16 First-Time Home Buyer Programs to Get You Started

These first-time home buyer programs help you achieve the dream of homeownership with down payment assistance, special loans, and more.
A little help can go a long way when it comes to buying your first home. Applying for a mortgage and saving up for a down payment can feel intimidating at best and impossible at worst. Fortunately, there are first-time home buyer programs designed to make the process a little less stressful — you just need to know what they are and where to look.
With the help of Joseph Baylis, a top New Jersey agent with over 40 years of experience assisting first-time buyers, we’re giving you a rundown of the best first-time home buyer programs that are available.
First, a brief introduction
First-time homebuyer programs are just that: programs designed to help people purchase their first home.
Many programs are government-backed, while others are funded through housing authorities or financial institutions. Some programs are offered on a national level, others are statewide, and some are hyper-local to a particular area.
Each program has its own set of qualifications, which involve factors like your credit score, income, down payment amount, the price of your desired home, and more. Some require eventual repayment, and some are as good as gifts.