Down payment assistance requirements, one by one
The calculator tests each requirement it can: income, price, credit score, first-time status and loan type. The table lists the rest.
Help you may get in Cuyahoga County
$8,400
OHFA Down Payment Assistance: forgivable loan, 7 years. 2 programs likely fit, 1 to check.
| Your income vs. area median for 2 people | 113% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 2 people | $67,200 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $8,400 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
| Monthly payment, no help | $1,604 |
| Monthly payment, with the help | $1,604 |
| FHA limit · conforming limit | $541,287 · $832,750 |
Programs read on the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) pages; HUD FY 2026 limits; payment = principal and interest over 30 years at 7.4% (Freddie Mac, October 15, 2026). The approved lender confirms eligibility.
| Program | Fit | Amount | Form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHFA Down Payment Assistance | Likely fits | $8,400 | Forgivable loan, 7 years | income, price and buyer fit |
| OHFA Mortgage Tax Credit | Likely fits | tax credit | Federal tax credit | income, price and buyer fit |
| Grants for Grads | Check with the agency | $8,400 | Forgivable loan, 5 years | extra condition the calculator cannot check |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · updated: HUD 2026 limits effective May 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac rate of October 15, 2026 · programs read on October 21, 2026
To get down payment assistance you generally need to meet six conditions at once: household income under the program's limit for your county and household size, a purchase price under its limit, a credit score at or above its floor, first-time buyer status when the program asks for it, a first mortgage of a type the agency accepts, and a homebuyer education course before closing. Among the state programs we read, the credit floor is 620 for 5 programs, 640 for 10 and 660 for 2; the others leave it to the lender. In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, a couple earning $95,000 and buying at $240,000 with a 680 score meets every condition of OHFA Down Payment Assistance, worth $8,400; with a 630 score the same couple still gets $8,400. The calculator shows which condition fails.
The conditions the calculator checks
Income is compared with the agency's own figure when it publishes one for your county (Texas, Ohio, New Jersey are transcribed), with a statewide cap when there is one (North Carolina, Arizona, Washington), and otherwise flagged. Price is compared with the county or state limit the same way. Your credit score is compared with the program's floor, your first-time answer with its rule, and your type of first mortgage with the list of loans the agency pairs with its help. Each failure is written in the "Why" column, so you see whether you are one condition away.
| State | Program | Min. credit | Education course | Your own contribution (agency wording) | First mortgage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Home Plus Down Payment Assistance | lender | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| California | MyHome Assistance Program | lender | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| California | California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan | lender | not stated | ||
| Colorado | CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant | 620 | yes | Minimum Financial Investment of $1,000 | CHFA SmartStep, CHFA Preferred |
| Colorado | CHFA Down Payment Assistance Second Mortgage Loan | 620 | yes | Minimum Financial Investment of $1,000 | CHFA FirstStep, CHFA SmartStep, CHFA Preferred |
| Florida | Hometown Heroes Program | lender | not stated | ||
| Florida | Florida Assist (FL Assist) | lender | not stated | ||
| Florida | HFA Preferred PLUS / HFA Advantage PLUS second mortgage | lender | not stated | Conventional | |
| Georgia | Georgia Dream Homeownership Program | 640 | yes | ||
| Illinois | IHDA Access Home | 640 | yes | $1,000 or 1% of the purchase price, whichever is greater | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Forgivable | 640 | yes | $1,000 or 1% of the purchase price, whichever is greater | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Deferred | 640 | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| Illinois | IHDA Access Repayable | 640 | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| Maryland | MMP 1st Time Advantage 3%, 4% or 5% | lender | yes | MMP 1st Time Advantage | |
| Maryland | MMP 1st Time Advantage 6000 | lender | yes | MMP 1st Time Advantage | |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing Down Payment Assistance, Option 1 (deferred) | lender | yes | MassHousing | |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing Down Payment Assistance, Option 2 (2%, 15 years) | lender | yes | MassHousing | |
| Massachusetts | MassHousing Down Payment Assistance, Option 3 (3%, 15 years) | lender | yes | MassHousing | |
| Michigan | MSHDA MI 10K DPA Loan | 640 | yes | MI Home Loan | |
| New Jersey | NJHMFA Down Payment Assistance (with the First-Time Homebuyer Mortgage) | lender | no | FHA, VA, USDA | |
| New Jersey | NJHMFA First Generation Down Payment Assistance | lender | not stated | ||
| New York | SONYMA Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) | lender | not stated | ||
| North Carolina | NC Home Advantage Mortgage with 3% DPA | 640 | if all buyers are first-time | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| North Carolina | NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment | lender | not stated | ||
| Ohio | OHFA Down Payment Assistance | 640 | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| Ohio | Grants for Grads | lender | not stated | ||
| Pennsylvania | PHFA K-FIT (Keystone Forgivable in Ten Years) | 660 | yes | PHFA Keystone | |
| Pennsylvania | PHFA Keystone Advantage Assistance Loan | 660 | yes | Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA | |
| Tennessee | THDA Great Choice Plus, deferred option | 640 | yes | THDA Great Choice | |
| Tennessee | THDA Great Choice Plus, amortizing option | 640 | yes | THDA Great Choice | |
| Texas | My First Texas Home | 620 | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| Texas | My Choice Texas Home | 620 | yes | FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional | |
| Virginia | Virginia Housing Down Payment Assistance Grant | 620 | not stated | FHA, Conventional | |
| Virginia | Virginia Housing Plus Second Mortgage | lender | not stated | ||
| Washington | Home Advantage Downpayment Assistance | lender | yes | ||
| Washington | Home Advantage Needs-Based DPA | lender | yes | ||
| Washington | House Key Opportunity DPA | lender | yes | ||
| Washington | Covenant Homeownership Program | lender | not stated | ||
| Washington | Veterans Downpayment Assistance Program | lender | not stated |
The conditions the lender checks
Debt-to-income ratio, employment and income documents, the appraisal, and the agency's own income worksheet, which can count income differently from the mortgage underwriting: bond programs include household members who are not on the loan. Assets: a few programs refuse buyers with large savings, because the help is meant for those who cannot cover the down payment. The property: one to four units in most programs, condos subject to approval, manufactured homes on permanent foundations in some.
Change the credit score, see what changes
Help you may get in Cuyahoga County
$8,400
| Your income vs. area median for 2 people | 113% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 2 people | $67,200 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $8,400 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
The order to tackle them
Start with the course: it takes a few hours and is valid for a year in most programs. Then check your credit report for errors months before applying, since a correction can take weeks and the floor is a hard line. Then compare your income with the limit for your county: if you are just above, a bond program's jump at three people or the targeted-area limits may still work. Last, ask an approved lender to reserve the assistance with the first mortgage; funds are first come, first served.
Requirements that surprise buyers
A recapture tax can apply to bond-financed loans if you sell within nine years with a large gain and a much higher income; it is capped and many agencies reimburse it. Some programs require that the assistance be used only for down payment and closing costs, not to pay off debts. And a program can be "open" on its page while its funds for the month are reserved; only the lender's reservation confirms the money.