you may qualify for more than you think
Down Payment Assistance in Texas
More programs exist than most buyers realize, and recent changes to income limits mean far more families qualify than in past years. Some offer outright grants, which means the money never has to be repaid. Here is what is available across the Houston area and how each one actually works.
first, the structures
Assistance Is Not All the Same
Down payment assistance comes in four basic structures, and I always encourage people to look at the structure before the dollar amount. The headline number is what catches your eye, but the structure is what decides whether you owe anything back later.
Outright grants. Cash that never has to be repaid. The strongest form of assistance.
Forgivable second liens. A second loan on the property, typically at 0% interest with no monthly payments. Stay in the home for a set number of years without selling or refinancing and the balance is forgiven. Leave early and you repay some or all of it.
Repayable soft seconds. Similar in shape, except the balance comes due in full when you sell, refinance or stop living in the home. It is deferred rather than forgiven, so plan on repaying it eventually.
Rate-funded programs. The assistance is paid for by a slightly higher interest rate on your first mortgage. You get help at closing and you pay for it through a higher monthly payment.
Assistance usually costs something somewhere, most often through that slightly higher rate, and whether the trade is worth it really depends on your situation and how long you expect to stay in the home. A loan officer who runs these programs regularly can lay both paths side by side for you. My part is making sure you know what exists in the first place and connecting you with the right person to run the numbers.
the programs
What Is Available in Greater Houston
Harris County Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP)
Administered by Harris County Housing and Community Development. When a buyer and a property both qualify, this is one of the strongest local programs available. It provides up to $40,000 in assistance, structured as a silent second lien at 0% interest with no monthly payments. Assistance under $25,000 is forgiven after five years; assistance between $25,000 and $40,000 is forgiven after ten.
Household income must be at or below 80% of area median income. The minimum credit score is 580, and you must be a first-time buyer, meaning you have not owned a home in the prior three years. The property must sit in a qualified census tract within unincorporated Harris County, with purchase price caps of $285,000 for a pre-existing home and $296,000 for new construction. That new-construction cap means the program will not reach many of the communities I work in, where base prices often start higher. It does not apply in Fort Bend County or inside the city limits of Houston or Katy.
City of Houston Homebuyer Assistance Program
For buyers purchasing inside Houston city limits. If the property is within the city, you apply here rather than to Harris County DAP. The program offers up to $75,000 as a no-interest forgivable loan covering down payment and closing costs. Stay in the home five years and the loan is forgiven in full; leave sooner and repayment is prorated. Household income must be at or below 80% of area median income.
TDHCA: My First Texas Home
A state-partnered program offering up to 5% of the loan amount in down payment assistance, structured as a deferred second lien at 0% interest that you repay only when you sell or refinance. The minimum credit score is 620. You must be a first-time buyer, though veterans are exempt from that requirement.
SETH 5 Star Program
Operated statewide by the Southeast Texas Housing Finance Corporation, despite the regional name. It provides up to 4% of the loan amount on FHA financing and up to 3% on VA, USDA and conventional loans, structured as a second lien forgiven after three years with no monthly payments. The minimum credit score is 640, and there is no first-time buyer requirement, which makes it one of the more flexible options. Every area I serve qualifies.
TSAHC: Home Sweet Texas and Homes for Texas Heroes
A statewide program offering assistance in tiers of 2%, 3%, 4% or 5% of the loan amount, delivered either as a true grant that is never repaid or as a second lien forgiven after three years. Home Sweet Texas serves households up to 150% of area median income. Homes for Texas Heroes serves teachers, first responders, veterans and other public service professionals up to 170%. In the Houston area the income ceiling is roughly $122,100.
Program figures current as of September 2026. Verify all terms with the administering agency before making a financial decision. Funding levels and eligibility change without notice.
Can programs be combined?
Two state-administered housing finance agency programs cannot be layered on the same mortgage. What is permitted is combining one state program with one local program, provided both sets of eligibility requirements are met. Whether that works for your situation depends on the specific programs, the lender and the property.
Eligibility for every one of these depends on your income, the location, your credit and the specific property. You might qualify for several, or for none of them right now, and either answer is genuinely useful to know. Finding out is what the free consultation is for.
search tool
Down Payment Connect
Down Payment Connect is a free search that checks your circumstances against a national database of down payment assistance programs and shows you which ones may fit. It is powered by Down Payment Resource (Workforce Resource LLC), and it is available to me through my membership in the Houston Association of REALTORS®. It is an industry tool rather than anything I built, and I am simply able to share it with you.
What it is not: this is not an application, not an approval, and not a credit check. It surfaces programs that may match your situation. The administering agency decides eligibility — not the tool, and not me. A program appearing in your results does not mean you qualify for it.
What it asks you
Where you are looking, an estimated purchase price, your household size, your annual household income, and whether you have owned a home before. There are optional questions about military service, disability, and your profession, because some programs are built specifically for those situations.
How long it takes
A few minutes. You do not need to create an account.
What you get back
A list of programs that may match what you entered. Treat it as a starting point for a conversation with a loan officer, not as a decision. Each program has its own requirements, its own funding, and its own application process.
What happens next
Using this link notifies me that you ran a search, so I can follow up and help you read the results. That is the point of using my link rather than a generic one: you will not be left holding a list of program names you have no way to interpret. If you would rather look on your own first, that is completely fine — take your time, and reach out whenever you are ready.
Once you have results in hand, the VIP Homebuyer Readiness Program is how I help you act on them — matching the programs to your real situation, connecting you with a loan officer who works with them routinely, and representing you through the purchase itself. See how the program works, or send me a message to get started — it is free, it is confidential, and there is no obligation.
free download
The Complete Texas New-Home Buyer's Guide
The full guide covers every program above in more detail, plus credit, property taxes and MUD districts, builder contracts, inspections, and everything between contract and keys.
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Open Your GuideMary De Pinho | Texas Real Estate License #579203 | Dalton Wade Real Estate Group
Mary De Pinho is a licensed real estate agent and is not a lender, mortgage broker, or credit repair organization. Information about down payment assistance programs, credit readiness, and mortgage financing is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or credit repair advice. Assistance program eligibility, terms, income limits, and available funding are subject to change and are determined by the administering agency, not by the agent. Results vary by individual situation. Figures cited in this material were current as of the date of publication; verify all program details with the appropriate agency before making financial decisions.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Mary De Pinho does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other class protected under federal, state, or local fair housing law.
Buyer representation is provided under a written buyer representation agreement. The agent's commission for new-construction purchases is paid by the builder at no cost to the buyer. Terms of representation are disclosed in writing before services begin, in accordance with current Texas Real Estate Commission rules.