Assistance program · North Dakota
FirstHome Start
With the North Dakota state agency's FirstHome mortgage, the buyer gets 3% of the loan as a credit toward the cash due at closing (down payment, closing costs and prepaid expenses); it cannot be combined with other assistance
At a glance
- Kind of help
- Grant
- Grant you never repay
- First-time buyer?
- Yes
- First-time buyers only
- Checked
- November 5, 2026
- Against the program's official page.
Type of help
What it is
- Grant you never repay
What it gives
Source text
Amount of assistance equals three percent of the first mortgage loan amount … in the form of a credit towards your out-of-pocket cash requirement. … This can be used for downpayment, closing costs and prepaid items. … Start cannot be used in conjunction with any other down payment assistance programs. 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
If you are a first-time homebuyer who has not owned a home in the past three years (excluding manufactured homes not on a permanent foundation) as your principal residence, you could qualify for affordable home financing through NDHFA's FirstHome program. You must meet income and purchase price limits. … Take a homebuyer education class. - 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 North Dakota
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 North Dakota
The program covers all of North Dakota. The first column is North Dakota'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 North Dakota: $249,900.
The typical home value ($249,900) fits within North Dakota'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 North Dakota is $85,700.
| Figure | North Dakota | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $249,900 | $84,200 (McIntosh County) to $349,600 (McKenzie County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 in all 53 counties | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 in all 53 counties | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $85,700 | $85,700 (Barnes County) to $104,650 (Dunn 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.
-
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 North Dakota Housing Finance Agency.
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
- Is there any case in which the grant has to be paid back?
Against the others
How it compares with North Dakota's other programs
The 2 programs we checked in North Dakota, 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 North Dakota's 2 programs that requires being a first-time buyer. None of the 2 publishes an amount with the figure in its own wording. One other program in the state also gives "grant" help: DCA.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Program | Kind of help | Published amount | First-time buyers only | Course required | Accepts ITIN | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirstHome Startthis program | Grant | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| DCA | Grant | Not published | 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
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.
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Help and programs
Public charge and housing: what the rules say
Public charge: which housing help DHS may consider, who is exempt, how HUD prorates assistance for mixed-status families and where to get free advice.
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.