Converse Down Payment Assistance: 2026 Programs & Income Limits

Converse is one of the most affordable doors into the San Antonio market, and that single fact changes how down payment assistance works here. In pricier suburbs, buyers worry about clearing the program’s purchase-price limit. In Converse, home prices sit so far below that ceiling that the cap almost never comes up. The questions that actually decide things are your income and your credit, and the statewide programs are built to meet buyers right where Converse buyers tend to land.

On the northeast edge of San Antonio, Converse has grown into a diverse, working community with quick access to Loop 1604, I-10, and Randolph just up the road, served by the Judson schools. It draws first-time buyers, military families, and anyone looking for more home for the money inside Bexar County. The affordability that makes Converse attractive is the same thing that makes assistance so effective here: with the price cap off the table, a little help with the down payment often turns a renter into an owner. Here is the full 2026 picture.

What Converse renters assume, and what is actually true

The reasons buyers here stay on the sidelines usually do not hold up:

• “Assistance will not stretch in San Antonio.” In Converse it stretches further than almost anywhere, because home prices run well under the program limit, so the help covers more of the picture.
• “My income is wrong, too high or too low.” The range is wide. The Bexar County TSAHC limit may reach approximately $130,833 at any household size, while the first-time programs sit lower, so there is usually a fit.
• “It is only for first-time buyers.” For most programs it is not. Home Sweet Texas and My Choice Texas Home both welcome repeat buyers.
• “I need 20% down or perfect credit.” Neither. Assistance pairs with FHA at 3.5% down and conventional at 3% down, and most programs start around a 620 score.

Which of these applies to you depends on your income against the Bexar County limits and your credit. It takes a couple of minutes to find out, and for many Converse renters the answer is sooner than they expected.

What down payment assistance in Converse actually is

Down payment assistance in Converse is money that covers your down payment and usually part of your closing costs, so you bring less cash to the table. It comes mostly from two statewide agencies rather than the city: the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).

Each may provide up to about 5% of your loan amount, offered as a grant or a forgivable second lien, depending on the option you pick. The assistance attaches to a normal first mortgage, FHA, conventional, VA, or USDA, so the underlying loan is ordinary. Our Texas down payment assistance hub covers how the statewide help works in depth.

Bexar County down payment assistance, and how we fit

Converse sits in Bexar County but is its own city, on the northeast side of San Antonio. That distinction matters: the City of San Antonio runs a homebuyer program, but it serves buyers inside San Antonio’s city limits, so Converse buyers are generally outside it. Converse does not run a large open city grant, and Bexar County housing help tends to be limited and income-restricted.

Plainly: ShopDPA does not administer any Converse, City of San Antonio, or Bexar County program, and for most buyers here those are not the practical path. The help that is open year-round, available in larger amounts, and usable by repeat buyers comes from the statewide TSAHC and TDHCA programs, which is where the licensed lenders in our network connect qualified Bexar County buyers. Any local program is education here, not the engine.

Converse down payment assistance income limits (2026)

Income limits are measured against the area median, and Bexar County falls inside the San Antonio band. The figures below show approximately how high the limits may reach for non-targeted areas. Read them as “up to” guides; a participating lender confirms your exact number.

TSAHC applies one income limit at any household size, while TDHCA brackets by household. In Converse the income limits stretch from entry-level paychecks up well into the six figures, so a first-time buyer and a dual-income family can both find a program that fits. The price cap that constrains buyers elsewhere barely matters here, because Converse homes sit comfortably under it.

TSAHC programs for Converse buyers

TSAHC is the program many Converse buyers use. TSAHC’s down payment assistance may provide up to about 5% of the loan amount, structured three ways: a no-assistance option (first mortgage plus an optional MCC, often at the lowest rate), a grant you never repay, or a three-year forgivable second lien.

• Home Sweet Texas is the general track. If your Bexar County income fits the limit, you may qualify regardless of profession or whether you have owned before.
• Homes for Texas Heroes serves teachers, police officers, firefighters, EMS, corrections officers, nursing faculty, and veterans. Judson ISD staff, the city’s first responders, and the area’s veterans fit here. See our Homes for Texas Heroes guide for the full occupation list.

Not every lender is approved to offer TSAHC programs, which is one reason working with a participating lender in our network matters. TSAHC publishes its full program terms on its homebuyer pages.

TDHCA programs for Converse buyers

TDHCA runs the other statewide track, and for many first-time Converse buyers it is the entry point:

• My First Texas Home is for first-time buyers (no ownership in the last three years) and qualified veterans, pairing a competitive first mortgage with assistance at the lower income limits above. For first-time renters-turned-buyers, this is often the fit.
• My Choice Texas Home removes the first-time requirement and lifts the income ceiling to around $167,110 for the San Antonio area, which fits repeat buyers and dual-income households.

Both live on TDHCA’s homebuyer site. For most households there is usually a fit between the two agencies; the work is picking the right one, which the eligibility step handles. Our guide to TSAHC and how it differs from TDHCA lays out the comparison.

The MCC tax credit for Converse buyers

A Mortgage Credit Certificate is easy for first-time Converse buyers to overlook. An MCC is a federal tax credit under IRS Form 8396 that may return up to 15% of the mortgage interest you pay each year, with no annual cap, taken straight off your federal tax bill. A credit lowers what you owe dollar for dollar, which is stronger than a deduction.

