Own Luxury Homes®
How to Find Down Payment Assistance Programs in Your State
How to find DPA programs: (1) Your state Housing Finance Agency (HFA) — every state has one; search "[state] housing finance agency" or "[state] HFA." (2) Down Payment Resource database (DPResource.com) — 2,000+ programs searchable by state, county, and buyer profile. (3) HUD resource locator (hud.gov/buying). (4) DPA-approved lenders who know local programs. Also check: county and city housing departments (often more generous than state programs). Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™.
How to Find Down Payment Assistance Programs in Your State
Every state has a housing finance agency running DPA programs. Most counties and many cities have their own additional programs. Here is the systematic way to find everything available to you.
Step 1: Start With Your State Housing Finance Agency
Every U.S. state has a Housing Finance Agency (HFA) that administers state-level DPA and affordable mortgage programs. These are the largest and most reliable programs. To find yours: Search: "[your state] Housing Finance Agency" or "[your state] HFA." Examples: • Florida: Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FloridaHousing.org) • Texas: Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC.org) • California: California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA.ca.gov) • Georgia: Georgia Department of Community Affairs (dca.georgia.gov) • New York: State of New York Mortgage Agency (sonyma.org) State HFA programs typically offer forgivable second mortgages or grants of $5,000–25,000+. Income limits and purchase price caps vary by county within the state. Some states have separate programs for specific professions (teachers, law enforcement, healthcare workers).
Step 2: Down Payment Resource Database
Down Payment Resource (DPResource.com) maintains a searchable database of more than 2,000 DPA programs nationwide. Enter your state, county, and basic buyer profile to see programs you may qualify for. This is the most comprehensive publicly available DPA database and surfaces programs that do not appear in Google searches because they are administered by small county or city agencies without significant web presence. Also search specifically for your county housing authority and your city's community development department — these entities often run local DPA programs that are more generous than state programs because they serve smaller, more targeted geographies.
Step 3: DPA-Approved Lenders
DPA programs require buyers to use a participating, approved lender. The lender often knows about programs in the local market that are not well publicized. When interviewing lenders, ask specifically: "What DPA programs are you approved to participate in for [your county]?" Lenders who specialize in first-time buyer and DPA transactions often have relationships with multiple programs and can match buyers to the most advantageous combination. A lender who only knows one DPA program is limiting your options. Also ask: "Are there any employer-assisted housing programs for my industry or employer?" Many large employers (hospitals, universities, government agencies, major corporations) offer employer-assisted housing (EAH) programs in addition to or instead of public DPA programs.
“My recommendation to every first-time buyer: before you start looking at homes, spend 30 minutes on your state HFA website and the Down Payment Resource database. Not to plan around DPA, but to know what is available and factor it into your numbers. A buyer who discovers they qualify for a $20,000 forgivable DPA loan changes their entire purchase calculation. Finding out after you are under contract is still valuable, but finding out before your search is even better.”
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes®
How do I find down payment assistance programs in my state?
Three steps: (1) Search "[your state] Housing Finance Agency" — every state has one with programs you can apply for directly. (2) Use the Down Payment Resource database at DPResource.com — 2,000+ programs searchable by state, county, and buyer profile. (3) Ask your lender specifically what DPA programs they are approved to participate in for your county. Also check your city or county housing department for local programs that are often more generous than statewide programs.
What is the largest down payment assistance program?
Program sizes vary widely by state and market. Some large state programs: CalHFA (California) offers $10,000–20,000+ for first-generation buyers. Florida Housing offers up to $10,000–35,000 in targeted areas. Texas TSAHC offers up to 5% of the loan amount. NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) offers below-market mortgage rates without down payment requirements in some markets. Local community development programs in high-cost cities (NYC, San Francisco, Seattle) sometimes offer $40,000–$100,000+ for income-qualified buyers. Total program size depends heavily on your specific county and income level.
Own Luxury Homes® — 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™. Talk to a specialist ›
"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)