Down payment assistance finder
Published Last updated
Ten questions, about ninety seconds. We compare your answers against the published eligibility rules of the programs in our database — state housing finance agencies, city and county funds, Federal Home Loan Bank set-asides and lender programs — and show you the ones worth pursuing, with the repayment structure stated plainly on every card.
Which state are you buying in?
Assistance is awarded by state, county and city — location is the single biggest filter.
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC arranges residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado only. We ask first so we never collect a mortgage inquiry we are not licensed to act on.
This tool is an educational research aid. It does not determine eligibility, and does not confirm that any program currently has funds. Program rules are set and changed by the administering agencies.
How down payment assistance helps you buy
Down payment assistance closes the cash gap between what a lender will lend and what a seller needs at the closing table. For most buyers it is the difference between purchasing this year and saving for another three to five. Terms and availability are set by each administering agency and can change or run out of funding without notice.
You buy years sooner
Saving a 5% down payment on a median-priced home usually takes several years. Assistance covers most or all of that gap now, so your timeline is set by your credit and income rather than by your savings balance.
Your own cash stays intact
Because the assistance funds the down payment and, on many programs, closing costs, your savings can stay where they belong — reserves, moving costs, and the repairs that show up in the first year.
Often no monthly payment added
Grants and forgivable or deferred second mortgages add nothing to your monthly payment. Only a repayable second creates a second monthly obligation, and every program card on this site states which structure applies.
It stacks with normal financing
Assistance attaches to a standard FHA, conventional, VA or USDA first mortgage originated by a lender approved for that program, so you are not trading away loan choice to use it.
What you have to meet
- Income limit
- Household or qualifying income must fall at or below a published cap, set by county and usually adjusted for household size. This is the most common disqualifier, so check it first.
- Purchase-price cap
- Most programs limit the acquisition cost of the home, and the cap can differ between new construction, existing homes and federally targeted areas.
- First-time buyer status
- Commonly defined as no ownership interest in a primary residence for the past three years. Veterans and targeted-area purchases are frequently exempt.
- Credit score
- Program minimums typically sit in the low-to-mid 600s, and the first mortgage carries its own minimum. The higher of the two governs your file.
- Owner occupancy
- The home must be your primary residence. Investment and second-home purchases are not eligible, and moving out during a forgiveness period usually accelerates repayment.
- Homebuyer education
- Most programs require an approved course certificate before closing. It takes a few hours online — take it early, because it is a hard closing condition.
- Participating lender and reservation
- Funds are delivered through the first mortgage and reserved by an approved lender, normally once you are under contract. Eligibility alone does not hold money; the reservation does.
A realistic timeline
- Week 1Check the county income and price limits, pull your own credit report, and start the homebuyer education course.
- Week 1–2Work with a lender approved for the specific assistance program you want to use to confirm your financing.
- Week 2–8Shop inside the program's eligible area and price cap, then write an offer that allows time for the assistance paperwork.
- At contractYour lender reserves the assistance funds while the file moves through underwriting.
- At closingFunds are wired to the closing agent and applied to your down payment and permitted closing costs — they are never paid to you as cash.
Timelines are illustrative and vary by program, lender and market. Nothing here is an offer of credit, an approval, or a guarantee of assistance eligibility, funding availability or any particular term.
September 2026 Assistance Finder Review
We reviewed program eligibility questions in the finder, state and local program coverage and income and purchase-price limits relevant to this page. No material changes requiring substantive revisions were identified this month. The information and sources shown here remain current as of our latest review.
- Checked: program eligibility questions in the finder
- Checked: state and local program coverage
- Checked: income and purchase-price limits
Current data & page updates
- Page last reviewed
- September 5, 2026
- Page last substantively updated
- September 5, 2026
- Next scheduled review
- October 5, 2026
- Current monthly review
- September 2026
- Live data feed
- No
Licensing & Disclosures
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC | NMLS #2620881
Florida Mortgage Broker License #MBR7685 | Colorado Mortgage Company Registration
Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado.
Eligibility, terms, conditions, and availability vary by borrower, property, lender, loan program, and state. Not all products or programs are available in all states. All loans are subject to lender underwriting and approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.