Movin' Up

Yes. It sits behind your first mortgage and is settled when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first loan — or on a monthly schedule if the program is a repayable second.

Qualification comes down to household income against the county limit, credit score, whether you have owned a home in the last three years, the purchase price, and using the home as your primary residence. Most programs also require a short homebuyer education course before closing.

In most cases yes — FHA is the most common first mortgage under state assistance because FHA explicitly allows a government agency to provide the down payment. Confirm the eligible loan types with the agency before you write an offer.

Most programs cap household income somewhere between 80% and 150% of the area median income, and the cap usually rises with household size. Because the limit is set by county, the same salary can qualify in one county and not the next one over.

Most programs start at 620, some FHA-based programs go to 640, and a handful of manually underwritten paths accept 580. A higher score usually unlocks a larger assistance tier and a better interest rate.

Usually, but 'first-time buyer' almost always means you have not owned a home in the last three years — not that you have never owned one. Some programs waive it entirely for veterans, for buyers in targeted areas, or for certain professions.

Often, yes. Forgivable assistance is written as a second lien that shrinks to zero over a set period, commonly three to ten years of living in the home. If you sell or move out early, you repay a prorated share of what was not yet forgiven.