Current down payment assistance guidelines, updated from one source.
The current program figures below are hydrated from Lendmire’s down payment assistance standards source at each visit, so the options shown for Frisco, TX are the options in force.
Of the purchase price
The largest option is a repayable second lien that covers your down payment and can reach closing costs and prepaids too; the smaller options cover the 3.5% FHA minimum down payment.
Covers the whole FHA down payment
Nothing to repay, ever: this option pays the full 3.5% FHA minimum down payment and leaves no lien behind, for buyers within the area income limit or in a qualifying category.
On the forgivable and repayable options
The forgivable and repayable options have no income limit at all — one of the biggest advantages of this program. Only the nothing-to-repay option asks for income at or below 140% of the area median, or a qualifying category.
Credit score to start
The score that opens the nothing-to-repay option; the forgivable options start a step higher and the repayable options higher still. Two-borrower files may use a blended score on the second-lien options.
| Option | Assistance | What you repay | Credit · mortgage · units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant-style assistance — nothing to repay | 2% or 3.5% of the price | Nothing — released at closing | 620+ · FHA 203(b), FHA repair escrow, FHA Limited 203(k), FHA Standard 203(k) · 1–4 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 · six options offered in Texas · no option requires a first-time buyer · no option combines with another assistance program · owner-occupied primary residences only.
Program figures are hydrated from one guideline source and change when it changes. The nothing-to-repay option is not offered in every state; the forgivable and repayable options are second liens; no option combines with another assistance program; all are for owner-occupied primary residences. The rate in the calculator is an editable market benchmark, not a quote, and the payment shown is an illustrative estimate; no fee or lender identity appears on this page. Lendmire is the broker, not the lender, and is not affiliated with FHA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government.
What down payment assistance is — and how the options differ.
The first-time home buyer programs in Frisco, TX answer the most common reason a qualified buyer does not close — the cash to close — with assistance measured on the price and shaped to the buyer’s situation.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s down payment assistance program, or the statewide guide at Down Payment Assistance in Texas.
Assistance covers the FHA down payment
In Frisco, TX, the assistance attaches to the first lien at closing and covers the buyer’s required investment; on the larger option, what remains after the minimum investment goes toward closing costs.
Four shapes: grant, forgivable, repayable, refinance
The assistance comes as a grant where it is offered, as a forgivable second lien, or as a repayable second lien; each pairs with the first lien differently, and the options table on this page shows what is offered in Texas.
Credit floors, mortgage programs, and unit counts
Each option carries its own credit floor, its own first-lien list, and its own unit limit: the nothing-to-repay option pairs only with FHA and reaches four units; the second-lien options pair with FHA, USDA, and HUD-184 and stop at two units for a purchase.
Eligibility without a first-time-buyer rule
Eligibility is broader than most buyers expect: repeat buyers qualify, income limits apply only to the nothing-to-repay option, and the categories that open it include first responders, educators, medical personnel, civil servants, and military.
The calculator below runs this math on a price you enter. Choose an assistance option offered in Texas and add any cash of your own; it sizes the minimum investment, the assistance, what is left for closing costs, the FHA loan with its mortgage insurance, and the payment at an editable market benchmark rate.
Where Frisco’s first-time and moderate-income buyers shop — and how the assistance fits.
The share of Frisco, TX households that rent, the median home value, and the median household income together sketch the gap the assistance closes for a first purchase.
Market context only. A large renter share signals demand for the program; a moderate median value signals that the minimum investment is within the assistance’s reach; the two together describe where the program closes most files.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Distinct Frisco submarkets, distinct property rules.
Where a Frisco home sits changes which option can attach and what the property review asks; the submarkets below are the map most assistance files are read against.
Two-to-four-unit homes, owner-occupied
A buyer who lives in one unit of a Frisco duplex or triplex can use the program on the whole building; the option that allows up to four units makes a house-hacking purchase reachable with the minimum investment covered. Median gross rent in Frisco is about $2,014 a month — the payment many renters already carry.
Townhomes and attached homes
Attached homes and townhomes in Frisco sit at price points where the minimum investment is smaller in dollars but no easier to save; the assistance closes that gap, and the association’s documents are reviewed with the file. Median household income in Frisco sits near $150,212 on the latest Census estimate.
