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
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.
Covers the whole FHA down payment
This covers the full 3.5% FHA minimum down payment as a second lien with no payment and no interest, forgiven once you have made 36 on-time payments on the first mortgage.
On every option offered here
No income limit on any option offered in Washington — one of the biggest advantages of this program. Earn what you earn; the assistance is sized on the price, not on your income.
Credit score to start
This is the lowest score that opens an option here — the forgivable second liens; the repayable options start a little higher, so a stronger score opens more choices.
| 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.
Nothing on this page is a Loan Estimate, an approval, a quote, or a commitment to lend. Down payment assistance eligibility, amounts, and terms depend on the first-lien program, the option, the property, the buyer’s credit and category, and full underwriting through select wholesale lenders licensed in sixteen states; the calculator’s rate is an editable benchmark and its payment an estimate. Lendmire is a mortgage broker and is never the lender, and is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of FHA, VA, 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 Leavenworth, WA 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, or the statewide guide at Down Payment Assistance in Washington.
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 options differ in what they cost to carry: forgivable second liens with no interest and no payment, released after an on-time payment period; a repayable second lien with a balloon that reaches closing costs; and a refinance-cost option for an existing FHA loan.
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.
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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth’s first-time and moderate-income buyers shop — and how the assistance fits.
The share of Leavenworth, WA households that rent, the median home value, and the median household income together sketch the gap the assistance closes for a first purchase.
Read the figures as backdrop. 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 Leavenworth submarkets, distinct property rules.
Across Leavenworth’s year-round neighborhoods, workforce housing, and the homes behind the visitor economy, the same program produces different closings because prices, property types, and first liens differ block by block.
USDA-eligible edges
For Leavenworth buyers in USDA-eligible territory, the assistance covers what the USDA first lien does not. On a home at Leavenworth’s median value, the FHA minimum investment comes to about $21,600 — the figure the assistance is built to cover.
County-limit homes
In Leavenworth, the county loan limit decides which option can attach to a larger first lien; the repayable options continue above it. The median owner-occupied home value in Leavenworth runs near $617,000 on the latest Census estimate.
Workforce condominiums
Buyers in Leavenworth’s condominium buildings use the program on approved projects, with the building’s status settled before the closing is scheduled. Median household income in Leavenworth sits near $69,943 on the latest Census estimate.
Townhome and PUD communities
For Leavenworth buyers choosing a townhome for the price point, the assistance closes the down payment gap. About 48% of Leavenworth’s households rent — roughly 586 renter households, the pool the program exists for.
Year-round neighborhoods
In a visitor economy like Leavenworth’s, the program serves the people who staff it: a primary residence in a year-round neighborhood, the minimum investment covered. Leavenworth counts a population near 2.6K.
Manufactured homes on owned land
For Leavenworth buyers choosing manufactured housing, the assistance is available on owned land, with the option set by the home’s width. Median gross rent in Leavenworth is about $1,159 a month — the payment many renters already carry.
Market context only. The option for a Leavenworth file comes from the credit tier, the first lien, the property, and the eligibility category, never from the submarket.
Four ways Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth, WA solves a specific set of problems.
Cover closing costs too on the larger option
A Leavenworth 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.
Buy a first home with the down payment covered
For a first purchase in Leavenworth, the assistance closes the down payment gap; the option is chosen by credit, first lien, and eligibility category.
Cover the costs of an FHA refinance
The refinance-cost option in Leavenworth, WA is for an existing FHA loan, not a streamline, and not a loan that already carries assistance; it is sized on the lesser of balance or value.
Buy a two-to-four-unit home and live in one unit
For a Leavenworth buyer choosing a small multi-unit home, the assistance attaches to the first lien on the building, up to the option’s unit limit.
Size the assistance on a Leavenworth price before requesting a quote.
Enter a Leavenworth purchase price, choose an assistance option offered in Washington, 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.
