Assistance program · Ohio
Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance
Ohio state agency help of 2.5% or 5% of the price for the down payment, closing costs or other costs before closing, forgiven after seven years; if you sell sooner, you repay all of it
At a glance
- Kind of help
- Forgivable
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
- First-time buyer?
- Not stated — ask
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Minimum credit score
- 640
- The minimum the source asks for; a lender may ask for more.
- Checked
- November 5, 2026
- Against the program's official page.
Type of help
What it is
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
What it gives
Source text
Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance allows homebuyers to choose either 2.5% or 5% of the home’s purchase price. Assistance can be applied toward your down payment, closing costs or other pre-closing expenses. Down payment assistance is forgiven after seven years. If you sell your home within seven years, you must repay all of the assistance provided. 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
You meet credit score requirements. … Conventional, USDA, and VA Loans: 640 or higher … FHA Loans: 650 or higher … You meet debt to income ratios for your loan type. … You meet income and purchase price limits. … Qualified buyers are required to complete free homebuyer education. - First-time buyers only Not stated — ask
- Homebuyer course required Yes
- Minimum credit score 640
- Income limit Per the program table (by county and household size)
- Price limit Per the program table
- Mortgages it works with FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional
- Immigration requirement The source does not mention one — 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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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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Take the homebuyer course
The program requires it. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach courses. Ohio has 54 agencies on HUD's list, and 14 serve people in Spanish.
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Pick a mortgage it works with
According to its page, the help is used together with a FHA, VA, USDA and Conventional loan. Each loan type has its own requirements.
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Check your score: the published minimum is 640
That is the program's minimum; the lender may ask for more. If you are short, a housing counselor can explain how to raise it.
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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 6 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?
- Is it only for first-time buyers?
- 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
- After how many years is the loan forgiven, and what happens if I sell or refinance before then?
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 whose page does not say whether you must be 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 "forgivable" help. It is the only one that requires a homebuyer course.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Program | Kind of help | Published amount | First-time buyers only | Course required | Accepts ITIN | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your Choice! Down Payment Assistancethis program | Forgivable | Not published | Doesn't say | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Mortgage Tax Credit | Tax credit | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | 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
Homebuyer education courses: when you need one
What a homebuyer education course is, when Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and assistance programs require one, and where to take it for free or in Spanish.
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Mortgage loans
FHA loan: down payment, insurance, limits and who qualifies
How an FHA loan works: the down payment and credit score HUD requires, MIP mortgage insurance, your county limit, the home and the residency rules.
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.