Buying a home
Data from November 2026
Buying a home in the District of Columbia
A typical home in the District of Columbia is worth $737,100 (Average 2020–2024). The FHA limit for one unit is $1,249,125 depending on the place. Here is the minimum down payment each loan type asks at that price, every place’s limit, and the state’s assistance programs.
Key numbers in the District of Columbia
- Typical home
- $737,100
- median value, Average 2020–2024
- 122% more than the U.S.
- FHA limit
- $1,249,125
- one unit, by place
- The only place is above the national floor ($541,287).
- Conforming limit
- $832,750
- up to $1,249,125 in high-cost areas
- Above this amount, the loan is a “jumbo” loan.
- Minimum FHA down payment
- $25,799
- 3.5% of a $737,100 home
- VA and USDA ask for no down payment if you qualify.
Down payment
How much each loan asks up front
For a $737,100 home, the typical value in the District of Columbia. The minimum down payment is each program’s rule. The monthly figure is an example of principal and interest over 30 years at the 7.18% average rate (November 5, 2026): no taxes, insurance or mortgage insurance.
Your price, rate and down payment will differ: run the calculator with your numbers. Closing costs are extra.
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FHA Program rule
Minimum down3.5%
In dollars$25,799
Per month$4,819
With a credit score of 580 or more. Carries mortgage insurance (MIP) up front and every month.
HUD Handbook 4000.1 (Update 18), II.A.2.a.iv — Minimum Required Investment · In effect since September 14, 2016
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Conventional Program rule
Minimum down3%
In dollars$22,113
Per month$4,844
3% is the lowest standard option. With less than 20% down you pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) until you have more equity.
Fannie Mae Selling Guide B5-6-01 — HomeReady Mortgage Loan and Borrower Eligibility · In effect since January 1, 2024
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VA Program rule
Minimum down0%
In dollars$0
Per month$4,993
For veterans, service members and some spouses. No down payment as long as the price is not above the appraisal; charges a one-time funding fee.
VA: Purchase loan — benefits · In effect since January 1, 2020
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USDA Program rule
Minimum down0%
In dollars$0
Per month$4,993
Only homes in eligible rural areas and households within USDA’s income limit. Finances the full price.
7 CFR §3555.103 — Maximum loan amount (Guaranteed Rural Housing Program) · In effect since December 9, 2013
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ITIN loans follow no federal rule: each lender sets its own down payment and rate, and usually asks for more. 15% is an example.
Loan limits
FHA and conforming limit in every place
FHA sets the limit by area: the one place in the District of Columbia is high-cost and sits above the national floor ($541,287). The conforming limit is the most Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will buy; above it, the loan is a “jumbo”.
| District of Columbia | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | $737,100 | High-cost |
|---|
- Columbia $1,249,125$1,249,125
One unit. For 2- to 4-unit homes, each place page has the full table. Source: FHA mortgage limits (HUD) Data from 2026 data FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (external site)
Down payment help
the District of Columbia programs for buyers
2 verified programs that put money toward the down payment or closing costs, or give a tax credit. With the source wording and the date we checked it.
Some help is a grant you never repay; other help is a second loan that is forgiven over the years or repaid when you sell. Each program’s tag says which kind it is.
See all programs-
DC Open Doors
Verified November 5, 2026
District of Columbia housing agency program: a mortgage with a deferred 0% loan with no monthly payments that covers the entire minimum down payment, for first-time and repeat buyers of a home in the District
- Deferred
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Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP)
Verified November 5, 2026
District of Columbia interest-free loan of up to $202,000 plus up to $4,000 for closing costs, for very low- to moderate-income first-time buyers; the amount depends on your income, your household and your savings, and District residents get priority
- Deferred
- Repayable
What the state publishes
the District of Columbia rules that change the math
Exemptions that lower property tax and taxes paid when the deed is recorded, summarized from the official page each one cites.
Property tax in the District of ColumbiaExemptions and caps
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Homestead Deduction
The District takes a fixed amount off the assessed value of your main home: $67,500 in the statute since 2012, raised every year with the cost of living (the Office of Tax and Revenue publishes the current figure). The deduction is split equally between the year's two installments.
D.C. Code § 47-850(a) · Code of the District of Columbia (Council of the District of Columbia) · Verified October 15, 2026
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50% reduction for seniors and disabled owners
If you are 65 or older, or the Social Security Administration has found you permanently and totally disabled, and your household adjusted gross income is under $125,000 (a 2014 figure raised every year with the cost of living), the tax on your main home is cut in half.
D.C. Code § 47-863 · Code of the District of Columbia (Council of the District of Columbia) · Verified October 15, 2026
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10% cap on the taxable assessment
For a home with the Homestead Deduction, the value the tax is figured on cannot rise more than 10% from one year to the next: the statute sets the year's taxable assessment by multiplying the prior year's by 110%.
D.C. Code § 47-864(b)(1)(B)(i) · Code of the District of Columbia (Council of the District of Columbia) · Verified October 15, 2026
When the sale is recorded
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Transfer tax (paid by the seller)
The seller pays 1.1% of the price on the transfer; for a home sold for $400,000 or more, an additional 0.35% applies.
D.C. Code § 47-903 · Code of the District of Columbia (Council of the District of Columbia) · Verified October 15, 2026
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Deed recordation tax
Recording the deed costs 1.1% of the price; homes sold for $400,000 or more pay an additional 0.35%. A first-time District homebuyer who meets the statute's conditions pays 0.725%.
D.C. Code § 42-1103(a), (a-4), (e) · Code of the District of Columbia (Council of the District of Columbia) · Verified October 15, 2026
Your next steps
Where to go next in the District of Columbia
What you can do today, free and without giving personal information. Go in order: your numbers first, then the help.
- Run the numbers with your figures
The the District of Columbia calculator already has the typical value, the average rate and the state’s property tax.
- Check whether you qualify for help
Each program says what it gives, who qualifies and when we checked it.
- Talk to a counselor for free
17 HUD-approved agencies help you prepare to buy; 8 say they serve in Spanish.
- Follow the steps to buy a home
From the budget to the keys, in order.
Frequently asked questions
How much down payment do I need for a typical home in the District of Columbia?
For a $737,100 home (typical value, Average 2020–2024), the FHA minimum (3.5%) is $25,799 and the conventional minimum (3%) is $22,113. VA and USDA ask no down payment if you qualify. State programs can cover part of it.
Are there high-cost places in the District of Columbia?
Yes. In 2026 data, the one place in the District of Columbia has an FHA limit above the national floor ($541,287): $1,249,125.
What is the conforming loan limit in the District of Columbia?
In 2026 data, the conforming limit for one unit runs from $832,750 to $1,249,125 depending on the place in the District of Columbia: the most Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will buy. Above it, the loan is a “jumbo” and each lender sets its own terms.
What would the monthly payment be on a typical home in the District of Columbia?
With $737,100, the FHA minimum down payment ($25,799) and the 7.18% average rate (November 5, 2026), principal and interest over 30 years comes to about $4,819 a month. Tax, insurance and mortgage insurance are missing: the calculator adds them.
What down payment help is there in the District of Columbia?
We have verified 2 state programs in the District of Columbia that put money toward the down payment or closing costs, or give a tax credit. Each shows the source wording, who qualifies and the date we checked it.