receipts or one-time receipts. (i.e. inheritance, capital gains, one-time lottery winnings, victim’s restitution, settlements on insurance claims (including health and accident insurance, worker’s compensation, and personal or property losses), and any other amounts that are not intended as periodic payments.
- A mortgage or deed of trust held by an applicant.
- IRA, 401(k), 403B, Retirement, and pension funds. (if employed)
These will include only amounts the applicant can withdraw without retiring or terminating employment, minus any penalties or transaction fees. (You will be responsible for determining and verifying how much of these funds are available to you as cash.)
- Household assets DO NOT include:
- Personal property. (i.e. clothing, furniture, cars, wedding ring and other jewelry that is not held as an investment, vehicles specially equipped for persons with disabilities)
- Term life insurance policies. (i.e. policies with no cash value)
- Equity in the cooperative unit in which the applicant lives.
- Assets that are part of an active business. Business DOES NOT include rental of properties that are held as investments unless such properties are the applicant’s main source of income.
- Assets that are not effectively owned by the applicant.
3) Household Income Criteria
Who is a “Household Member”?
- A Household Member is the head of the household and all members who will be living in the home your purchase, regardless of age. If a member of the household is over the age of 18 and is NOT working, he/she must provide, as part of the required lottery application verification, a signed notarized statement describing the current situation.
What is the Area Median Income and does it change depending on my family size?
- The Area Median Income (AMI) is established for Barnstable County by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In order to be income eligible, your anticipated annual gross income for all current adult household members for the 12-month period following application must be at or below the percentage of the AMI for Barnstable County as required by the lottery process – typically this is 80% of AMI, 100% of AMI or 120 % of AMI – depending on the home that is available and at what income limit.
What is Annual Household Gross Income?
- Annual gross income means all income, from all sources, of all current adult household members, for the 12-month period following application.
Barnstable County 2024 AMI-Max Income
| Household Size | 1 Person | 2 People | 3 People | 4 People | 5 People | 6 People |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80% AMI-Max Income | $68,500 | $78,250 | $88,050 | $97,800 | $105,650 | $113,450 |
| 100% AMI-Max Income | $85,625 | $97,813 | $110,063 | $122,250 | $132,063 | $141,813 |
| 120% AMI-Max Income | $102,750 | $117,376 | $132,076 | $146,700 | $158,476 | $170,176 |
The Falmouth Housing Trust builds homes for 80% AMI households, as well as for households earning up to 100% and 120% of AMI.
Applicants may be eligible for housing with income at or below 80%, 100% and 120% AMI (see table), and less than $75,000 in assets.
Maro Titus has a deep connection to the Falmouth Community that dates back to her childhood, shaping her passion for the area. Leveraging her successful career in healthcare administration, Maro has transitioned her expertise to Kinlin Grover Compass Real Estate. As a dedicated agent, she strives to understand each client’s unique needs, bringing a wealth of marketing knowledge and enthusiasm to the real estate practice. With a background in executive leadership encompassing strategic planning, government affairs, and business development, Maro’s professional journey is marked by a commitment to excellence.
Marie Bigelow retired in 2014 from Corporate Banking in Boston after 28 years, mostly with BankBoston, Citizens, and Santander Bank. Her banking experience is primarily as a Senior Credit professional with experience in diversified lending arenas including Non-Profit, Large Corporate, Middle Market, Asset Based, Leveraged Finance and Commercial Real Estate Lending. She brings strong financial analysis, real estate finance, and loan structuring experience to her new role at FHT.
David Sutkowy has lived in Falmouth since 2020. 
Director, Addie Drolette, is a Falmouth native and makes her home in East Falmouth. Most of Addie’s professional career has been spent serving the mortgage financing needs of the community of Falmouth. She is presently a Senior Residential Loan Officer with Martha’s Vineyard Bank. 
Savannah Fabbio lives in East Falmouth with her husband Jay and is a Mortgage Loan Officer for Shamrock Home Loans in Osterville. Prior to this she was an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager for The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod and Assistant Manager at Citizens Bank.
Dave Garrison and his wife, Lori, moved to Falmouth in 2014 after full and interesting careers in Washington DC. Dave was raised in the Boston suburbs. He has been coming to the Cape every summer since 1944. 
After completing a 35 year career in marketing and communications, most recently as Senior Vice-President of Marketing for Dunkin’ U.S. – with previous marketing leadership roles at The Gillette Company and Ocean Spray Cranberries – Tom Manchester currently sits on the board and is an investor in a start-up business, The Mobile Locker Company and is also an instructor for Sports Marketing at Stonehill College. 
Ed Monteiro was President of the Board of Directors of Falmouth Housing Trust in the ‘90’s, and we are thrilled that he is back. 
Sudie Gifford comes to our board with an extremely varied background in arts, education, finance, public relations, and charity work.
Susan Roman is the Owner of 
Troy Clarkson is an author and speaker with more than a quarter-century of experience in positions of leadership in government and public service. He has been actively involved in his beloved Falmouth since his teen years, when he wrote and published ‘The Cove Chronicle,’ a newspaper that he sold door-to-door for a quarter and that documented the lives of his friends and neighbors.
Kevin McCarthy joined the board of directors of the Falmouth Housing Trust in 2012. Kevin’s entire career has been spent pursuing various “oceans” related endeavors, first as a professional diver, followed by various senior level management positions at a number of oceanographic manufacturing companies, including Klein Associates and Teledyne Benthos. He holds a B.S. from Northeastern University and an M.B.A. from Suffolk University. In 2000, he joined Hydroid LLC, a startup subsea robotics company that was founded to commercialize the REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle technologies developed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In 2008, the company was acquired by the Norwegian company, Kongsberg Maritime. Kevin retired from his position of Vice President of Marketing in 2010 to devote more time to his passion for wildlife photography. Some of his work can be viewed at: www.McCarthyNatureImages.com.
Information coming soon.
Information coming soon.
Joanne O’Sullivan is a real estate attorney who has been practicing law in Falmouth since 1995. She is a self described “wash-ashore” living on Cape Cod for close to 20 years. Joanne grew up in South Boston, and graduated from the University of Chicago and Boston College Law School. Attorney O’Sullivan has been a sole practitioner for the past six years. She is married and her children are enrolled in the Falmouth Public Schools. Ms. O’Sullivan joined the FHT Board of Directors in 2009 and became Vice President in 2011.
Kenneth Buckland and his family; wife Nicolette and two boys, moved to Falmouth during Hurricane Gloria in 1985. They moved to town so that Ken could take the position as the Town Planner.
Joan Bates has lived in Falmouth with her husband, Robert, since 2002. Prior to that, the couple lived in Newton. Joan’s 25-year professional career was in special education and nonprofit management.
Beth Ciarletta grew up in rural New Jersey then moved to Raleigh, NC for eighteen years where she met her husband Michael, co-founded a business, married and began their family. She relocated to Falmouth in 2012 with her husband to raise their children in a smaller community-based town, and to be closer to family. Her husband’s family lives in Norwood, MA and vacationed in Falmouth and on Cape Cod for many years.
Carey Murphy lives in Waquoit with his wife of 31 years, Martha. Their three adult sons are all employed in the ski business, a sport that Carey loves to spend his winter months enjoying. They recently sold their retail business, Kensington’s at Mashpee Commons, after owning and operating it for 29 years.