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Get up to $40k toward your Texas home purchase!

Get up to $40k toward your Texas home purchase!

Looking for first time home buyer programs in Texas? We’ve found them all! There are many programs that will assist you with tax reductions, down payment assistance and so much more!

Get more help buying a house with low income here!

Texas has amazing first time home buyer programs!

Home Sweet Texas is a home loan program for low and moderate income Texans. If you qualify, you can receive 3% to 5% of your total loan amount in a down payment assistance grant that never has to be repaid! You do not have to be a first-time home buyer to qualify.

Homes for Texas Heroes is a special home loan program for Texas veterans, military members, teachers, firefighters, police, correctional officers and EMS personnel. Participants receive 3% to 5% of the loan amount in down payment assistance that never has to be repaid! You don’t need to be a first-time home buyer to qualify! 

Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) can help you save up to $2,000 every year that you pay mortgage interest on your loan! Usually, you will have to invest $700 upfront to receive this benefit but those who participate in Homes for Texas Heroes will receive it for FREE.

Veterans Land Board Veterans Housing Assistance Program (VLB or VHAP) provides low interest loans with little or no down payments for veterans, military members and their spouses. Veterans who have a VA service-connected disability rating for 30% or more can qualify for a discounted interest rate on their loan!

Cities and counties offer additional first time home buyer programs!

Abilene offers $5,000 in down payment assistance to low and moderate income buyers who have lived in Abilene for at least six months (or worked in Abiline for at least two years). To participate, you must provide 10 hours of community service and complete an online homebuyer course.

Arlington Homebuyers Assistance Program (AHAP) provides up to $7,500 in down payment and closing cost assistance to low income first time homebuyers. Households with disabled family members can receive up to $10,000! The loan has zero interest and is forgiven after five years.

Austin has several first time home buyer programs for low income homebuyers. The Community Land Trust program allows you to purchase a home and lease the land, which makes the monthly mortgage payment much more affordable. The Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA) provides a zero interest loan for up to $40,000! The HousingSmarts program provides free homebuyer training for low income homebuyers. There are also non-profit home sales!

Baytown offers $4,500 toward your down payment. The assistance is awarded in a forgivable, deferred loan that is forgiven after five years.

Beaumont provides up to $14,999 in down payment assistance to low income homebuyers who purchase a home in the City of Beaumont.

Brazoria County offers up to $5,000 toward your purchase costs. To receive funds, you must qualify for a mortgage, select a home, have an Earnest Money contract written and turn in the application by a certain date. Get the details here. 

Brownsville provides up to $25,000 that can be used for your down payment, closing costs, or other eligible prepaid expenses. The amount you receive is based on your financial need and availability of HOME funds.

Bryan may provide between $3,500 and $7,500 toward your closing costs and down payment. The amount you receive will depend on the final negotiated price of your home. This zero interest loan will be forgiven after five years.

College Station can award up to $49,999 in gap financing to qualified low income homebuyers. The amount you receive cannot exceed 30% of the sale price of the home. This zero interest deferred loan must be repaid when the home is sold or the buyer moves out.

Corpus Christi appears to provide two first time home buyer programs. The Home Closing Cost Program provides up to $10,000 in the form of a forgivable loan with zero interest. The Homebuyer Assistance Program provides $10,000 in a loan with zero interest that is forgiven at the rate of $2,000 per year.

Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program provides assistance to low income home buyers. They have assisted with over 7,900 loans since 1991!

Denison has $2,500 in funding for qualified low income homebuyers. Only eight of these grants can be processed each year.

Denton provides assistance with down payments, closing costs, prepaid expenses and sometimes even gap financing to help make the difference between the sales price and your maximum loan amount.

El Paso First Time Homebuyers Program is very generous. Qualifying applicants can receive $1,000 to $35,000 toward principal reduction on their loan. However, buyers must contribute at least $1,000 of their own funds to receive these benefits. You may also be able to receive $5,000 toward your down payment costs. The down payment assistance accrues interest at 3 percent but can be forgiven after 10 years.

Fort Worth Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP) provides up to $14,999 for mortgage assistance. Up to $3,000 of these funds can be used to pay your closing costs and down payment expenses.

Frisco offers a Down Payment Assistance Program that awards up to $10,000 in forgivable loans to help with down payments and closing cost assistance.

Galveston can give up to $14,500 in HOME assistance. These funds can be used for down payments and closing costs. The amount will be forgiven after five years.

Garland offers up to $5,000 in down payment assistance. You don’t have to repay Garland’s first time home buyer programs unless you sell, transfer, lease or take out a home equity loan on the property within the first five years.

Grand Prairie provides deferred up to $5,000 in a Buyers Grant to purchase a newly constructed home in Grand Prairie. You may also be eligible for assistance from the builder or other non-profits.

Harlingen offers up to $10,000 in down payment, closing cost or gap financing assistance. This zero interest loan can be deferred for up to five years.

Harris County offers up to $23,800 in down payment assistance for new and existing homes. Existing homes must be 20 years old or less to qualify. Assistance less than $15,000 will be forgiven in five years while higher amounts will be forgiven in 10 years.

