To find down payment assistance and affordable mortgage programs where you live, start with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), then check your state housing finance agency, city and county housing departments, and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Treat assistance and the mortgage used to buy the home as separate parts of the offer: a low-down-payment loan does not automatically include a grant, and assistance may have repayment or occupancy conditions.
There is no single national list that establishes which programs are open or whether you qualify. The practical goal is to identify possible programs through official sources, then confirm current eligibility, funding, lender participation, and complete costs with the administrator and lender before relying on the help.
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Start with a budget, not a promised grant
Before comparing programs, estimate what you can afford each month and at closing. HUD says affordability depends on income, credit rating, current monthly expenses, down payment, and interest rate. Its homebuying guidance is a useful starting point, but an affordability estimate is not a loan approval or a guarantee that assistance will be available. HUD’s wording is direct: “What you can afford depends on your income, credit rating, current monthly expenses, downpayment and the interest rate.” Attribute that guidance to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and use it as a reminder to assess the whole budget rather than a single advertised mortgage feature.
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Include the full housing cost in your estimate: principal and interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, any mortgage insurance, utilities and maintenance. Also account for closing costs and cash reserves. A program that reduces the amount due at closing may still leave you with a monthly payment or later repayment obligation you need to budget for. Compare both the amount you need to bring to closing and the expenses that continue after purchase.
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Do not begin by assuming a particular assistance amount will be available. Funding, income limits, property restrictions, lender participation, and application windows can change. Treat a program page or preliminary conversation as a lead until its administrator and a participating lender confirm how the rules apply to your household, chosen property, and expected purchase timeline.
Search official sources in this order
1. Use HUD’s state-by-state starting point
HUD’s Buying a Home page directs buyers to homebuying programs in each state and to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Use it to identify the relevant state resources, then confirm details on the administering agency’s own current program page. This is a discovery route, not a promise that HUD itself administers every local assistance program.
When you follow a state link, note the actual administrator and the date and status of the information. A housing finance agency may administer a program itself or work with participating lenders; other listed resources may refer you to a local entity. Keep the official program page, the administrator’s contact information, and any current written eligibility criteria together so you can check details again later.
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2. Check your state housing finance agency
Search for your state’s housing finance agency and review its current first-mortgage, down payment assistance, and closing-cost assistance offerings. A state agency may administer programs directly or work through approved lenders. Note the program name, application status, income and purchase-price limits, eligible areas, first-mortgage requirements, and whether funds are limited or available only during particular application windows.
Look at first mortgages and assistance separately, even if the agency presents them together. Ask whether the first mortgage is required to access assistance, whether you must apply through an approved lender, and whether the assistance is a separate loan or other obligation. If two programs appear similar, compare their current written terms rather than choosing based on a headline amount or a general description.
3. Search city, county, and nonprofit sources
Check the housing department or homeownership pages for the city and county where you plan to buy. Local governments and nonprofits may administer assistance with their own location, property, income, or buyer requirements. Fannie Mae’s down payment and closing-cost assistance overview identifies possible sources such as municipalities, counties, states, housing finance agencies, nonprofits, employers, federal agencies, regional Federal Home Loan Banks, Native American tribes and their instrumentalities, and lenders under specified conditions. That list describes potential source categories; it does not mean every source has an open program or that you qualify.
Search where you intend to purchase, not only where you currently live. A program may restrict the property to a designated city, county, state, or other area. If the address is not known yet, ask the program administrator how it determines area eligibility and what information you will need to check a prospective property. A local program’s name or broad service area alone does not establish that a particular home is eligible.
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Also consider whether an employer or another listed source offers assistance, but verify the terms with that source and the lender. Fannie Mae’s list describes categories that may provide assistance under specified conditions; it is not an inventory of current offerings. Do not assume that a source has money available, that its help is a grant, or that it can be combined with any mortgage.
4. Ask a HUD-approved housing counselor
A counselor can help you identify programs relevant to your location and circumstances, understand application steps, and prepare questions for lenders. Use HUD’s homebuying resources to find a HUD-approved counseling agency, and ask whether counseling or a homebuyer education course is required for the specific program you are considering. Get requirements from the program administrator as well as the counselor; the administrator sets the program’s current rules.
Bring a short list of possible program names, your intended purchase area, and questions about timing, eligibility, and costs. Ask the counselor to help distinguish assistance from first-mortgage options and to point out which details still need written confirmation. Counseling can help you navigate the search, but it cannot replace a lender’s assessment of a specific mortgage or an administrator’s confirmation of program terms.
5. Check federal options that fit your situation
HUD describes FHA single-family mortgage programs for home purchase and refinancing, renovation and repair, energy improvements, new construction, manufactured housing, and specialized situations. FHA is a family of mortgage-insurance programs, not a directory of local grants. Review the specific FHA product and its current costs and requirements rather than treating “FHA” as a single assistance program.
