First-time home buyer programs and grants, state by state

First-time buyers can turn to state housing agencies for first home grants and low-cost loans to cover the down payment and closing costs.

What state are you buying in?

See my state's programs

144 programs from 58 agencies
19 grants you never pay back
Largest deferred loan: $202,000, in Washington, DC

The largest first home grants you never pay back

Program	State	Amount	Paid back?	Who can get it
Home Ownership Assistance Program (HOAP) / Veteran DPAOregon Housing and Community Services	Oregon	Up to $60,000	No repayment: the agency has it listed as a grant.	Only for veterans and their families, including the spouse of a deceased veteran.Your income must be at or below 100% of the area median income.
CHFA Down Payment Assistance GrantColorado Housing and Finance Authority	Colorado	Up to 3% of the home loan, at most $25,000	You do not have to pay this grant back.	CHFA income limits vary by household size, county, targeted area, and program.Credit score 620 or higher.
Home4AllMississippi Home Corporation	Mississippi	Up to $25,000	No repayment: the agency has it listed as a grant.	Household income up to 80% of area median income.
First Generation Homebuyer ProgramVermont Housing Finance Agency	Vermont	Up to $15,000	It's a grant, so you don't repay it.	Only for first-generation buyers: at least one titleholder was in foster care, or whose parents or guardians never owned a home or lost it to foreclosure.Income limits follow your chosen VHFA program: MOVE, MOVE MCC, or ADVANTAGE.
Multi-Unit AdvantageMaineHousing	Maine	Up to $14,000	No second mortgage required; your loan amount does not go up.	Only for buyers of two- to four-unit properties.Income limits vary by household size and location.Credit score 640 or higher.

Compare all 144 programs side by side

The way the money gets to you

The money is paid through your lender, the bank or company that gives you your home loan (your mortgage). Most programs come with a home loan from the state agency itself, and nearly every agency works through lenders it has approved. On each state page, under the list of programs, you can ask one of these lenders to contact you. Find your state and request a lender

Call 866-602-7460

Is it a grant, a forgivable loan or a second mortgage?

The down payment is the share of the price that comes from your own pocket. Closing costs are the fees you settle when the sale goes through. Not all of this help is free:

Kind of help	Monthly payment	Paid back
Grant	None	Never, if you follow its rules
Forgivable loan	None	Cancelled after a set number of years in the home
Deferred loan	None	All of it, when you sell or take out a new home loan
Repayable loan	Yes, on top of your main loan	Month by month

Our table of down payment assistance in every state shows which kind each program is, so you can see which states give real grants.

Do you qualify as a first-time homebuyer?

Probably yes. A home you owned long ago usually doesn't count against you. For most programs, you qualify as a first-time buyer if you've gone three years without owning a home. The rule differs by agency, so read the program's own page before applying.

Does your income fall under the limit?

Most programs have an income limit, so they help only households earning less than a set amount. HUD, the US government's housing department, works out the middle income for each county, and a program's limit is usually a share of it. Our HUD income limits page shows that number for your county and how your income compares.

Buying a home that needs work? Look at the FHA 203(k) loan

Backed by the government (the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA), an FHA 203(k) loan pays for the home and its repairs in one loan. You may need to pay as little as 3.5% of the price up front. A smaller version lets you borrow up to $75,000 for repairs that don't touch the main structure of the house.

The FHA 203k loan explained, with a calculator

A small ranch house mid-renovation with new windows waiting on the porch