Assistance program · South Dakota
South Dakota Housing Tax Credit (MCC)
South Dakota state authority certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal taxes, of up to $2,000 a year while you live in the home and keep the original mortgage; for first-time buyers, requested through a participating lender before closing
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 SD Housing Tax Credit, also referred to as a Mortgage Credit Certificate, allows qualified homebuyers to claim a portion of their annual mortgage interest as a federal tax credit, capped at $2,000 per year. … Eligible homeowners may continue claiming the Mortgage Credit Certificate tax credit each year for as long as they occupy the home as their primary residence and maintain the original mortgage. … Yes. The SD Housing Mortgage Credit Certificate includes a $250 Tax Credit Fee. 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
The SD Housing Tax Credit: Mortgage Credit Certificate Program is an option with the First-Time Homebuyer Program. You may qualify if: … You have not owned a primary residence in the past three years … Your household income falls within South Dakota Housing Income Limits. … The maximum home sale price does not exceed the current purchase price limit of $410,000, or, if the home is located in a federally designated target area, $460,000 … The home will serve as your primary residence … The Mortgage Credit Certificate may be used with several loan types, including Conventional, FHA, USDA Rural Development, and VA loans through participating lenders. - 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 $410,000
- Mortgages it works with Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA
- 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 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 South Dakota
The program covers all of South Dakota. The first column is South Dakota's figure; the second runs from the lowest to the highest among its counties. Limits change by county: check yours.
The program's maximum price, $410,000, is 59% above the typical home value in South Dakota ($257,400).
The typical home value ($257,400) fits within South 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 South Dakota is $78,550.
| Figure | South Dakota | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $257,400 | $52,900 (Oglala Lakota County) to $372,100 (Custer County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 (Aurora County) to $541,650 (Lawrence County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 in all 66 counties | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $78,550 | $75,600 (Beadle County) to $95,850 (Stanley 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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The home cannot cost more than $410,000
That is the maximum price the program publishes. Compare it with your area's typical home value in the table above.
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Pick a mortgage it works with
According to its page, the help is used together with a Conventional, FHA, USDA and VA loan. Each loan type has its own requirements.
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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 7 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to South Dakota Housing Development Authority.
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 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 South Dakota's other programs
The 2 programs we checked in South 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 South 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. It is the only program in South Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota Housing Tax Credit (MCC)this program | Tax credit | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Fixed Rate Plus | Deferred | Not published | Doesn't say | 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
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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Mortgage loans
Conventional loan: 3% down, PMI and credit scores
How a conventional loan works: HomeReady and Home Possible from 3% down, the credit score Fannie Mae requires, PMI and when the law ends it.
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.