Downpayment assistance is available to qualified buyers for homeownership.

The minimum requirements for the Harris County Downpayment Assistance Program:

DAP: $14,200 for new construction, $9,500 for resale properties built within the current ten (10) years.  You must live in the house for five (5) years, which is the affordability period.

DAP for disabled borrowers: $14,400 for new construction
and $14,400 for resale properties built within the current ten (10) years.  You must live in the house for five (5) years, known as the affordability period.
 

Homebuyer Information:
 

Checklist to insure that you meet the minimum DAP requirements:
 

• Buyer must meet income requirements (see income chart below)

• Maximum sales price of homes must not exceed FHA 203(b) limits in Harris County

• Home must be in an unincorporated area of Harris County (cannot be in the City of Houston, Pasadena, or Baytown)

• Homebuyer must be a 1st time homebuyer, or not have owned a home for three years prior to applying for assistance, or have lost previous home in extenuating circumstances such as a loss due to a fire, flood, or hurricane

• Buyer must be credit and program approved through one of Harris County's approved mortgage lenders (see Approved Lenders button below)

• Buyer must have at least $350 or 1/2 of lenders required down payment to invest in the purchase

• Buyer must have at least one credit score of 620

• Buyer's debt to income ratio (DTI) cannot exceed 42%

• Buyer cannot have more than $10,000 in liquid assets
   

• Everyone in the household must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident alien
   

• To begin the DAP process, all applicants must attend a homebuyer certificate program from a HUD approved homebuyer education course provider (see button below) and select a Harris County approved mortgage lender (see Approved Lenders button below)
   
• To participate in this program, you must live in the new or pre-owned house for a minimum of five years