Schertz Down Payment Assistance: 2026 Programs & Income Limits

Plenty of buyers stationed at or retired from Randolph treat renting near the base as the default, the simplest option for a few years in the area. For many of them, buying in Schertz pencils out better than they assume, and the benefits add up: a VA loan that allows zero down, plus state down payment assistance toward closing costs. The frustrating part is how often that combination goes unused, usually because no one connected the dots between the military benefit and the state programs.

Schertz built its reputation on a “Hometown Feeling” while quietly becoming one of the steadier growth stories northeast of San Antonio, anchored by Randolph next door, the SCUC schools, and easy access along I-35 and FM 3009. It is unusual in spanning three counties, Guadalupe, Comal, and Bexar, and the statewide income limits run the same across all three. That keeps the door open wide for military families, first responders, and everyone else. Here is the full 2026 picture.

What Schertz buyers near Randolph get wrong

The assumptions that keep capable Schertz buyers renting tend not to survive a closer look:

• “Renting near base is just easier than buying.” Maybe for a short tour, but a VA loan allows zero down, and state assistance may cover much of your closing costs, so the upfront barrier is smaller than renting math suggests.
• “My military income is too high to qualify for assistance.” Often it is not. The Guadalupe County TSAHC limit may reach approximately $130,833 at any household size, and TDHCA My Choice Texas Home may reach approximately $167,110.
• “Assistance is only for first-time buyers.” For most programs it is not, and qualified veterans get first-time exceptions on the programs that do carry the rule. Home Sweet Texas and My Choice Texas Home welcome repeat buyers.
• “I would need 20% down.” You would not. VA allows zero down, and FHA and conventional pair with assistance at 3.5% and 3% down.

Which of these applies to you depends on your income against the county limits, your VA eligibility, and the price of the homes you are watching. It takes a couple of minutes to find out, and Schertz buyers are often surprised how the pieces fit.

What down payment assistance in Schertz actually is

Down payment assistance in Schertz 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. The assistance attaches to a normal first mortgage, FHA, conventional, VA, or USDA, so the underlying loan is ordinary. For a veteran using a VA loan, the assistance can go toward closing costs since the VA loan already allows zero down. Our Texas down payment assistance hub covers how the statewide help works in depth.

Three counties, one set of programs, and how we fit

Schertz spreads across Guadalupe, Comal, and Bexar counties, and the city does not run a large open down-payment grant of its own. County housing help in this area tends to be limited and income-restricted. Because Schertz is its own city, the City of San Antonio’s homebuyer program does not apply here, even on the Bexar County side; that program serves buyers inside San Antonio’s city limits.

Plainly: ShopDPA does not administer any Schertz, Guadalupe County, Comal County, 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 buyers across all three counties. Any local program is education here, not the engine.

Schertz down payment assistance income limits (2026)

Income limits are measured against the area median, and all three of Schertz’s counties fall 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. My Choice Texas Home reaches about $167,110 for conventional loans, or about $177,186 on FHA, VA, and USDA loans, which clears most dual-income military and civilian households. In Schertz the wall is usually the purchase-price limit, not the income limit.

TSAHC programs for Schertz buyers

TSAHC is the program many Schertz 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 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. Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD staff, the city’s first responders, and 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 Schertz buyers

TDHCA runs the other statewide track:

• 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. The qualified-veteran exception matters near Randolph.
• 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 Schertz buyers

A Mortgage Credit Certificate is easy for first-time Schertz 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 Schertz-sized loan it may add up to meaningful money, 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 Schertz 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 Schertz, with so many military buyers, the VA loan is a common base, while FHA and conventional cover everyone else.

The outer edges of Guadalupe and Comal counties can fall in USDA-eligible rural areas, worth checking near the county fringes since USDA allows zero down. For veterans, 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 Schertz program fits?

The two agencies overlap, so here is how they compare at a glance for a household in any of Schertz’s three counties.

For most Schertz buyers the choice comes down to two questions: are you a first-time buyer or qualified veteran, and where does your income sit against each limit? Veterans should ask their lender to compare a VA loan against the assisted options side by side. A participating lender can run both on your real numbers.

Where you buy in Schertz changes the picture

Schertz spans a real price range across its three counties, so where you shop decides whether assistance reaches a home. The roughly $579,037 purchase-price limit is the line for the first-time and Home Sweet Texas tracks; My Choice Texas Home carries no price cap.

• Established neighborhoods off FM 3009 and near the older core hold many homes that land under the price limit.
• Ashley Place, Carolina Crossing, and the mid-range subdivisions offer a mix, with plenty that still fit.
• The Crossvine and the newer master-planned sections trend higher, where the no-price-cap My Choice option may help on a larger build.

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

Schertz schools and the Homes for Texas Heroes program

Most of Schertz is served by the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, with portions near the county lines in Comal ISD and other neighboring districts. Add Randolph and the employers along the I-35 corridor, 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 Schertz’s police officers, firefighters, EMS, and the area’s many 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 Schertz 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. A stronger score also helps your VA or conventional offer stand out.

Homebuyer education for Schertz 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 Schertz 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 Schertz

1. Check where you stand. Spend a couple of minutes on the eligibility step so we understand your income, location, VA eligibility, 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 Schertz area.
3. Get pre-qualified and pick your program. Your lender checks your income against the county limits, reviews your credit and any VA entitlement, and helps you choose the 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 Schertz with your financing 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 or Certificate of Eligibility if you are using a VA loan or the Heroes/veteran track
• A rough idea of your target Schertz neighborhoods and price range

Schertz down payment assistance: frequently asked questions

Schertz 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 Schertz, Guadalupe County, Comal County, Bexar County, Randolph Air Force Base, the U.S. Department of Defense, 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.