Down payment assistance guides
Published Last updated
These guides explain the parts of down payment assistance that decide whether a file works: how agencies count income, what a silent second lien means years later, how assistance attaches to an FHA, VA, USDA or conventional first mortgage, what the extra closing steps cost you in time, and how to tell a real program from an advance-fee scam. Everything here is educational research, not an offer of credit or of any third-party program.
Quick answer: Where should you start with down payment assistance?
Start with the guide that matches your next decision: income limits if you're unsure whether you qualify, program types if you're weighing offers, or the application walkthrough if you're already pre-approved. Each guide gives the rule, where the rule comes from, and the number you actually need.
TL;DR
- Guides are organised by decision, not by jargon.
- Each one cites the agency source behind the rule.
Quick questions
- How often are guides reviewed?
- Every guide shows its published and last-updated dates and carries a current-month review section.
Published Last updated
- Reviewed September 2026
Down payment assistance income limits explained
How housing finance agencies calculate the income they cap against, why it differs from your tax return, and how household size and county change the limit.
Read the guideSilent second mortgages and how assistance liens work
A silent second is a real recorded lien with no monthly payment. Here is how deferred and forgivable seconds behave at sale, refinance and payoff.
Read the guidePairing down payment assistance with your first mortgage
Assistance sits on top of a first mortgage. Here is how FHA, VA, USDA and conventional loans each interact with grants and second liens.
Read the guideThe down payment assistance closing timeline
Assisted purchases add a reservation, an education certificate and a second set of documents. Here is where the extra days come from and how to protect a closing date.
Read the guideWhat counts as a first-time buyer for assistance
Most programs define a first-time buyer as someone with no ownership interest in a principal residence for three years. Here are the exceptions.
Read the guideHow to tell a real assistance program from a scam
Legitimate assistance never charges an application fee for access to funds. Here are the warning signs and how to verify a program at its source.
Read the guideWhere to go next
See your own numbers
Free tools using current stored limits and your inputs. Estimates are educational, not loan offers.
- Eligibility checkAnswer a few questions to see which program types may fit.Open tool
- Affordability calculatorEstimate a comfortable price range from your income and debts.Open tool
- DPA calculatorEstimate how assistance could change your cash to close.Open tool
Want a personalized quote?
Buying in Florida or Colorado? Request a scenario review from a licensed mortgage broker.
October 2026 Assistance Research Library Review
We reviewed state housing finance agency program guides, HUD area median income and county limit datasets, agency subordination and forgiveness policies and consumer protection guidance on assistance fraud 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: state housing finance agency program guides
- Checked: HUD area median income and county limit datasets
- Checked: agency subordination and forgiveness policies
- Checked: consumer protection guidance on assistance fraud
This page's scheduled monthly review is overdue. The section above reflects our latest completed review, not a new one for the current month.
Current data & page updates
- Page last reviewed
- September 27, 2026
- Page last substantively updated
- September 27, 2026
- Next scheduled review
- October 27, 2026
- Current monthly review
- October 2026
- Live data feed
- No
This page is past its scheduled review date and is queued for the next review cycle.
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Equal Housing Opportunity
Broker identification. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is a mortgage broker and is not a direct lender. We arrange residential mortgage loans with third-party lenders and do not make the lender's final credit decision or fund the loan. We arrange residential mortgage loans in Florida and Colorado.
Down payment assistance programs. Down payment and closing-cost assistance programs listed or referenced on this site may be administered by third parties, including state housing finance agencies, cities, counties, Federal Home Loan Banks, nonprofit organizations, lenders, and other program sponsors. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC does not administer, control, fund, or guarantee third-party assistance unless expressly stated otherwise.
Listing or displaying a program does not constitute an offer of that program, a representation that funding is currently available, or a determination that a borrower or property qualifies. Program availability, funding, assistance amounts, income limits, purchase-price limits, credit requirements, occupancy requirements, geographic restrictions, homebuyer education requirements, participating-lender requirements, repayment terms, and other eligibility criteria vary by program and may change or become unavailable without notice. Eligibility and current program terms must be confirmed for the particular transaction.
Types of assistance. Down payment or closing-cost assistance may be structured as a grant, forgivable loan, deferred-payment loan, repayable second mortgage or other form of assistance. Assistance structured as a lien or secondary financing may be subject to repayment, forgiveness, occupancy, resale, refinance, or other conditions. Assistance should not be considered "free money" unless the applicable program documents expressly provide that the assistance is a grant with no repayment obligation.
Receiving or potentially qualifying for down payment assistance does not guarantee mortgage approval, guarantee receipt of assistance, or necessarily eliminate all funds that a borrower may be required to contribute to a transaction.
Credit and program terms. All loans are subject to lender credit approval, underwriting, acceptable appraisal, title review, insurance, and supporting documentation. Eligibility, programs, rates, APRs, points, fees, payments, terms, loan amounts, down-payment requirements, and availability may vary based on borrower, property, occupancy, credit profile, loan-to-value ratio, debt-to-income ratio, lender, assistance program, and location and may change without notice. Not all borrowers, properties, products, or programs will qualify or be available in every location. Nothing on this site constitutes a loan approval, rate lock, offer, commitment to lend, guarantee of assistance, or guarantee of closing.
Rates, payments and calculators. Rates, APRs, payments, down payments, estimated assistance amounts, affordability, home prices, closing costs, savings, and other calculator or scenario results displayed on this site are estimates or illustrations unless expressly stated otherwise. Actual eligibility, assistance, and loan terms may differ. Taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, association dues, lender charges, broker compensation, discount points, third-party charges, and other costs may apply. Advertised rates, payments, APRs, down payments, and other credit terms are subject to the assumptions and disclosures presented with the applicable advertisement.
Government affiliation. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC is not a government agency and is not affiliated with, acting on behalf of, sponsored by, or endorsed by HUD, FHA, VA, USDA, any housing finance agency, or any other federal, state, or local government agency. References to government agencies, housing authorities, assistance programs, data, forms, or resources are provided for informational purposes and do not imply sponsorship or endorsement of Simply Approved Mortgages LLC.
Fair lending. Equal Housing Opportunity. Simply Approved Mortgages LLC conducts business in accordance with applicable federal and state fair-housing and equal-credit-opportunity laws and does not discriminate on any prohibited basis.
No professional advice. Content on this site is educational and general in nature and is not legal, tax, accounting, financial, or investment advice. Borrowers should review the applicable program documents and consult qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances.