Texas Down Payment Help Finder
Answer 13 questions to see which Texas down payment assistance program fits you best, from TSAHC, TDHCA and SETH, plus every other option you qualify for.
Find your Texas down payment help in about 3 minutes
Texas has more than a dozen ways to get help with a down payment, and each one sets its own rules for income, credit, first-time buyer status and location. The Down Payment Help Finder asks 13 questions and shows the one program that fits you best, plus every other option you qualify for. There is no credit check.
It covers the three main sources of help in Texas:
- TSAHC, the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, including Homes for Texas Heroes
- TDHCA, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, including My First Texas Home and My Choice Texas Home
- SETH, including 5 Star Texas Advantage and MyHome Plus
Four kinds of help, four different costs
"Assistance" can mean very different things, and the type decides what you owe if you sell or refinance:
- Grant. Never repaid, as long as you do not pay off or refinance the loan in the first six months.
- 3 year forgivable. A 0% second lien with no payments, forgiven on the third anniversary.
- 10 year forgivable. The same idea over ten years.
- 30 year repayable. A 0% second lien with no payments, repaid when you sell, refinance or pay off the first loan. It often carries the lowest rate.
More help usually means a higher interest rate, which is why each option should be priced against a standard loan before you choose.
Things buyers wish they had known sooner
- You may not need to be a first-time buyer. TSAHC's standard options, TDHCA's My Choice Texas Home and all SETH programs have no first-time rule.
- SETH does not cover Travis County. Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties are covered. What matters is the county the home is in, not the city name.
- Every program requires a homebuyer education course before closing.
For the full picture, read the Texas down payment assistance guide or see how down payment assistance works with each loan type. Program rules, income limits and funding change during the year, and the finder reflects agency guidelines gathered in September 2026. Kyle confirms what is open today before you commit.
Common questions
Do I have to be a first-time buyer to get down payment help in Texas?
Only for some programs. TSAHC's standard options, TDHCA's My Choice Texas Home and all SETH programs have no first-time rule. TDHCA's My First Texas Home, TSAHC's bond option and the tax credit do, though veterans and homes in certain census tracts are exempt.
Does down payment assistance cost anything?
Usually a higher interest rate. Over the years you keep the loan, that can cost more or less than the help you received, so Kyle prices each option against a loan without assistance before you choose.
Why can't I use SETH programs in Austin?
None of SETH's programs cover Travis County, or the city limits of El Paso, Grand Prairie and McKinney. Homes in Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties are covered, and what matters is the county, not the city name.
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