Leavenworth FHA payment with assistance
Illustrative Leavenworth inputs; the calculator recalculates on every change.
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 Leavenworth’s median owner-occupied home value (kept where an FHA first lien is realistic), 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.
A Leavenworth, WA 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 a government loan, saving the minimum, or a gift.
Covers the FHA minimum investment as a percentage of the price — some forgiven in as little as three years — with forgivable and repayable second-lien shapes, credit floors in the low six hundreds, and no first-time-buyer rule; the larger option reaches closing costs and prepaids.
The buyer brings the minimum investment from savings, a retirement withdrawal, or seasoned funds; no second lien, no eligibility category, no homebuyer education requirement, and no assistance to carry. 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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth, WA file where it reads best.
What to prepare for a Leavenworth 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.
The assistance is the easy part; the rules around it are where Leavenworth, WA files stall. These are the ones that most often change a file’s shape.
Use these checks to keep the Leavenworth file clean and fundable.
A clean Leavenworth 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.
- Plan for the balloon: expect a monthly payment on the second lien.
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 Leavenworth buyer chooses by cost to carry first and by amount second.
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 balloon on the repayable option
The repayable second lien amortizes over thirty years but comes due in the tenth year; it carries interest and a monthly payment, its own loan number, and a balloon disclosure. It is the option that reaches closing costs, and it is a loan.
Escrow holdbacks for minor repairs
On the second-lien options, minor, non-structural repairs can be escrowed at closing: the repairs must not affect health, safety, or livability, and the work is completed and inspected within a set period after closing.
Blended scores for two-borrower files
On the second-lien options, two occupying borrowers can qualify on the average of their representative scores when the higher earner has the higher score; the loan must carry an automated approval, and every borrower still needs a score.
From a Leavenworth pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place.
The process for a Leavenworth, WA 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 Leavenworth, WA buyer — settled before anything is ordered.
Get the mortgage approved
The FHA, USDA, or HUD-184 first lien runs through automated underwriting, with the assistance attached as its own loan where a second lien applies; a Leavenworth buyer’s income, credit, and reserves are read the way the first lien requires.
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
Final underwriting reads the whole Leavenworth, WA file against the first lien’s rules and the option’s; the loan funds with the assistance in place and the second lien, where there is one, recorded behind it.
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 Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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
A Leavenworth 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.
Leavenworth down payment assistance FAQs
Straight answers for Leavenworth 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 option requires it. First-time status is not a rule of the program in Washington; the options open on the credit tier, the first-lien program, and the property.
Is there an income limit?
There is no income limit on the forgivable or repayable options; the first lien’s rules are the only income test a Leavenworth buyer meets.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Leavenworth?
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?
The forgivable second liens: no interest and no payment, released after the on-time payment period on the first lien, and they pair with FHA, USDA, and HUD-184 first liens. The repayable option is a loan with its own payment.
What credit score do I need?
A Leavenworth buyer’s credit tier decides which options are open — the options table on this page shows the floor for every option offered in Washington.
Can the assistance cover closing costs too?
The repayable options reach closing costs; the others stop at the down payment. A Leavenworth buyer short on both uses the larger option.
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.
Which mortgages can the assistance be used with?
FHA on every option, including the repair-escrow and renovation programs; USDA and HUD-184 on the forgivable and repayable second liens. Conventional first liens are outside the program.
Can I combine this with another assistance program?
One option, one first lien, one closing — no combination with other assistance.
How does a forgivable second lien work — the small second loan behind the mortgage?
You do not pay it as long as the first lien stays current through the period; after the period it is forgiven. A sale or refinance inside the period pays it off.
From a pre-approval to keys — with the assistance in place.
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 Leavenworth — for the statewide options, categories, and property rules, see Down Payment Assistance in Washington, part of Lendmire’s down payment assistance program.
Also in Washington: Tumwater · Seattle · Port Orchard · Olympia · FHA Loans · USDA Loans