Assistance program · Montana
Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) · Montana
Montana Board of Housing certificate that lets you take 20% of the interest you pay each year on your mortgage off your federal taxes, up to $2,000 a year, while you live in the home; for first-time buyers, with a loan that is not from another Board program
At a glance
- Kind of help
- Tax credit
- Federal tax credit (MCC)
- First-time buyer?
- Yes
- First-time buyers only
- Checked
- November 5, 2026
- Against the program's official page.
Type of help
What it is
- Federal tax credit (MCC)
What it gives
Source text
A Mortgage Credit Certificate is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit that reduces the amount of federal income tax paid by a first-time homebuyer. The tax credit is equal to 20% of the mortgage interest paid during the tax year, not to exceed $2,000. Homeowners are eligible for the tax credit every year they occupy the home as their primary residence. … Remember, the MCC is a tax credit – it is not a loan. A summary of what the program publishes; not a loan offer or advice. Amounts, limits and funding change without notice.
At a glance
Who qualifies
Each answer comes from the program's page. "Not stated — ask" means its page doesn't make it clear: ask before you apply.
Source text
MBOH MCC's can be attached to any loan statewide, except for a loan financed through any other MBOH program. Borrowers must apply for an MCC through a participating lender after the purchase contract has been signed, but before the time of closing. … There is a $750 application fee for the MCC program, with $250 going to the lender and $500 to MBOH. … The homebuyer must meet the same IRS eligibility requirements as the MBOH loan programs. … Be a first-time homebuyer, defined as not having owned a principal residence during the previous three years. Some exceptions apply. - First-time buyers only Yes
- Homebuyer course required Not stated — ask
- Minimum credit score Not stated — ask
- Income limit Per the program table (by county and household size)
- Price limit Per the program table
- Mortgages it works with Not stated — ask
- Immigration requirement Not stated — ask
- Accepts ITIN? Not stated — ask
- Spanish materials Not stated — ask
- Program status The source does not say whether it is open — ask
- Where it applies All of Montana
What its page says about being open
Its page does not say whether the program is open or has funds. Ask the lender or the agency before counting on it. Read on the official page on November 5, 2026.
Your area in numbers
What buying costs in Montana
The program covers all of Montana. The first column is Montana's figure; the second runs from the lowest to the highest among its counties. Limits change by county: check yours.
The program sets its maximum price in a table. Compare it with the typical home value in Montana: $375,800.
The typical home value ($375,800) fits within Montana's FHA limit ($541,287).
The program sets its income limit in its own table. For reference, HUD's low-income limit for 4 people in Montana is $72,800.
| Figure | Montana | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $375,800 | $98,600 (Wibaux County) to $667,600 (Gallatin County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 (Beaverhead County) to $754,400 (Yellowstone County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 in all 56 counties | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $72,800 | $72,800 (Beaverhead County) to $104,150 (Gallatin County) | HUD |
Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024) · FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data) · Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data) · Income Limits (HUD) (Fiscal year 2026)
Step by step
How to use it, step by step
Each step comes from what the program's page says. What its page leaves out is further down, in the questions.
Find a participating lender-
Ask first whether it is open
Its page does not say whether it is open or still has funds. That is the first thing to ask.
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Confirm you count as a first-time buyer
The program requires it. Read on its page how it defines "first-time buyer" and whether there are exceptions.
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Find your county in the income table
The limit changes with the county and the number of people in your household. Count the income of everyone the program asks you to add.
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Check your county's maximum price
The program sets a maximum price per county in its table.
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Find a participating lender: state programs do not take applications directly; the lender reserves the assistance while processing your mortgage.
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Compare the total cost before you sign
Ask about the total cost. The mortgage with assistance may carry a higher rate than without it, and some programs charge for the course or a fee.
Before you call
What to ask
Its page leaves 8 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to Montana Board of Housing.
What its page does not say
- Is it open now, and does it still have funds?
- What is the most it gives, and how is it calculated?
- Do you require a homebuyer course? Which ones do you accept, and what do they cost?
- What minimum credit score do you require?
- Which mortgage types does it work with: FHA, VA, USDA or conventional?
- Which immigration status or residency documents do you ask for?
- Do you accept an ITIN?
- Do you have materials or staff in Spanish?
Worth asking for this kind of help
- What does the certificate cost, and can it be combined with other help?
Against the others
How it compares with Montana's other programs
The 2 programs we checked in Montana, with the same fields from their official pages. "Doesn't say" means its page does not make it clear.
It is the only one of Montana's 2 programs that requires being a first-time buyer. Its page publishes no amount with a figure; one of the 2 does. It is the only program in Montana on our list with "tax credit" help.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Program | Kind of help | Published amount | First-time buyers only | Course required | Accepts ITIN | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)this program | Tax credit | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Bond Advantage Down Payment Assistance | Repayable · Deferred | Up to 5% of the price, capped at $15,000 | Doesn't say | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
Sources
How we checked this program
We read the program's official pages on November 5, 2026 and copied their text as it appears on them. We add no amounts or requirements those pages do not state, and a program is listed as open or closed only when its page says so.
We check every program again. If more than 180 days pass without a check, the page says so.
Get free help applying
A HUD-approved housing counselor explains the program's requirements, goes over your numbers and tells you what to ask the lender. They do not sell loans.
Find a counselor (HUD)Read before you apply
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Help and programs
Down payment assistance: how it works
What down payment assistance is, the types that exist (grant, forgivable or deferred second loan, tax credit), who qualifies and where to find it.
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Help and programs
Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC): how they work
What an MCC is, how much it can cut your federal tax, who issues it, how to claim it on Form 8396 and when you might repay part of it if you sell.
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Help and programs
HUD housing counselors: what they do and what they cost
What a HUD-approved housing counselor does, what they help with (buying, renting, missed payments, credit), what they may charge and how to find one.
Your county
Price and income limits depend on the county. Your county page has the typical value, the FHA limit and the counseling agencies that can walk you through the application.