Assistance program · Ohio
Mortgage Tax Credit
Ohio state agency certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return, up to $2,000 a year: 40% with an OHFA mortgage (MTC Plus) or 15% to 20% with another mortgage (MTC Basic)
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
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency's Mortgage Tax Credit provides homebuyers with a direct federal tax credit on a portion of mortgage interest paid, which could provide up to a $2,000 tax savings per year. … If you use the tax credit with a loan through OHFA's MTC Plus Program, you receive a tax credit of 40 percent of the home mortgage interest. The maximum annual tax credit is $2,000. … If you use the tax credit with a different mortgage option from your lender, your tax credit percentage is 20 percent for a property located in a target area and 15 percent for all other properties. 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
Homebuyers must have a tax liability in order to use this non-refundable credit. … You have not owned or had an ownership interest in your primary residence in the last three years. … You meet debt to income ratios for your loan type. … You meet income and purchase price limits … *There are no credit score requirements for the Mortgage Tax Credit Basic Program. … Homebuyer Education is not required for borrowers who are only registered for our MTC Basic program. - 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 Ohio
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 Ohio
The program covers all of Ohio. The first column is Ohio'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 Ohio: $214,800.
The typical home value ($214,800) fits within Ohio'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 Ohio is $72,300.
| Figure | Ohio | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $214,800 | $119,300 (Meigs County) to $445,500 (Delaware County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 (Adams County) to $591,100 (Union County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 in all 88 counties | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $72,300 | $63,100 (Belmont County) to $106,800 (Union 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 Ohio 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
- What does the certificate cost, and can it be combined with other help?
Against the others
How it compares with Ohio's other programs
The 2 programs we checked in Ohio, 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 Ohio's 2 programs that requires being a first-time buyer. None of the 2 publishes an amount with the figure in its own wording. It is the only program in Ohio 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 Tax Creditthis program | Tax credit | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance | Forgivable | 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
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.