Current down payment assistance guidelines, updated from one source.
The current program figures below are refreshed from Lendmire’s down payment assistance standards source at each visit, so the options shown for Brookhaven, GA are the options in force.
Of the purchase price
Measured on the purchase price or the appraised value, whichever is lower; the largest option covers the down payment and reaches closing costs, and the smaller options cover the 3.5% FHA minimum, in whole or, on the lowest tier, in part.
Covers the FHA down payment, in whole or in part
The FHA minimum down payment is 3.5%, and this option covers it in whole or, on its lower tier, in part with nothing to pay back — no lien, no payment, no interest — for buyers at or below the area income limit or in a qualifying category.
On the forgivable and repayable options
No income cap on the forgivable and repayable options: earn what you earn. The nothing-to-repay option is the one exception, opening at or below 140% of area median income or through 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 Georgia · no option requires a first-time buyer · no option combines with another assistance program · owner-occupied primary residences only.
Down payment assistance options are consumer mortgage programs arranged through select wholesale lenders, licensed in sixteen states, paired with FHA, USDA, or HUD-184 first liens. Assistance is stated as a percentage of price or value, never as a dollar figure a specific borrower would receive; the forgivable and repayable options are second liens with their own disclosures. Eligibility depends on the first lien’s approval, the option’s rules, the property, and full underwriting, subject to lender program eligibility. The calculator’s rate is an editable market benchmark, not a quote, and its payment is an illustrative estimate; no fee or lender identity appears on this page. Lendmire is a mortgage broker and never the lender, and is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of FHA, VA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government. Lendmire, LLC — NMLS #2371349. Equal Housing Opportunity.
What down payment assistance is — and how the options differ.
The first-time home buyer programs in Brookhaven, GA 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 Georgia.
Assistance covers the FHA down payment
An FHA purchase asks for a minimum investment from the buyer; the assistance covers it, measured as a percentage of the lesser of price or value, and the largest option carries a further share for closing costs and prepaids.
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, with a refinance-cost version for an existing FHA loan; each pairs with the first lien differently, and the options table on this page shows what is offered in Georgia.
Credit floors, mortgage programs, and unit counts
Two-borrower files can qualify on a blended score on the second-lien options when the higher earner has the higher score and an automated approval is in hand; every borrower still needs a score of their own, and the first lien and the unit count place the file as the options table shows.
Eligibility without a first-time-buyer rule
No option requires a first-time buyer. The nothing-to-repay option asks for one qualifying category — income at or below the area limit, a community-service occupation, a first purchase, or an underserved tract — and a homebuyer education course; the second-lien options ask for neither.
Enter a price, choose an option, and add your own cash. The calculator sizes the minimum investment, splits the assistance between the down payment and closing costs, and estimates the FHA payment with mortgage insurance, taxes, insurance, and dues.
Where Brookhaven’s first-time and moderate-income buyers shop — and how the assistance fits.
These Brookhaven, GA figures describe the market, not a borrower; the first lien’s approval and the option’s rules carry the file, and the numbers here only explain the neighborhood it sits in.
These are context figures, not underwriting inputs. The higher the median value, the larger the minimum investment in dollars; that is why the assistance is sized as a percentage of the price rather than a fixed sum, and why the larger option matters more in expensive markets.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Distinct Brookhaven submarkets, distinct property rules.
Where a Brookhaven 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.
New construction
New construction in and around Brookhaven works with the program; the appraisal and the builder’s timeline set the pace, and the assistance closes with the first lien. On a home at Brookhaven’s median value, the FHA minimum investment comes to about $24,200 — the figure the assistance is built to cover.
Established neighborhoods
In Brookhaven, a first home in an older neighborhood pairs with the program on an FHA first lien, and the assistance covers the down payment the buyer would otherwise have to save. About 47% of Brookhaven’s households rent — roughly 11,503 renter households, the pool the program exists for.
