Assistance program · Texas
Limited funds remain, per the source
Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)
Texas state certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return
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
This certificate entitles you to a dollar-for-dollar reduction on your federal tax liability. 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
Available to Veterans and First Time Homebuyers with a first mortgage through the program, and as a stand-alone option. … No minimum credit score requirement with the stand-alone option. … Supplies are limited, so act fast. - 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 Limited funds remain, per the source
- Where it applies All of Texas
What its page says about being open
Supplies are limited, so act fast. Read on the official page on November 5, 2026. welcomehome.tdhca.texas.gov
Your area in numbers
What buying costs in Texas
The program covers all of Texas. The first column is Texas'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 Texas: $283,800.
The typical home value ($283,800) fits within Texas'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 Texas is $68,250.
| Figure | Texas | Lowest to highest | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $283,800 | $53,200 (Cochran County) to $523,000 (Travis County) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| FHA limit (one-unit home) | $541,287 | $541,287 (Anderson County) to $813,050 (Glasscock County) | HUD |
| Conforming limit (one-unit home) | $832,750 | $832,750 in all 254 counties | FHFA |
| HUD low income (80%), household of 4 | $68,250 | $66,950 (Anderson County) to $106,800 (Williamson 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 how much is left
Its page says limited funds remain. Ask whether it still takes applications and how long an answer takes.
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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 7 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
What its page does not say
- 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 Texas's other programs
The 7 programs we checked in Texas, with the same fields from their official pages. "Doesn't say" means its page does not make it clear.
It is one of 4 programs in Texas, out of 7, that require being a first-time buyer. Its page publishes no amount with a figure; 3 of the 7 do. One other program in the state also gives "tax credit" help: TSAHC Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC). It covers the whole state; one program on the list is only for a city or a county.
Swipe the table to see every column.
| Program | Kind of help | Published amount | First-time buyers only | Course required | Accepts ITIN | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)this programLimited funds remain, per the source | Tax credit | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| My First Texas Home | Deferred · Forgivable | Not published | Yes | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| My Choice Texas Home | Deferred · Forgivable | Not published | No | Yes | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Homes for Texas Heroes | Grant · Forgivable · Deferred | Up to 5% of the loan | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | No | Statewide |
| Home Sweet Texas Home | Grant · Forgivable · Deferred | Up to 5% of the loan | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | No | Statewide |
| TSAHC Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)Open, per the source | Tax credit | Not published | Yes | Doesn't say | Doesn't say | Statewide |
| Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP)Out of funds for now, per the source | Forgivable | Offered up to $75,000 | Yes | Yes | No | Houston, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery 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
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.