The biggest obstacle for a homeowner who wants to move isn't usually qualifying for the next mortgage — it's the chicken-and-egg problem of needing the equity in their current home to make the next purchase work, while not wanting to sell before they have somewhere to go. What "Buy Before You Sell" Actually Solves These programs unlock equity from your current home before it's listed or sold, giving you access to funds for your next purchase without waiting for your existing

Most Realtors lose deals they never had to lose — not because the buyer couldn't be financed, but because the deal got walked away from before anyone checked whether a specialized loan program could actually solve it. The Deals That Get Abandoned Too Early The self-employed buyer whose tax returns "don't show enough income." This is the single most common reason a qualified buyer gets told no by a conventional lender — and it's frequently solvable through bank statement, P&L,

Last reviewed: September 2026 Texas doesn't run down payment assistance through one agency — it runs it through two, plus a long list of city and county programs layered on top. That's the part most guides skip, and it's exactly why "just use FHA" isn't always the full answer for a Texas buyer. Buying a home in Texas doesn't require 20% down for most buyers. Depending on your income, county, loan type, and whether you're a first-time buyer, down payment assistance may cover s

Last reviewed: September 2026 Georgia homebuyers don't necessarily need a 20% down payment. Depending on your income, occupation, county, loan type, and prior homeownership, down payment assistance may reduce the amount of cash you need to purchase a home. Georgia's primary statewide program is Georgia Dream, run through the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) — but Georgia also has one of the more active local layers of any state, with cities and counties from Atlanta to S

Last reviewed: September 2026 Maine homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. MaineHousing runs the state’s primary assistance program. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Maine in 2026? Advantage provides $5,000 toward down payment and/or closing costs, paired with a First Home Loan. Can FHA Be Combined With Maine DPA? Yes — Advantage pairs with FHA, RD, VA, and conventional First Home Loans through MaineHousing-approved lenders. Are There Loca

Last reviewed: September 2026 Kansas homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) runs the state’s flagship program, though it’s structured strictly for first-time buyers. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Kansas in 2026? KHRC First Time Homebuyer Program provides 15–20% of purchase price (up to $40,000) as a 0% forgivable soft second, forgiven over 5–10 years depending on the amount. Note: this program

Last reviewed: September 2026 Wyoming homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA) runs the primary statewide assistance. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Wyoming in 2026? Home$tretch DPA provides up to $15,000, 0% interest, 0% payment, deferred until sale, refinance, or 30-year maturity, with a minimum $1,500 borrower contribution (which can be gifted). Amortizing DPA provides the same $15,000

Last reviewed: September 2026 Virginia homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. Virginia Housing runs the primary statewide assistance, with a separate DHCD program for lower-income buyers. [EMBED VIDEO HERE] What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Virginia in 2026? DPA Grant provides 2% (conventional) or 2.5% (FHA) of purchase price as a true grant — first-time buyers only. Closing Cost Assistance Grant provides up to 2–2.5% for FHA/VA/USDA borrow

Last reviewed: September 2026 South Dakota homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA) runs the primary statewide assistance. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in South Dakota in 2026? Fixed Rate Plus provides down payment and closing cost assistance as a 3% or 5% 0% silent second mortgage, due on sale, refinance, or payoff. Manufactured Housing DPA (new in 2026) provides up to $10,000 or 50% o

Last reviewed: September 2026 Iowa homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) runs the primary statewide assistance. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Iowa in 2026? FirstHome offers a $2,500 grant OR a 5% second loan (borrowers choose one, not both). Homes for Iowans offers a 5% second loan with no purchase-price cap, open to repeat buyers. Military Homeownership Assistance provides a $5,000 grant for eligible v

Last reviewed: September 2026 Idaho homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) runs the primary statewide assistance. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Idaho in 2026? Idaho Housing DPA provides up to 8% of purchase price as a 15-year fixed second mortgage (rate = first mortgage rate + 2%), with as little as $500 required from the borrower. Idaho Heroes provides the same structure for nurses, teachers

Last reviewed: September 2026 Nevada homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Nevada Housing Division (NHD) runs Home Is Possible, one of the more efficiently structured DPA programs in the country. [EMBED VIDEO HERE] What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Nevada in 2026? Home Is Possible provides up to 5% DPA for a flat one-time $755 fee — no percentage-of-loan cost to the borrower for the assistance itself. Home Is Possible for Teachers prov

Last reviewed: September 2026 Kentucky homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) runs the state’s primary assistance program. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Kentucky in 2026? KHC DPA provides up to $12,500, now a permanent program, structured as an approximately 15-year second mortgage at a modest fixed rate. Can FHA Be Combined With Kentucky DPA? Yes — KHC’s DPA pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, and conventio

Last reviewed: September 2026 Arizona homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Arizona Industrial Development Authority runs the state’s two primary programs. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Arizona in 2026? Home Plus provides up to 4% of the loan amount for down payment or closing costs, forgiven after 60 months, with no first-time-buyer requirement and no funding sunset — available statewide. Arizona Is Home provides a below-market 30

Last reviewed: September 2026 Tennessee homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) runs the primary statewide assistance through its Great Choice loan program, with additional Memphis and Nashville-area local programs. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Tennessee in 2026? Great Choice Plus provides a second mortgage of either $6,000 (deferred, 0% interest) or up to 5% of the sales price (capped at

Last reviewed: September 2026 Missouri homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) runs the primary statewide assistance, with a St. Louis-area local layer on top. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Missouri in 2026? First Place provides a 4% forgivable second mortgage (forgiven over 10 years), for first-time buyers and veterans. Next Step uses the same 4% structure with higher income limits, ope

Last reviewed: September 2026 Colorado homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) runs the primary statewide assistance, with several Front Range-focused local programs layered on top. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Colorado in 2026? CHFA DPA Grant provides up to 3% of the loan amount (up to $25,000) as a true grant — never repaid. CHFA 2nd Mortgage DPA provides up to 4% (up to $25,000) as a

Last reviewed: September 2026 Minnesota homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. Minnesota Housing runs the primary statewide programs, and the Twin Cities metro has one of the deepest city-by-city DPA networks in the country. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Available in Minnesota in 2026? Start Up is Minnesota Housing’s first-time-buyer program, offering a Deferred Payment Loan (up to roughly $18,000, need-based) or a Monthly Payment Loan (up to roughl

Last reviewed: September 2026 Washington homebuyers don’t necessarily need a 20% down payment. Depending on your income, county, and prior homeownership, down payment assistance may reduce the amount of cash you need to purchase a home. Washington runs its primary assistance through the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC), plus one of the deepest tribal and nonprofit local-program layers of any state on our list. What Down Payment Assistance Programs Are Avail

Last reviewed: September 2026 Florida homebuyers don't necessarily need a 20% down payment. Depending on your income, occupation, county, loan type and prior homeownership, down payment assistance may reduce the amount of cash you need to purchase a home. Florida runs its major statewide assistance through one agency — the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) — but funding for its most popular program runs out regularly, which makes timing as important as eli