Loan options / Down payment assistance
Help with yourdown paymentstarts here.
State housing agencies and national funds offer help with the down payment and closing costs, and Patriot Home Mortgage is an approved lender for seven of them. We pair the assistance with the right first mortgage, handle the program paperwork, and tell you plainly whether it is a grant, a loan, or something in between.
Approved programs
Seven programs. One loan officer who knows all of them.
Patriot is an approved participating lender with each of the programs below. That means we can reserve the assistance, pair it with your first mortgage, and close it in one transaction. Click any program for its official site.
State programs
Utah Housing Corporation
Utah’s state housing finance agency. First mortgages for first-time and repeat buyers, with a second loan available for the down payment and closing costs.
utahhousingcorp.org
Idaho Housing and Finance Association
Idaho’s housing finance agency. Down payment and closing-cost assistance alongside its first-mortgage programs, including options for first-time buyers.
idahohousing.com
Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC)
Statewide assistance through the Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas programs: teachers, first responders, veterans and low-to-moderate-income buyers.
tsahc.org
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)
The Texas Homebuyer Program: My First Texas Home, My Choice Texas Home and the Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate for first-time and repeat buyers.
thetexashomebuyerprogram.com
Nevada Rural Housing
The Home At Last program: down payment assistance for buyers in Nevada communities outside the urban cores of Clark and Washoe counties.
nvrural.org
Nevada Housing Division
The Home Is Possible family of programs: statewide down payment assistance, with versions for first-time buyers, veterans and teachers.
homeispossiblenv.orgNationwide
Chenoa Fund
A national down payment assistance program from CBC Mortgage Agency, available in the states where Patriot lends. Pairs with an FHA first mortgage and, in some cases, conventional.
chenoafund.orgProgram names and logos belong to their respective organizations and are shown to identify the programs Patriot Home Mortgage is approved to originate. Patriot does not set program terms.
Who it's for
For buyers who have the income but not the pile of cash.
Most people who use assistance can afford the monthly payment. What they do not have is tens of thousands sitting in savings. These programs exist to close that gap, and more buyers qualify than expect to.
Buying your first home
Every program on this page serves first-time buyers, and most define that generously: no ownership in the last three years usually counts.
Owned before, starting over
Several programs, including Utah Housing and TDHCA’s My Choice Texas Home, serve repeat buyers who meet the income and price limits.
Teachers, first responders, veterans
Texas, Idaho and Nevada each run programs with better terms for public-service workers and veterans. Your loan officer will tell you which one fits.
Within the program’s income limits
Limits are set by county and household size and are higher than many buyers assume. Ask before you rule yourself out.
What you'll need
What the programs look for.
- Credit scoreEach program sets its own minimum. Most fall in the low-to-mid 600s; your loan officer will confirm the current floor for the program you choose.
- Income limitsSet by the program, by county and household size. Some use your qualifying income, others total household income.
- Purchase price limitsMost programs cap the price of the home by county. The caps move with the market, so the current table matters more than last year’s.
- Homebuyer educationNearly every program requires an approved course before closing. Most are online and take a few hours.
- Primary residenceYou must live in the home. Assistance is not available for second homes or rentals.
- A first mortgage that qualifiesAssistance rides on top of an FHA, VA, USDA or conventional loan. Patriot originates all four, so the pairing happens in one file.
How it works
From first call to closing. Five cards, one person the whole way.
Talk to your loan officer
One call, one person. You get a name, an NMLS number, and a direct line, and that person stays on your file until you close.
Get pre-approved and matched
We review your credit, income and assets, then show you which programs you qualify for in your state and what each one would mean for your payment.
Shop with confidence
Your pre-approval letter shows the assistance already in place. You shop within the program’s price limit and your loan officer is available to your agent for any offer.
Reservation and underwriting
We reserve your assistance with the program, order the appraisal, and underwrite the first mortgage and the assistance together. You complete the homebuyer course if you have not already.
Close and move in
The assistance funds at closing alongside your first mortgage. Sign once, get your keys, and know exactly what you owe and when.
How the help arrives
Grant, forgivable loan, or deferred loan.
Grant
Money you do not repay. Less common and usually smaller, but some Texas and Nevada programs offer it.
Forgivable second loan
A second lien that is forgiven over time, often three to five years, as long as you stay in the home.
Deferred second loan
No monthly payment. You repay it when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage.
Amortizing second loan
A small monthly payment on the assistance alongside your first mortgage. Common with state housing agencies.
Questions
Straight answers.
Is it free money?
Sometimes. Some programs are true grants. Most are second loans that are forgiven over time or deferred until you sell or refinance. Your loan officer will tell you which kind you are getting before you sign anything.
Does it have to be my first home?
No. Several programs serve repeat buyers, and most define first-time buyer as no ownership in the past three years.
Can I use it with a VA loan?
Often, yes. VA loans do not require a down payment, so buyers usually apply the assistance to closing costs. Ask about VA-specific versions in Texas and Nevada.
Will it raise my monthly payment?
Grants and deferred loans do not. Amortizing second loans add a small payment. Your loan officer will show both numbers side by side.
Does it slow down closing?
Usually by a few days, for the program reservation and the homebuyer course. We start both the day you go under contract.
What if I move or refinance early?
Forgivable and deferred loans typically come due, in full or in part, when you sell or refinance before the term ends. Read the terms with your loan officer; they are short.
Find out which program you qualify for.
A licensed loan officer in your state, by name. Fifteen minutes, no credit pull, and a straight answer about the assistance available to you.
Down payment assistance programs are offered by independent state housing agencies and third parties, each with its own eligibility requirements, income and purchase-price limits, and repayment terms, all of which are subject to change without notice. Patriot Home Mortgage is an approved participating lender and does not set program terms. Program names and logos are the property of their respective organizations. This is not a commitment to lend. Belem Servicing LLC d/b/a Patriot Home Mortgage, NMLS #715386. Equal Housing Lender.