Eligible veterans, service members, and survivors can investigate VA direct or VA-backed home loans, which may be used to purchase, build, improve, or refinance a home. The Department of Veterans Affairs bases eligibility for a Certificate of Eligibility on service history and duty status. The VA says, “For example, nearly 90% of VA-backed loans are made with no down payment.” That is a VA-reported figure, not a promise about an individual borrower or a local assistance benefit. See the VA home-loan overview for its program information.
If you may be eligible for a VA loan, check the VA’s current information and ask about the Certificate of Eligibility rather than inferring eligibility from the broad category of service. A VA loan is a mortgage pathway for eligible borrowers; it should not be confused with a local down payment assistance award. For FHA or VA, as with other mortgages, compare the specific product, its current requirements and costs, and any separately offered assistance.
Know what kind of help you are looking at
Down payment or closing-cost assistance
Assistance may come from state or local government, a housing finance agency, a nonprofit, an employer, a federal agency, a tribe, or a lender. The form matters as much as the amount. Ask whether the money is a grant, a forgivable loan, a deferred loan, or a repayable second lien. Confirm what events trigger repayment, whether you must live in the home for a specified period, and whether the assistance can be used for the costs you expect.
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These labels are not enough to tell you the true cost. Ask for the written agreement and identify whether repayment is required, when it becomes due, what conditions must be met for forgiveness if applicable, and whether a lien will be placed against the property. Ask the administrator to explain what happens if you sell, refinance, move out, or otherwise stop meeting an occupancy condition. These are verification questions, not assumptions that every program uses the same triggers.
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that many state, local, and nonprofit programs focus on low- and moderate-income first-time buyers, while some may also serve people who have owned a home before. Many programs can be paired with a regular FHA or conventional loan, but mortgage insurance may apply. Compatibility is program-specific, so verify that the exact assistance can be combined with the exact first mortgage and lender you plan to use. See the CFPB’s special loan programs guidance.
Affordable first mortgages
A first mortgage is the main loan used to buy the home. Some mortgage products have features intended to make homeownership more accessible to eligible borrowers, but they are not themselves necessarily grants or down payment assistance. For example, Fannie Mae describes HomeReady as a flexible mortgage for low-income borrowers and provides an area median income lookup tool by area, property address, or FIPS code. Fannie Mae’s page says its 2026 area median income updates are effective June 13, 2026. Use the current tool and have a lender confirm how the applicable income threshold and underwriting rules apply to your application.
The area median income tool is a way to look up income information for an area; it is not an approval decision. If you use it, be precise about the area, property address, or FIPS code entered, then ask the lender to confirm the current applicable threshold and underwriting rules for your case. Income thresholds can be time-sensitive, so do not rely on an old screenshot, a past article, or a value remembered from an earlier search.
Do not assume that qualifying for a low-down-payment mortgage also qualifies you for separate assistance. A program may require a designated first mortgage, a participating lender, or specific borrower and property characteristics. Check both sets of rules. Conversely, finding assistance does not establish that you qualify for the first mortgage; ask the lender to assess the loan and the assistance together.
Verify eligibility before you plan around the funds
Program rules differ, and availability can change. “First-time buyer” does not have a single universal meaning: one program may define it differently from another, and some assistance serves buyers who have owned before. Confirm current requirements with the administrator and the participating lender before making an offer or counting assistance toward cash needed at closing.
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Use this checklist for each candidate program. Keep notes on the answer, the source, and when you checked it, because a general web page may not answer every transaction-specific question.
- Buyer: Check income, credit, first-time-buyer definition, service eligibility where relevant, and any required homebuyer education or counseling. Ask how the program defines the relevant buyer category instead of relying on a familiar phrase.
- Location: Confirm that the home’s address is inside the eligible city, county, state, or other designated area. Ask how to check an address if you have not selected a property yet.
- Property and purchase: Ask about eligible property types, occupancy requirements, purchase-price caps, and any restrictions on the transaction. Confirm these against the specific property and purchase you are considering.
- Loan and lender: Verify the required first mortgage, approved lender list, lender participation, and whether the assistance can be combined with the loan you are considering. Ask whether the assistance requires a particular first mortgage or lender.
- Funding and timing: Ask whether applications are currently being accepted, whether funds are limited, how long approval typically takes, and what must be completed before closing. Confirm when funds are actually reserved, if the administrator has a reservation process.
- Repayment: Get the assistance agreement and identify the repayment amount, due date or trigger, forgiveness conditions, and any lien against the property. Ask which future events could change whether repayment is due.
Ask the administrator to point you to the current written program terms. If a lender or counselor gives you a verbal summary, compare it with those terms and the final loan documents. If a written page and a verbal explanation appear to differ, ask the administrator to clarify the current rule before proceeding.