The real benefit depends on your loan amount, your rate, and your federal tax liability, so it is an “up to” figure rather than a flat promise. On a Converse-sized loan it may add up to a steady yearly benefit, and it continues as long as you keep the loan and live in the home. TSAHC issues the MCC for qualifying first-time buyers, and our Texas MCC guide walks through the math.

How Converse DPA works with FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional loans

Assistance is not its own loan type. It rides on top of a standard first mortgage, and the right base loan depends on your credit, your cash, and what you are buying. In Converse, FHA and conventional financing are both common, and with Randolph nearby, VA loans see plenty of use too.

Most of Converse sits inside the urbanized San Antonio metro, so USDA-eligible rural areas are limited nearby, though the outer edges of Bexar County can qualify. Veterans have their own path: beyond a VA home loan, the Texas Veterans Land Board offers below-market loan options for Texas veterans. Our Texas VA loan guide covers the veteran path in detail.

TSAHC vs TDHCA: which Converse program fits?

The two agencies overlap, so here is how they compare at a glance for a Bexar County household.

For most Converse buyers the choice comes down to two questions: are you a first-time buyer, and where does your income sit against each limit? With so many first-time and entry-level buyers here, the My First Texas Home and Heroes paths see heavy use. A participating lender can compare both on your real numbers.

Where you buy in Converse changes the picture

Because most of Converse falls well under the price limit, where you buy is less about clearing the cap and more about the home and neighborhood you want.

• Established neighborhoods near FM 78 and the older core hold many homes and starter properties that fit comfortably under the limit.
• Northampton, Kensington Ranch, and the mid-range subdivisions offer newer family homes, nearly all under the limit.
• The newest sections toward Loop 1604 run a bit higher, though they generally remain under the cap; a lender can confirm a specific home.

Buyers comparing options often look next door at Universal City and Live Oak or northeast toward Schertz and Cibolo, which sit in the same San Antonio income band. Our San Antonio pillar covers the wider metro for buyers weighing the northeast side.

Converse schools and the Homes for Texas Heroes program

Converse is served by Judson ISD, a large northeast-side district, with parts of the area in neighboring districts. Add Randolph and the employers along the I-10 and Loop 1604 corridors, and the area is full of people whose jobs qualify them for the Homes for Texas Heroes program.

Teachers, aides, counselors, librarians, and school nurses across those districts qualify, as do Converse’s police officers, firefighters, EMS, and the area’s veterans. The Heroes program offers the same assistance as Home Sweet Texas, framed for your profession, with no first-time-buyer requirement. Our Texas teacher home loan guide explains how district employment verification works.

Credit score requirements for Converse DPA

Most TSAHC and TDHCA programs start around a 620 credit score. That is well short of “perfect,” and it surprises buyers who assumed assistance demanded a spotless file. Your score shapes your interest rate and which assistance option fits, but 620 is the number to aim for, and some loan types flex around it depending on the rest of your application.

If you are under 620 right now, treat it as a timeline rather than a closed door. A participating lender or a HUD-approved housing counselor can usually point to the few specific moves that may lift your score into range, which is encouraging for first-time Converse buyers building credit.

Homebuyer education for Converse buyers

Most assistance programs require a short homebuyer education course before you close. It covers budgeting, the loan process, and what to expect at closing, and buyers who take it tend to do better over the long run. You can find a HUD-approved counselor through the CFPB’s housing counselor tool, and your lender confirms which specific course your program accepts.

Recapture tax for Converse DPA buyers (IRS §143)

Some TSAHC and TDHCA bond-backed programs carry a federal recapture provision under IRS §143. A recapture tax may apply only if all three of these happen together: you sell within nine years, your income at sale is significantly above the program limits, and you realize a capital gain. If any one of those is not true, there is generally nothing to recapture.

Very few buyers ever owe it, and both agencies offer reimbursement programs that may cover a recapture tax if it is ever triggered. The mechanics live on IRS Form 8828. We mention it for honesty, not alarm; a participating lender explains how it applies to the program you choose.

Step by step: from form to closing day in Converse

1. Check where you stand. Spend a couple of minutes on the eligibility step so we understand your income, location, and goals.
2. Connect with a participating lender. We introduce you to a licensed mortgage professional in our network who is approved to offer TSAHC and TDHCA programs in the Converse area.
3. Get pre-qualified and pick your program. Your lender checks your income against the Bexar County limits, reviews your credit, and helps you choose the assistance option that fits.
4. Finish homebuyer education. Complete the short HUD-approved course your program requires, online or in person.
5. Shop, offer, and close. House-hunt across Converse with your assistance lined up and bring far less cash to closing than you expected.

Documents to have ready for pre-qualification

You do not need these to begin, but they speed things up once you connect with a lender:

• Recent pay stubs (about 30 days) and the last two years of W-2s or tax returns
• Two months of bank statements
• A government-issued ID
• Your DD-214 if you are using a VA loan or the Heroes/veteran track
• A rough idea of your target Converse neighborhoods and price range

Converse down payment assistance: frequently asked questions

Converse down payment assistance: frequently asked questions

† ShopDPA is The Texas Down Payment Assistance Marketplace, a home loan and down payment assistance referral service. We are not a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or loan officer, and we do not originate, fund, or service loans. We connect Texas homebuyers with licensed mortgage professionals and with down payment assistance programs. We are not affiliated with the City of Converse, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, TSAHC, TDHCA, HUD, the IRS, the VA, or any government agency. Program terms, income limits, purchase-price limits, and tax-credit amounts are set by the applicable agency, lender, or insurer and may change; confirm current details with a participating licensed lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.