Current down payment assistance guidelines, updated from one source.
These figures are read from Lendmire’s centralized down payment assistance standards source and update automatically when the programs change. Every state and city guide in this series reads the same source.
Of the purchase price
Up to this share of the price can come from assistance: the largest option reaches closing costs as well as the down payment, while the smaller options cover the 3.5% FHA minimum.
Covers the whole FHA down payment
The FHA minimum down payment is 3.5%, and this option covers all of it with no interest and no monthly payment; it is forgiven after 36 on-time payments on your first mortgage.
On every option offered here
None of the options offered in Washington caps your income: a higher-earning household qualifies the same as anyone else, and the assistance is measured on the purchase price alone.
Credit score to start
The score that opens the forgivable options; the repayable options start a step higher. Two-borrower files may use a blended score on the second-lien options.
| Option | Assistance | What you repay | Credit · mortgage · units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forgivable second lien — three-year | 3.5% of the price | Nothing after 36 on-time mortgage payments | 640+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Forgivable second lien — five-year | 3.5% of the price | Nothing after 60 on-time mortgage payments | 640+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Repayable second lien — thirty-year amortization, ten-year balloon | 3.5% or 5% of the price | Second lien, 30-year amortization, balloon in year 10 | 660+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Closing-cost repayable second lien | 3.5% or 5% of the price | Second lien, 30-year amortization, balloon in year 10 | 660+ · FHA 203(b) · 1–2 units |
| Refinance-cost second lien (repayable) | 1% to 3.5% of the balance | Second lien, repaid | 660+ · FHA 203(b) · 1–4 units |
Current down payment assistance snapshot · updated September 7, 2026 · five options offered in Washington · no option requires a first-time buyer · no option combines with another assistance program · owner-occupied primary residences only.
The figures on this page are program parameters, not offers: assistance percentages, credit floors, unit limits, and forgiveness periods vary by option and by state, and every file is underwritten individually. The calculator estimates an FHA payment at an editable benchmark rate that is not a quote; no fee or lender is stated or implied. Lendmire brokers these loans through its wholesale network in sixteen licensed states, is never the lender, and is not affiliated with FHA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government.
What down payment assistance is — and how the options differ.
First-time home buyer programs are not one program; they are a family of down payment assistance options paired with a government-backed first lien, and the right one for a Washington buyer depends on credit, the first lien, the property, and whether the help needs to reach closing costs.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s down payment assistance program; for the first lien, the FHA loan program.
Assistance covers the FHA down payment
The gap the program closes for a Washington buyer is the minimum investment: the assistance covers that share of the price, the first lien carries the rest, and the buyer’s own savings stay for the move.
Four shapes: grant, forgivable, repayable, refinance
For a Washington buyer the choice is about cost to carry. The forgivable options cost nothing if the first lien stays current through the forgiveness period; the repayable option is a second loan with its own disclosure and a balloon that reaches closing costs.
Credit floors, mortgage programs, and unit counts
A Washington file is placed by three things — the credit tier, the first-lien program, and the property — and the options table on this page shows the floor, the first liens, and the unit limit for every option offered in Washington.
Eligibility without a first-time-buyer rule
No option requires a first-time buyer, and no option carries an income limit beyond the first lien’s own rules; a Washington buyer who has owned before qualifies on credit, first lien, and property alone.
This is the whole test: the price sets the minimum investment, the option covers it, and the larger option leaves room for closing costs. The tool below applies it to your numbers and adds the FHA payment estimate.
Where Washington’s first-time and moderate-income buyers shop — and how the assistance fits.
Across the Washington markets Lendmire tracks, the share of households that rent and the price of a median home tell the story of where assistance files come from.
Statewide figures provide general market context, not an appraisal or an income calculation. Value and income rarely move at the same pace; the market figures below show how far Washington’s prices have moved against its incomes, and the calculator shows what that means for the minimum investment.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Where Washington’s renters live — market by market.
From Seattle to Tacoma, these are the Washington markets with the most renter households, each with its own down payment assistance page.
Seattle
In Seattle, about 56% of households rent — near 204,521 households — and the metropolitan market there is where the assistance does its most common work. Census context: median value near $938,600, median household income near $123,860, population near 754K.
Tacoma
In Tacoma, about 44% of households rent — near 41,140 households — and the metropolitan market there is where the assistance does its most common work. Census context: median value near $479,600, median household income near $85,884, population near 223K.
Spokane
Roughly 40,121 Spokane households rent, about 41% of the total, which makes it a metropolitan market where down payment assistance closes a great many first purchases. Census context: median value near $363,500, median household income near $70,064, population near 230K.
Vancouver
In Vancouver, about 49% of households rent — near 40,119 households — and the metropolitan market there is where the assistance does its most common work. Census context: median value near $462,400, median household income near $81,338, population near 195K.
Bellevue
In Bellevue, about 48% of households rent — near 29,743 households — and the metropolitan market there is where the assistance does its most common work. Census context: median value near $1,340,300, median household income near $165,576, population near 152K.
Bellingham
Roughly 22,988 Bellingham households rent, about 55% of the total, which makes it a metropolitan market where down payment assistance closes a great many first purchases. Census context: median value near $627,500, median household income near $66,755, population near 93K.
Market rankings describe where renters live, not the strength of any file; every Washington purchase is underwritten on its own first lien, its own credit, and its own option.
Four ways Washington buyers put down payment assistance to work.
The same assistance serves several purposes in Washington; four of the most common are below.
Buy a first home with the down payment covered
The most common Washington file: an FHA first lien, the assistance covering the minimum investment, and the buyer’s own funds reserved for moving costs and reserves.
Cover the costs of an FHA refinance
Owners in Washington with an FHA loan and little cash for a refinance use the refinance-cost option, subject to its own credit floor and combined-leverage limit.
Pair the assistance with a USDA or HUD-184 mortgage
Where the first lien is USDA or HUD-184, the second-lien assistance options carry the file in Washington, forgivable or repayable by the buyer’s choice and credit.
Buy a two-to-four-unit home and live in one unit
House-hacking in Washington pairs with the program when the buyer occupies a unit; the unit count decides which option applies, and the first lien carries the building.
Size the assistance on a Washington price before requesting a quote.
This tool applies the program to a Washington scenario: the price sets the minimum investment, the option and your cash set the down payment, and the FHA loan, mortgage insurance, and payment follow at the benchmark rate shown. Every field is editable; the rate is a market reference, not a quote.
Washington FHA payment with assistance
A Washington scenario to start from — adjust the price, the option, your own cash, the term, and the rate to see the assistance and the payment.
Editable benchmark: 6.71% as of September 3, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not an FHA loan quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $565,000 price near Washington’s median owner-occupied home value, the strongest assistance option offered in Washington applied against the FHA minimum investment, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, property taxes and insurance estimated for Washington (U.S. Census Bureau). Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a Loan Estimate, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The rate field carries the weekly Freddie Mac thirty-year conventional benchmark, a market reference and not an FHA loan quote; your rate is set by the lender at lock. FHA mortgage insurance follows HUD’s published schedule for the term, leverage and loan size entered; taxes, insurance and dues are editable estimates; closing costs are not included; a repayable second lien adds its own payment, which is not shown here. Consumer mortgage lending licensed in sixteen states. Lendmire is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of FHA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government.
Same buyer, four very different closings.
Down payment assistance is one of four ways a Washington buyer covers the minimum investment; each has a different cost after closing.
Assistance on a government loan, saving the minimum, or a gift.
Assistance paired with the first lien at closing: the minimum investment covered, the shape chosen by credit, first lien, and eligibility category, and the second-lien options open to repeat buyers with no income limit.
For a Washington buyer with the cash in hand, the plain FHA purchase is the cleaner file; the assistance exists for the buyer who does not have it yet. For the first lien itself, see Lendmire’s FHA loan program.
Where the property is USDA-eligible or the buyer qualifies for HUD-184, the second-lien options carry the Washington file, and the closing costs are what the assistance covers. For the USDA first lien, see the USDA loan program.
Assistance fits the buyer short of cash to close; the plain purchase fits the buyer with savings; the USDA and HUD-184 pairing fits eligible properties and borrowers; a documented gift fits when family can help — Lendmire places the Washington file where it reads best.
What to prepare for a Washington scenario review.
A typical starting file for a first purchase with assistance.
This is a general preparation guide, not a universal checklist. The selected lender may request additional information based on the mortgage, the assistance option, the property, and the eligibility category. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Local details that can change the loan.
The assistance is the easy part; the rules around it are where Washington files stall. These are the ones that most often change a file’s shape.
Use these checks to keep the Washington file clean and fundable.
A clean Washington file starts with the option chosen, the first lien matched to the property, and the homebuyer education course completed where it is required.
- Know the option: confirm the option is offered in the state.
- Understand the clock: expect no resubordination and no additional liens.
- Match the first lien: confirm the first-lien program for the property.
The option decides what you owe afterward
A forgivable second lien costs nothing if the first lien stays current through the forgiveness period; a repayable second lien is a loan with a balloon that reaches closing costs. A Washington buyer chooses by cost to carry first and by amount second.
The forgiveness clock on the forgivable options
The clock starts at closing and runs with the first lien’s payments; a Washington buyer who plans to sell or refinance inside the period should expect the second lien to be paid at that point, since it is not resubordinated.
The mortgage and the county loan limit
A Washington buyer near the county loan limit should settle the first lien’s size first; a high-balance first lien narrows the options to the repayable ones, and the choice of USDA or HUD-184 narrows them further.
Property type and unit count select the option
The property itself can move a Washington file: a fourplex, a single-width manufactured home, or an unapproved condominium project each changes which option can attach, so the address is read before the option is promised.
Escrow holdbacks for minor repairs
A Washington home with a small repair list does not have to wait for the work before closing; the escrow holdback carries it, within the program’s cap and timeline, with an inspection when the work is done.
From a Washington pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place.
The path from a Washington pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place runs through the option first and the paperwork second.
Pick the option
Every Washington file starts with the option and the first lien; the category, the education course, and the property rules are then settled around them, in that order.
Get the mortgage approved
Lendmire packages the Washington file for the first lien first, because the assistance follows its approval; the option’s floor and the first lien’s rules both have to clear.
Clear the property
The appraisal, the condominium approval where one applies, the manufactured-home title, and the county loan limit are settled; small repairs go into an escrow holdback where the option allows it.
Close both loans together
The Washington closing carries both instruments: the first lien and the assistance, each documented on its own and closed together, with the education certificate in the file where it applies.
A brokerage that pairs the assistance to the loan.
Lendmire built its consumer practice around the buyers these programs exist for, which is why the options, the categories, and the property rules are familiar ground rather than surprises.
The option, matched to the buyer
Lendmire reads the options offered in Washington against a Washington buyer’s credit, first lien, property, and category before anything is ordered, and names the fit by cost to carry.
The mortgage, matched to the property
A Washington file is matched to the first-lien program that carries the property — FHA everywhere, USDA or HUD-184 where they fit — and the assistance option follows that choice.
The right wholesale program
A Washington file is matched to the wholesale program whose option fits the buyer, and Lendmire manages the first lien and the assistance together through closing.
Trusted by first-time buyers & families alike.
Washington down payment assistance FAQs
Straight answers for Washington buyers weighing down payment assistance; the mortgage approval and the option’s rules decide every actual figure.
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?
No. None of the options requires a first-time buyer; a Washington buyer who has owned before qualifies on credit, first lien, and property alone.
Is there an income limit?
No. The options offered in Washington carry no income limit beyond the first lien’s own rules; a USDA first lien has its own limits, and an FHA or HUD-184 first lien has none.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Washington?
Assistance measured as a percentage of the price, in shapes that differ by what you owe afterward: nothing if the first lien stays current, or a second loan with a balloon. Credit, the first lien, and the property decide which fits.
Do I have to pay the assistance back?
For a Washington buyer, a forgivable second lien — it costs nothing to carry as long as the first lien stays current through the period; the options table on this page shows what each option costs to carry.
What credit score do I need?
A Washington buyer’s credit tier decides which options are open — the options table on this page shows the floor for every option offered in Washington.
What is the repayable option and when does it make sense?
The repayable second lien covers the minimum investment and closing costs; plan around its balloon and read its disclosures as the loan it is.
What property types are eligible?
A Washington home that the first lien accepts and the option’s property rules allow; the property side is checked before the option is confirmed.
Is there an option for refinancing?
The refinance-cost option covers the costs of an FHA refinance with a repayable second lien, at its own credit floor and combined-leverage limit.
Can I use the assistance on a second home or a rental?
Primary residences only. Investment properties and second homes are outside the program.
Can I combine this with another assistance program?
One option, one first lien, one closing — no combination with other assistance.
Bring the Washington price. We will find the option.
Start with the price, the first lien you expect, and your credit tier. No credit pull or commitment is required to request an initial scenario review.
This guide covers Washington — for the program overview and the options, see Lendmire’s down payment assistance program.
Related programs: FHA Loans · USDA Loans · FHA 203(k) Rehab Loans