New construction and infill
Infill and new-build homes in Frisco pair with the assistance as long as the property is the buyer’s primary residence and the first lien is a government program. About 34% of Frisco’s households rent — roughly 26,330 renter households, the pool the program exists for.
Manufactured homes on owned land
For Frisco buyers looking at manufactured housing, the assistance is available on owned land, with single-width homes reaching only the option that accepts them. On a home at Frisco’s median value, the FHA minimum investment comes to about $22,500 — the figure the assistance is built to cover.
Condominiums close to work
In Frisco, a condominium near the job is the first home many buyers can reach; the program pairs with it as long as the project clears FHA review, and the assistance covers the minimum investment the same way it would on a house. Frisco counts a population near 219K.
Older neighborhoods and renovation loans
In Frisco’s established neighborhoods, a buyer can use the program with a limited or standard renovation loan, so the down payment help and the repair budget close together. The median owner-occupied home value in Frisco runs near $642,100 on the latest Census estimate.
None of this is a valuation or an approval; it is the backdrop a Frisco file is read against before the first lien and the option decide the numbers.
Four ways Frisco buyers put down payment assistance to work.
From a first home to a small multi-unit building to an FHA refinance, down payment assistance in Frisco, TX solves a specific set of problems.
Buy a first home with the down payment covered
The most common Frisco, TX file: an FHA first lien, the assistance covering the minimum investment, and the buyer’s own funds reserved for moving costs and reserves.
Buy a two-to-four-unit home and live in one unit
An owner-occupied duplex, triplex, or fourplex in Frisco qualifies on the option that reaches four units; the buyer lives in one unit and the assistance covers the minimum investment on the whole building.
Buy a home that needs work with a renovation mortgage
A Frisco buyer taking on a fixer pairs a limited or standard renovation first lien with the assistance; the help is figured on the purchase price, and the loan covers price plus repairs.
Cover closing costs too on the larger option
A Frisco buyer who needs more than the minimum investment uses the repayable option that covers down payment, closing costs, and prepaid items, including costs paid outside closing.
Size the assistance on a Frisco price before requesting a quote.
Run a Frisco price through the options before you request a quote: the minimum investment, the assistance applied, what is left for closing costs, the mortgage insurance tier, and the estimated payment. Enter income to see the ratios a lender reads.
Frisco FHA payment with assistance
Seeded with Frisco’s median home value; every field is editable, and the estimate updates as you change the price, the option, your cash, or the rate.
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 $600,000 price near Frisco’s median owner-occupied home value (kept where an FHA first lien is realistic), the strongest assistance option offered in Texas applied against the FHA minimum investment, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, property taxes and insurance estimated for Texas (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.
The right structure for a Frisco, TX buyer depends on savings, credit, the first lien, and whether the help needs to reach closing costs.
Assistance on a government loan, saving the minimum, or a gift.
The structure for a Frisco buyer who qualifies for the payment but not the cash to close — the help is sized on the price and the option decides what, if anything, is owed afterward.
For a Frisco, TX 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.
On a USDA or HUD-184 first lien, the assistance shifts to the second-lien options and to the closing costs; the nothing-to-repay option pairs only with FHA. For the USDA first lien, see the USDA loan program.
Choose by what you have: cash for the minimum investment, family who can gift it, a USDA-eligible property, or none of those — the assistance is for the last case, and the most common one.
What to prepare for a Frisco scenario review.
What a down payment assistance review usually starts with.
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.
Beyond the credit tier and the first lien, a handful of details decide which option a Frisco buyer can use — or whether the assistance attaches at all.
Use these checks to keep the Frisco file clean and fundable.
Three checks keep a Frisco assistance file on track: know which option the credit tier opens, know which first lien the property can carry, and know the category that opens the nothing-to-repay option.
- Know the option: read the second lien as the loan it is.
- Confirm the category: identify the category that opens the nothing-to-repay option.
- Understand the clock: plan a sale or refinance around the release date.
The option decides what you owe afterward
The same minimum investment can be covered three ways in Frisco, TX, and the difference is entirely in what happens after closing: nothing, nothing if the first lien stays current, or a second loan that comes due; the options table shows what is offered.
