Assistance program · South Carolina
SC Housing Homebuyer Program
South Carolina state agency fixed-rate mortgage with forgivable help for the down payment, closing costs or prepaid expenses: a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments, forgiven if you live in the home 15 years
At a glance
- Kind of help
- Forgivable
- Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
- First-time buyer?
- Yes
- First-time buyers only
- 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
Currently our bond program offers Forgivable Down Payment Assistance (DPA) with a zero percent (0%) interest rate and no monthly payments. The DPA is a second lien with 15-year (180 month) term. If the borrower(s) remain in the home for the full term, the lien is forgiven. 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
Our SC Housing Homebuyer (BOND) program is subject to county specific household income and sales price limits. … For full details please read our Homeownership Program Handout (PDF). - First-time buyers only Yes
- 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 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 South Carolina
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 South Carolina
The program covers all of South Carolina. The first column is South Carolina'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 South Carolina: $259,000.
The typical home value ($259,000) fits within South Carolina'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 South Carolina is $66,850.
| Figure | South Carolina | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $259,000 | $76,200 (Allendale County) to $489,100 (Charleston County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 (Abbeville County) to $690,000 (Dorchester County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 in all 46 counties | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $66,850 | $59,700 (Abbeville County) to $94,000 (Dorchester 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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Take the homebuyer course
The program requires it. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach courses. South Carolina has 13 agencies on HUD's list, and 4 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 5 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to SC 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?
- 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 South Carolina's other programs
The 3 programs we checked in South Carolina, 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 South Carolina's 3 programs that requires being a first-time buyer. None of the 3 publishes an amount with the figure in its own wording. 2 more programs in the state give "forgivable" help: Palmetto Home Advantage and County First Initiative. It covers the whole state; one program on the list is only for a city or a county. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC Housing Homebuyer Programthis program | Forgivable | Not published | Yes | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Palmetto Home Advantage | Forgivable | Not published | No | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| County First Initiative | Forgivable | Not published | No | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Abbeville County, Allendale County, Bamberg County, Barnwell County, Beaufort County, Calhoun County, Cherokee County, Chester County, Chesterfield County, Clarendon County, Colleton County, Darlington County, Dillon County, Edgefield County, Fairfield County, Florence County, Georgetown County, Hampton County, Horry County, Jasper County, Kershaw County, Laurens County, Lee County, Marion County, Marlboro County, McCormick County, Newberry County, Orangeburg County, Saluda County, Union County, Williamsburg County |
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.