Houston offers up to $25,000 in assistance, depending on the income level and needs of the borrower. Eligible homes must be located in the city boundaries of Houston.

Irving provides zero interest deferred loans which can be forgiven after a certain amount of time. The funds are for down payment or closing costs. Exact amounts are not listed on the Irving website.

Killeen awards up to $7,500 toward down payment and closing costs. Buyers must contribute at least $500 of their own funds toward the purchase of the home.

Laredo provides loans of up to $14,999 to low income households. If you live in the home for five years, the amount will be fully forgiven.

Lewisville provides up to $14,500 in assistance. The funds are capped at $5,000 for closing costs, up to $8,000 in principal reduction and up to $1,500 in location incentives to qualified low income buyers.

McKinney offers a Homebuyer Assistance Program that provides up to $10,000 in assistance. The amount does not have to be repaid unless you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or otherwise transfer the title within the first five years of ownership.

Mesquite has a Neighborhood Stabilization Program that allows buyers to purchase rehabilitated homes for affordable rates.

Midland buyers who contribute at least $1,000 toward the purchase of their home may be able to receive $15,000 toward their home purchase from the City of Midland! This program can be used for new construction or a pre-owned home.

Odessa provides down payment and closing cost assistance. The first time home buyer program amount is calculated on a sliding scale. Existing homes may qualify for 5-10 percent down payment assistance and $3,500 in closing cost help. New construction may qualify for up to $4,000 for closing costs.

Plano provides help for first time homebuyers who qualify. You must participate in a homebuyers class to receive funds.

San Angelo Homebuyers Assistance Program (HAP) provides up to $15,000 in closing cost and down payment help through the HOME program. The Affordable Housing Assistance Program (AHAP) can also provide a gap or principal reduction for up to 40 percent of the sales price (maximum of $40,000).

San Antonio offers between $1,000 and $12,000 toward down payments and additional costs. If you own the home for 10 years, 75% of the amount awarded will be forgiven.

San Marcos can provide up to $7,000 in assistance. The program can pay up to half of your down payment and all of your closing costs and prepaid items (such as taxes and insurance).

Sherman has a homebuyer program. You apply by telling your lender that you want to apply for the City of Sherman’s First-Time Homeownership Program, because the lender must do all the paperwork to apply.

Texarkana provides up to $10,000 in assistance for low and moderate income families. The first time home buyer programs provide this in a forgivable loan.

Texas City buyers can get up to $7,500 in assistance. The funds can be used to cover half your down payment and eligible closing costs. You must prove that you’ve lived in Texas City for at least 12 months in order to qualify for these funds.

Travis County buyers can receive a grant for up to 4, 5 or 6 percent of the initial principal balance of the mortgage. Since some of these funds cover lender charges, the actual assistance received by the buyer can be somewhat less.

Tyler offers three first time home buyer programs: up to $7,500 for existing homes, $14,999 for newly constructed homes or $25,000 for HUD Initiative Homes. The amount you receive will be based on need.

Victoria grants up to $2,500 toward the purchase of your home. The funds do not have to be repaid to the city.

Waco offers up to $14,999 in a zero interest loan to assist with the purchase of new or existing homes. The city also offers homebuyer education and a matched savings plan.

Witchita Falls buyers can receive up to $6,000 to pay their down payments, closing costs, mortgage reduction or even make minor repairs after the property’s purchase!

Serious about buying a house? Don’t miss these other resources!

Nicole is the owner and lead researcher for Low Income Relief. She has over 20 years of professional research and writing experience, and she has been solely dedicated to investigating low income topics for the last 10 years. Nicole started Low Income Relief after a personal experience with poverty. When her husband was medically discharged from the US Army, their family experienced tremendous financial hardship. Nicole was able to gather help from multiple community agencies and move into a nearby low income housing unit in just two weeks! Since then, Nicole has been dedicated to helping low income families in crisis. She regularly spends hundreds of hours combing through countless resources to make sure that Low Income Relief has the most comprehensive and complete resource directories on the internet today. Prior to starting Low Income Relief, Nicole worked as a novelist, journalist, ghostwriter and content creator. Her work has been featured in various print and online publications, including USA Today, The Daily Herald, The Chronicle and more. Her work has also been featured by Google for Publishers and other leading industry publications.

Annette Lara

Saturday 4th of June 2022

I have been looking into buying a home for myself and my daughter. I hit a hard stop when it comes to a down payment and closing costs. The lenders want me to ask family and friends for gifts of money to help. I do not want to do that and even if I did, they don’t have the money to help. We are currently renting a small two bedroom home and it has so many problems. I need help or guidance on where to go for help.

PLEASE HELP US….

Sincerely, Annette And Danniel Elizabeth

Isaac

Saturday 4th of June 2022

Low Income Relief is an information service and does not provide cash or items directly. You will need to search our website for information about organizations that can help you meet those needs. Chat with Lira, she might be able to help! https://lowincomerelief.com/chat/