First-Time Homebuyer Programs in Ohio

Down Payment Assistance Programs

• OHFA First-Time Homebuyer Program (Your Choice!). OHFA's flagship 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage for first-time buyers (and repeat buyers in federally targeted areas), available with FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional underwriting and a below-market interest rate. Pairs with the Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance program, which provides 2.5% or 5% of the home's purchase price (capped at roughly $5,000 at the 2.5% tier on typical Ohio purchases) as a deferred 0% interest second mortgage - no monthly payments, balance due on sale, refinance, or payoff of the first mortgage within the first 7 years; forgiven thereafter on a multi-year schedule.
• OHFA Ohio Heroes. An OHFA program providing a 0.25% discount on the standard OHFA mortgage rate for active and retired teachers, healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, EMTs, paramedics), first responders (police, firefighters, correctional officers), and military veterans and active-duty service members. Ohio Heroes can be combined with Your Choice! DPA and the OHFA MCC for additional stacked savings. Income and purchase price limits follow standard OHFA rules.
• OHFA Grants for Grads. An OHFA program providing a discounted interest rate plus 2.5% or 5% of the purchase price in down payment assistance for recent college graduates (typically within 48 months of completing an associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or professional degree) purchasing in Ohio. Designed to retain college graduates in Ohio after graduation. Income limits follow standard OHFA rules.
• OHFA Mortgage Tax Credit (MCC). A federal tax credit worth up to 40% of annual mortgage interest paid (capped at $2,000 per year) for buyers using a non-OHFA first mortgage, or 25% (also capped at $2,000) for buyers using an OHFA first mortgage. Applied directly against your federal income tax bill for the life of the loan. Issued at closing through an OHFA-approved lender.

Income and Purchase Price Limits

OHFA income limits vary by county and household size, typically ranging from roughly $100,000 in non-metro counties to $130,000+ in the Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati metros for 1-2 person households. Purchase price limits are generally $400,000+ statewide, with higher ceilings in federally designated targeted areas. Always confirm current limits with an OHFA-approved lender or at MyOhioHome.org before assuming eligibility.

City and County Programs Worth Knowing

Ohio's three largest metros run their own first-time buyer programs that stack on top of OHFA. In Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, the local layer is often the difference between an offer that pencils and one that doesn't.

• Columbus Down Payment Assistance Program. Administered by the City of Columbus Department of Development for buyers purchasing a primary residence within Columbus city limits, this program provides up to $10,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance as a deferred or forgivable second loan, with terms tied to a multi-year owner-occupancy period. Income limits are tied to area median income (typically up to 80% AMI), buyers must complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course, and the home must be the buyer's primary residence. The Columbus DPA program is designed to stack with OHFA first mortgages and is one of the most widely used local programs in central Ohio.
• Cuyahoga County Land Bank and Cleveland Housing Network Programs. The Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (Cuyahoga Land Bank) and the Cleveland Housing Network (now part of CHN Housing Partners) jointly administer a family of homebuyer assistance and rehab-to-own programs for buyers purchasing in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Down payment and closing cost assistance can reach up to $20,000, often combined with funded rehabilitation on Land Bank inventory properties. Income limits are tied to area median income, buyers must complete an approved homebuyer education course, and the home must be the buyer's primary residence. These programs are designed to stack with OHFA first mortgages.
• City of Cincinnati Community Development Down Payment Grants. Administered by the City of Cincinnati's Department of Community and Economic Development for income-qualified first-time buyers purchasing within Cincinnati city limits, this program provides up to $5,000 in down payment assistance as a grant or deferred-payment second loan, with terms set by funding cycle. Income limits are tied to area median income (typically up to 80% AMI), buyers must complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course, and the home must be the buyer's primary residence. The Cincinnati program is designed to stack with OHFA first mortgages.
• Hamilton County and Other Regional Programs. Hamilton County (Cincinnati area), Franklin County (Columbus area), and several smaller Ohio cities periodically fund additional homebuyer programs layering on top of OHFA. Availability fluctuates by funding cycle - confirm with the relevant county or city housing department before counting on local assistance.

Columbus DPA, Cuyahoga / CHN, and Cincinnati's grant program all run on funding cycles that can exhaust mid-year, and homebuyer education must be completed before application - not after offer acceptance. Plan the education step into the front of your timeline, confirm your target property falls inside the relevant city or county boundary, and verify current funding availability with the administering agency before counting on local assistance in your offer.

FHA Loan Requirements in Ohio

FHA loans are widely used by Ohio first-time buyers and are compatible with OHFA Your Choice!, Ohio Heroes, and Grants for Grads, as well as the Columbus, Cleveland / Cuyahoga, and Cincinnati local programs. Across most of Ohio, FHA loan limits use the standard single-family ceiling, which is comfortably above typical Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati purchase prices.

How to Apply

1. Confirm you have not owned a primary residence in the past three years (waived in federally targeted areas and for qualifying veterans).
2. Check your credit score - 580 is the FHA minimum for 3.5% down, and OHFA typically requires 640 or higher (660 for conventional).
3. Review current OHFA income and purchase price limits for your county at MyOhioHome.org.
4. If you qualify as a teacher, healthcare worker, first responder, or veteran, ask your lender about Ohio Heroes' 0.25% rate discount - it stacks with Your Choice! DPA and the MCC.
5. If you're a recent college graduate (typically within 48 months of completing your degree), ask about Grants for Grads instead of or in addition to the standard OHFA program.
6. If you're buying within Columbus city limits, contact the City of Columbus Department of Development and confirm current DPA availability.
7. If you're buying in Cleveland or Cuyahoga County, contact CHN Housing Partners and the Cuyahoga Land Bank to confirm current program availability and inventory.
8. If you're buying in Cincinnati, contact the City of Cincinnati's Department of Community and Economic Development and confirm current down payment grant availability.
9. Complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course - required by OHFA and accepted by Columbus, Cuyahoga / CHN, and Cincinnati. Some local programs require a specific course; confirm before enrolling.
10. Select an approved lender on both the OHFA list and the relevant local program list - the overlap is smaller than OHFA's full list, so ask directly.
11. Apply through your approved lender, who will coordinate the OHFA application, the local program submission, and (if applicable) MCC issuance simultaneously.

FAQ