Homes that need work
In Brookhaven, a buyer can take on a fixer with the assistance attached to a limited renovation loan or, on the nothing-to-repay option, a standard one, so the down payment and the repair budget are settled in one transaction. Median household income in Brookhaven sits near $117,663 on the latest Census estimate.
Manufactured homes on owned land
Manufactured housing on owned land is common around Brookhaven, and the program accepts it: the nothing-to-repay option takes single-width homes, the second-lien options double-width only, and the land must be owned rather than leased. Brookhaven itself counts a population near 58K.
USDA-eligible areas
Where a property near Brookhaven is USDA-eligible, the no-down-payment first lien pairs with the forgivable or ten-year repayable assistance, which can reach closing costs above the minimum investment. Median gross rent in Brookhaven is about $1,882 a month — the payment many renters already carry.
Small multi-unit homes, owner-occupied
In Brookhaven, owner-occupied small multi-unit buildings qualify for assistance when the buyer lives in one unit, up to four units on a purchase; the unit count decides which option applies. The median owner-occupied home value in Brookhaven runs near $692,700 on the latest Census estimate.
Market context only. The option for a Brookhaven file comes from the credit tier, the first lien, the property, and the eligibility category, never from the submarket.
Four ways Brookhaven buyers put down payment assistance to work.
Down payment assistance in Brookhaven, GA is used for more than a first purchase; these are the structures Brookhaven buyers ask about most.
Buy a first home with the down payment covered
The most common Brookhaven, GA file: an FHA first lien, the assistance covering the minimum investment, and the buyer’s own funds reserved for moving costs and reserves.
Cover closing costs too on the larger option
The larger option exists for the Brookhaven, GA closing where the down payment is only half the problem: it carries the minimum investment and a further share for costs.
Pair the assistance with a USDA or HUD-184 mortgage
In USDA-eligible areas around Brookhaven, the forgivable and repayable options pair with a no-down-payment first lien (the separate closing-cost option is FHA only); HUD-184 first liens pair the same way.
Buy a small multi-unit home and live in one unit
House-hacking in Brookhaven, GA 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 Brookhaven price before requesting a quote.
Enter a Brookhaven purchase price, choose an assistance option offered in Georgia, and add any cash of your own. The calculator sizes the FHA minimum investment, applies the assistance to the down payment and closing costs, builds the FHA loan with its upfront and monthly mortgage insurance, and estimates the payment at an editable market benchmark rate — with housing and total ratios when you enter income.
Brookhaven FHA payment with assistance
Illustrative Brookhaven inputs; the calculator recalculates on every change.
Editable benchmark: 7.28% as of October 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not an FHA loan quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $600,000 price held below Brookhaven’s median owner-occupied home value, where an FHA first lien is realistic, the strongest assistance option offered in Georgia applied against the FHA minimum investment, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, property taxes and insurance estimated for Georgia (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, three very different closings.
A Brookhaven, GA buyer can reach the closing table several ways; the difference is where the minimum investment comes from and what it costs to carry afterward.
Assistance on an FHA loan, your own down payment, or assistance on a USDA or HUD-184 loan.
Covers the FHA minimum investment as a percentage of the price in four shapes — the lightest a nothing-to-repay option released at closing, the largest a repayable second lien that reaches closing costs and prepaids — with credit floors in the low six hundreds and no first-time-buyer rule.
Paying the minimum investment yourself keeps the closing simplest — no second lien, no category, no course; the trade is the months or years of saving that the assistance replaces. 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 forgivable options and the ten-year repayable option carry the Brookhaven file; the separate closing-cost option is FHA only. 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 — Lendmire places the Brookhaven, GA file where it reads best.
What to prepare for a Brookhaven scenario review.
The documents a lender reads first on an assistance file.
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.
Every Brookhaven file is underwritten individually, but the same handful of considerations recur; they are worth settling before the contract is signed.
Use these checks to keep the Brookhaven file clean and fundable.
A clean Brookhaven 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.
- Confirm the category: remember that the second-lien options need no category and carry no income limit.
- Handle small repairs: escrow more than the estimated cost.
The option decides what you owe afterward
The same minimum investment can be covered three ways on a purchase in Brookhaven, GA, 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.
Escrow holdbacks for minor repairs
A Brookhaven 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.
The forgiveness clock on the forgivable options
A forgivable second lien is released after the on-time payment period on the first lien — three years on one option, five on the other — with no interest and no payment in between; a serious delinquency inside the period keeps the lien in place.
The mortgage and the county loan limit
A Brookhaven 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.
From a Brookhaven pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place.
The process for a Brookhaven, GA purchase with assistance is deliberate, because the details around the assistance are what stall closings.
Pick the option
The first step is the option: which ones the credit opens, which the first lien allows, and which costs the least to carry for a Brookhaven, GA buyer — settled before anything is ordered.
Get the mortgage approved
Lendmire packages the Brookhaven 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 Brookhaven 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 Brookhaven 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.
Down payment assistance is where a generalist stumbles: the options differ by first lien, by credit tier, by unit count, and by state, and the wholesale programs that carry them competently are a short list.
The option, matched to the buyer
A Brookhaven 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
FHA, USDA, or HUD-184 is chosen with the Brookhaven property — its address, its unit count, its type — so the assistance option that pairs with it is the one that attaches.
The right wholesale program
Assistance programs differ across wholesale lenders in what they offer and where; Lendmire places a Brookhaven, GA file where its credit, its first lien, and its property read best, subject to lender program eligibility.
Trusted by first-time buyers & families alike.
Brookhaven down payment assistance FAQs
The questions a Brookhaven, GA buyer asks before requesting an assistance review, answered plainly.
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?
No option requires it. A Brookhaven buyer who has owned before qualifies for the second-lien options on credit, mortgage, and property alone, and for the nothing-to-repay option through any of the other categories.
Is there an income limit?
A Brookhaven buyer above the area income limit still reaches the nothing-to-repay option through an occupation, a first purchase, or the tract, and reaches the second-lien options regardless of income.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Brookhaven?
Assistance measured as a percentage of the price, in shapes that differ by what you owe afterward: nothing, nothing if the mortgage stays current, or a second loan with a balloon. Credit, the mortgage, the property, and the eligibility category decide which fits.
Do I have to pay the assistance back?
It depends on the shape a Brookhaven, GA buyer takes. Two carry nothing to repay: the nothing-to-repay option where it is offered, and the forgivable second liens, released after the on-time payment period. The repayable options are loans, paid back with interest and a balloon.
What credit score do I need?
A Brookhaven buyer’s credit tier decides which options are open — the options table on this page shows the floor for every option offered in Georgia.
Which mortgages can the assistance be used with?
The nothing-to-repay option pairs only with FHA; the forgivable and repayable second liens pair with FHA, USDA, and HUD-184, the closing-cost repayable option with FHA only. The property and the buyer decide which first lien fits.
Can the assistance cover closing costs too?
Yes, on the larger repayable option, which covers the minimum investment and a further share of the price for closing costs and prepaid items, including costs paid outside closing. The nothing-to-repay and forgivable options cover the minimum investment only.
How does a forgivable second lien work — the small second loan behind the mortgage?
It is a lien that costs nothing to carry and disappears on schedule; the clock runs with the first lien’s payments.
Do I need a homebuyer education course?
Required on one option, optional on the rest; schedule it early if the nothing-to-repay option is the plan.
Can I use the assistance on a second home or a rental?
Primary residences only. Investment properties and second homes are outside the program.
The down payment is the hurdle. Let us clear it.
Request a scenario review with the price and the first lien in mind; Lendmire answers with the option, the floor, and what the file will need.
This guide covers Brookhaven — for the statewide options, categories, and property rules, see Down Payment Assistance in Georgia, part of Lendmire’s down payment assistance program.
Nearby markets in Georgia: Sandy Springs · Dunwoody · Atlanta · Smyrna · Roswell · Marietta · Johns Creek · Mableton
Related programs: FHA Loans · USDA Loans · FHA 203(k) Rehab Loans