Home buyer grants for veterans
Veterans and service members can pair a VA home loan, which often needs no down payment, with state grants and loans set aside for military buyers.
- Programs offered by states for veterans
- 11 spread across 11 states
- Most funding available
- $60,000, Oregon
- Home loan through VA
- No down payment in many cases
Programs states run for veterans
| Program | State | Amount | Grant or loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Home Ownership Assistance Program (HOAP) / Veteran DPA. Veterans and their families only; that includes the husband or wife of a veteran who died. | Oregon | Up to $60,000 | Grant |
| Florida Hometown Heroes Housing (HTH) Program. Florida Housing Finance Corporation | Florida | You can get up to 5% of your home loan, with $35,000 as the cap. | Deferred loan |
| North Carolina NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment. The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. | North Carolina | Up to $15,000 | Forgivable loan |
| Georgia Dream Loan Program - Protectors, Educators & Nurses (PEN). Limited to public protectors, healthcare providers, educators, others working in these industries, plus those on active military duty. | Georgia | The cap is 6% of the price and cannot exceed $12,500. | Repayable loan |
| Delaware Diamonds Home Loan. Reserved for veterans, first responders and essential workers in the education and medical fields. | Delaware | Up to $10,000 | Forgivable loan |
| Washington Veterans Downpayment Assistance Program. Washington State Housing Finance Commission | Washington | Up to $10,000 | Deferred loan |
| Iowa Military Homeownership Assistance Program. Only for veterans, service members and surviving spouses with active duty from Sept 11, 2001 to present or Aug 2, 1990 to Apr 6, 1991. | Iowa | Up to $5,000 | Grant |
| Massachusetts $2,500 Closing Credit for Veterans and Service Members. Veterans, active-duty military, Members of the National Guard or Reserves and Gold Star Families are the only ones eligible. | Massachusetts | Up to $2,500 | Grant |
| Utah Homebuyer Veteran Grant. Only for military members, or veterans who left service within the last five years. | Utah | Up to $2,500 | Grant |
| DC4ME VA Loan Product. Open only to surviving spouses, veterans, active-duty service members and certain Reservists and National Guard members. | Washington, DC | Up to 3% of the home loan | Deferred loan |
| Homes for Texas Heroes Home Loan Program. Limited to military veterans, corrections officers, county jailers, EMS personnel, firefighters, police officers, teachers and educators. | Texas | Up to 5% of the home loan | Grant or forgivable loan |
You'll find the income limit, credit score and application steps on each program's own page. The same first-time buyer help available to everyone else is open to veterans in all other states: choose your state or compare every state.
Often no down payment with the VA home loan
- Often a VA-backed purchase loan requires no down payment, provided the appraised value is at least the price. Nearly 90% of loans from the VA have nothing down, the VA says.
- No private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required, and no FHA-style mortgage insurance premium either.
- What replaces it is a one-time VA funding fee: on a first purchase when you put less than 5% down, it equals 2.15% of the loan. The loan can include it.
- The funding fee is waived for veterans who get VA compensation tied to a service-connected disability, and for surviving spouses getting Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
- Full entitlement means there's no VA loan limit; how much you can borrow is still up to the lender. There's no minimum credit score from the VA, although many lenders set one.
- First you need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), and you can request it through your lender, by mail or online. The home must be where you live.
Sources: VA's pages for the VA loan for a purchase, the loan funding fee and requesting a COE. A VA loan can serve as the first mortgage for many of the state programs above.
Talk to a lender that handles programs for veterans
Tell us where you're buying and a lender that works with your state's programs can tell you which ones fit you, including any for veterans.
Not interested in calling? The lender will contact you after you share your details.