The eligibility category for the nothing-to-repay option
The category is checked at application on the nothing-to-repay option, together with the signed assistance application and the education certificate; no option requires a first-time buyer, and the second-lien options carry no income limit.
The forgiveness clock on the forgivable options
The clock starts at closing and runs with the first lien’s payments; a Frisco 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.
Blended scores for two-borrower files
Blending is a qualification tool on the second-lien options and nothing more; a Frisco file that blends still needs each borrower to have a representative score, and manual underwriting is off the table.
No stacking with other assistance
No option may be combined with another down payment assistance program, and the nothing-to-repay option does not combine with a high-balance first lien; one assistance option, one first lien, one closing.
From a Frisco pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place.
Four steps take a Frisco, TX assistance file from a first read to funding; the first one is the one most buyers skip.
Pick the option
Lendmire reads the Frisco scenario against the options offered in Texas: the credit tier, the first lien, the unit count, the category, and whether the help must reach closing costs.
Get the mortgage approved
Lendmire packages the Frisco 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
Property review runs in parallel with the first lien; the Frisco home is checked against the option’s rules and the first lien’s, from the unit count to the association package.
Close both loans together
The Frisco 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.
An assistance file rewards preparation, and preparation is what a brokerage built for first-time and moderate-income buyers provides.
The option, matched to the buyer
A Frisco scenario is placed on the right option first — the credit tier, the first lien, and the category — and the rest of the file is then built to fit it, before anything is ordered.
The mortgage, matched to the property
A Frisco 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 Frisco 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.
Frisco down payment assistance FAQs
The questions a Frisco, TX buyer asks before requesting an assistance review, answered plainly.
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?
No option requires it. A Frisco buyer who has owned before qualifies for the second-lien options on credit, first lien, and property alone, and for the nothing-to-repay option through any of the other categories.
Is there an income limit?
The second-lien options have none; the nothing-to-repay option has an area income limit that a qualifying occupation, a first purchase, or an underserved tract can substitute for.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Frisco?
Four shapes paired with a government first lien: a nothing-to-repay option released at closing; forgivable second liens with no interest and no payment, released after an on-time payment period; a repayable second lien with a balloon that also reaches closing costs and prepaids; and a refinance-cost option for an existing FHA loan. The options table on this page shows what is offered in Texas.
Do I have to pay the assistance back?
A nothing-to-repay option is released at closing with no lien and no payment. The forgivable second liens also cost nothing — no interest, no payment — as long as the first lien stays current through the forgiveness period, and they pair with USDA and HUD-184 first liens as well as FHA.
What credit score do I need?
Each option has its own floor, starting in the low six hundreds on the nothing-to-repay option and stepping up on the forgivable and repayable second liens; every borrower needs a score, and two-borrower files may qualify on a blended score on the second-lien options. The snapshot shows the floors in force.
What is the repayable option and when does it make sense?
It is a loan — the only purchase option with a payment — in exchange for covering the most. A Frisco buyer chooses it for the closing-cost coverage or the high-balance pairing.
Can I buy a duplex or a fourplex with assistance?
Yes, if you live in one of the units. The nothing-to-repay option reaches four units; the purchase second-lien options stop at two; the refinance-cost option reaches four with one unit owner-occupied.
What if my mortgage is above the county loan limit?
Above the county limit, the repayable options carry the assistance; below it, every option is available. The price and the limit are settled before the option is chosen.
Can I combine this with another assistance program?
The options do not stack with each other or with local, state, or employer programs; a Frisco buyer eligible for more than one chooses the one that fits best.
What does Lendmire do on a Frisco first-time home buyer file?
The structural work: option, first lien, property, category, education, disclosures, closing. A Frisco buyer brings the contract; Lendmire brings the fit.
Bring the price. We will find the option.
A first read of a Frisco assistance scenario takes a few minutes and commits you to nothing; the option, the category, and the property rules are explained before anything is ordered.
This guide covers Frisco — for the statewide options, categories, and property rules, see Down Payment Assistance in Texas, part of Lendmire’s down payment assistance program.
Also in Texas: Georgetown · Sugar Land · Corpus Christi · Bryan · FHA Loans · USDA Loans