Texas First-Time Home Buyer Grants: How Much You Can Get (2026)

Search “Texas first-time home buyer grant” and you’ll find a lot of big promises and very few dollar amounts. That’s frustrating when what you really want to know is simple: how much can you actually get, and do you have to pay it back? The honest answer is that Texas has real money for first-time buyers, but most of it isn’t a grant in the strict sense. This guide shows what counts as a grant, how much each program may put toward your purchase, and what’s available if you’re buying in Dallas County.

Three Things to Know Before You Go Looking for a Grant

• “There’s one Texas grant every first-time buyer gets.” There isn’t a single statewide grant. Texas assistance comes mainly through TSAHC and TDHCA, each with its own rules, plus city and county programs in some areas.
• “If it isn’t a grant, it isn’t worth it.” A 3-year forgivable second lien carries 0% interest and no monthly payment at TDHCA, and it’s forgiven if you keep the home and don’t refinance for three years. For a lot of buyers, that works out much like a grant.
• “Grants are only for very low incomes.” TSAHC’s Home Sweet Texas program allows incomes up to 150% of area median, which is $181,650 in Dallas County for 2026, at any household size, according to TSAHC’s county income limits.

Once you know which kind of help you’re looking at, the dollar amounts get a lot easier to pin down.

What Counts as a Grant in Texas

Lenders and agencies use several names for down payment help. Here’s what each one means for you:

Our guide to grants, forgivable loans, and deferred loans goes deeper on the trade-offs, including how each structure affects your interest rate.

How Much Down Payment Assistance You Can Get

State assistance is a percentage of your loan amount, not a flat dollar figure. TSAHC offers up to 5% of the loan amount, and TDHCA offers 2% to 5% of the total loan amount, funding permitting. Here’s roughly what that means on an FHA loan with 3.5% down:

Which percentages are open on a given day depends on each agency’s rate sheet, and a higher percentage usually comes with a slightly higher first-mortgage rate. You can use the assistance toward your down payment and, in many cases, closing costs. For the full picture of cash to close, see our guide to how much down payment you need in Texas.

TSAHC: Grant or Forgivable Assistance

TSAHC’s Home Sweet Texas and Homes for Texas Heroes programs offer down payment assistance of up to 5% of the loan amount as either a grant or a second lien that’s forgiven after three years if you don’t sell or refinance, according to TSAHC’s program page. Neither program requires you to be a first-time buyer for its main options. The grant is available only with FHA, VA, and USDA loans, and you don’t repay it as long as you don’t refinance or pay off the first mortgage within six months, according to TSAHC’s repayment FAQ.

There’s one catch worth knowing. TSAHC’s daily rate sheet shows which options are open each day, and grant pricing isn’t always listed. In early October 2026, for example, the rate sheet listed forgivable second liens but no grant pricing. Check today’s TSAHC rates before you count on a grant.

TDHCA: Forgivable or Repayable, Plus Local Gifts

TDHCA doesn’t offer a grant of its own. Its My First Texas Home and My Choice Texas Home programs provide 2% to 5% of the total loan amount as a 0% second lien, either forgiven after three years or repaid when you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage. In a few areas, local housing finance corporations add a true gift on top, with no repayment required, subject to availability:

Our TDHCA rates guide shows which products each gift can be paired with.

How Much Can a First-Time Buyer Get in Dallas County?

If you’re buying in Dallas County, you can look at three layers of help:

1. State assistance from TSAHC or TDHCA. On a $300,000 home with an FHA loan, 2% to 5% works out to roughly $5,790 to $14,475. For 2026, TSAHC’s Home Sweet Texas limit in Dallas County is $181,650 and its Homes for Texas Heroes limit is $205,870, at any household size. TDHCA’s My First Texas Home limit is $121,100 for 1-2 people and $139,265 for 3 or more, according to TDHCA’s limits table.
2. The City of Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program. For homes inside Dallas city limits, the City of Dallas program may provide up to $50,000, or up to $60,000 in designated high-opportunity areas, as a 0% forgivable second lien with no monthly payments. It’s for buyers at or below 80% of area median income, forgiveness is prorated based on how long you live in the home, and funding is limited. The city lists Business and Community Lenders of Texas as the program’s administrator.
3. Other city programs. Some cities in and around Dallas County run their own assistance, including Irving, which lists up to $50,000 for buyers at or below 80% of area median. Our Texas city down payment assistance guide compares the big-city programs, and your lender can tell you what’s available for the specific address.

What to do: Start with your household income. If it’s at or below 80% of area median, ask about the City of Dallas program alongside state assistance, and whether the two can be used together for your purchase. Above that, TSAHC and TDHCA are your main options. Our Dallas down payment assistance guide covers the city in more detail.

Income Limits Decide Who Qualifies

Every program on this page has an income limit, and they vary by county. TSAHC’s limits run from $152,250 to $218,880 for Home Sweet Texas, and TDHCA’s vary by program and household size. Our TSAHC income limits guide and TDHCA income limits guide list the 2026 figures by county, and our article on the 2026 income limit increase explains what changed this year.

How to Get Down Payment Assistance in Texas

1. Check the income limit for your county. Use the guides above, or TSAHC’s county tool and TDHCA’s limits table.
2. Take a homebuyer education course. Both agencies require one before closing.
3. Work with a participating lender. Only approved lenders can offer TSAHC and TDHCA assistance, and they can tell you which structures are open that day.
4. Compare the payment with and without assistance. A larger amount usually means a slightly higher rate, so look at the monthly payment, not just the assistance figure.
5. Ask about local programs. City and county help can sometimes add to state assistance.

If you’d rather not sort through it alone, you can see what you may qualify for and get connected with a licensed mortgage professional in our Texas partner network.

The word “grant” gets a lot of attention, but it isn’t the only kind of help worth taking. A forgivable lien you keep for three years, a 0% deferred lien, or a local gift can each close the gap between what you’ve saved and what it takes to buy. Find out which ones you qualify for, compare the payments, and pick the one that fits how long you plan to stay.

Assistance can cover closing costs as well as the down payment. Our guide to closing costs in Texas shows what you’re likely to owe and how assistance and seller credits can work together.

Texas First-Time Home Buyer Grants: Frequently Asked Questions

Texas first-time home buyer grants: 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 TSAHC, TDHCA, the City of Dallas, HUD, or any government agency. Assistance amounts, structures, income limits, and eligibility are set by each program and change frequently; dollar figures on this page are estimates based on the base loan amount and published program terms, and may lag the official sources. Assistance is subject to funding availability and lender approval. Confirm your eligibility with a participating licensed lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.