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Compare the combined first mortgage and assistance package, not just the advertised down payment or assistance amount. HUD advises buyers to shop, compare, and negotiate. Request written estimates from lenders and ask the program administrator to clarify any assistance terms that are not shown in the loan estimate or program documents. The aim is to see the total picture: money due at closing, ongoing mortgage cost, any mortgage insurance, and obligations attached to the assistance.
| What to compare | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| First mortgage cost | What are the interest rate, APR, lender fees, cash due at closing, and estimated monthly payment? |
| Mortgage insurance | Does the loan require mortgage insurance? What is the cost and how does it affect the payment? |
| Assistance amount and form | How much assistance is available, and is it a grant, forgivable or deferred loan, or repayable second lien? |
| Repayment and occupancy terms | When must assistance be repaid? What conditions apply if you sell, refinance, move out, or do not meet occupancy requirements? |
| Eligibility limits | What are the current income, purchase-price, location, property, and buyer requirements? |
| Participation and compatibility | Must you use a particular lender or first mortgage? Can this assistance be paired with the loan in the offer? |
| Education and timing | Is a class or counseling session required, and when must it be completed? Can the program meet your expected closing date? |
Compare the same elements across at least the options you are genuinely considering. A low headline rate does not, by itself, establish the lowest total cost, and a large assistance amount does not, by itself, establish the best fit. Look at rate and APR, fees, mortgage insurance, cash at closing, monthly cost, repayment obligations, and restrictions together. If one option has a repayment trigger or occupancy condition, make sure you understand it before comparing its assistance amount with a grant or another form of help.
Ask the lender to show the first mortgage and assistance together so you can see the cash needed at closing, the ongoing payment, and any separate lien or repayment obligation. A larger assistance amount is not automatically the better offer if it comes with costs, restrictions, or repayment terms that do not fit your plans. Ask the lender to explain any difference between the advertised assistance and the amount actually available for your transaction.
Do not skip timing in the comparison. A program may have an application window, limited funds, a lender participation rule, or steps that must happen before closing. Ask the administrator and lender what must be completed, by whom, and when. A program that looks suitable on paper may not work with your expected purchase timeline unless its process can be completed in time.
Keep the search current through closing
This is a national discovery process, not a current inventory of open programs in every state or locality. Program funding, income limits, property restrictions, lender participation, and application windows can change. Recheck the administrator’s current terms when you apply and before closing, and tell your lender promptly if the program or loan terms change.
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- Save the program’s official page and written eligibility criteria.
- Record the date you checked availability and who confirmed it.
- Ask whether funds are reserved only after a particular step, such as approval or a complete application.
- Do not rely on assistance funds in an offer or closing budget until the administrator and lender confirm eligibility, timing, and amount in writing.
Keep the assistance paperwork with the mortgage documents, and read the final terms rather than relying only on an early estimate. Before closing, check that the assistance type, amount, repayment or forgiveness conditions, and any occupancy requirement match what the administrator described. This is especially important when more than one organization is involved: the assistance administrator and the first-mortgage lender may each have rules that need to fit the same transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start looking for down payment assistance in my area?
Start with HUD’s Buying a Home resources, which point buyers to state homebuying programs and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Then check your state housing finance agency and the housing departments for the city and county where you plan to buy. Confirm current rules and availability with the program administrator.
Is a low-down-payment mortgage the same as down payment assistance?
No. A first mortgage is the main loan used to buy the home; down payment or closing-cost assistance is a separate form of help that may have its own eligibility, lender, repayment, or occupancy rules. A low-down-payment mortgage does not automatically include a grant or qualify you for separate assistance.
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No. Ask whether the assistance is a grant, forgivable loan, deferred loan, or repayable second lien. Get the written terms and confirm repayment triggers, forgiveness conditions, occupancy obligations, and any lien against the property.
Can I combine assistance with an FHA or conventional mortgage?
Some programs can be paired with a regular FHA or conventional loan, but compatibility depends on the specific assistance, first mortgage, and lender. Confirm the combination with the administrator and participating lender, and ask whether mortgage insurance applies.
Do down payment assistance programs require you to be a first-time buyer?
Not always, and there is no single universal definition of “first-time buyer.” Many state, local, and nonprofit programs focus on low- and moderate-income first-time buyers, while some may also serve people who have owned before. Check the exact program’s current definition and eligibility rules.
How do I check whether I may qualify for HomeReady?
Fannie Mae provides an area median income lookup tool by area, property address, or FIPS code. Use the current tool, noting that Fannie Mae’s page says 2026 AMI updates are effective June 13, 2026, and ask a lender to confirm the applicable income threshold and underwriting rules for your application.
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Does a VA loan guarantee no down payment?
No individual borrower is guaranteed that outcome by the statistic. The Department of Veterans Affairs says, “For example, nearly 90% of VA-backed loans are made with no down payment.” VA eligibility for a Certificate of Eligibility is based on service history and duty status; check the VA’s current program information and your own eligibility.
The Bottom Line
Use HUD to find reliable state and counseling starting points, then check state and local administrators for programs where you plan to buy. Compare assistance and first mortgages as separate but connected parts of the transaction, verify current eligibility and lender participation, and review the full written costs and repayment terms before counting funds in your budget.
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