Help to buy in Iowa
Home-buying assistance programs in Iowa
2 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Iowa, from Iowa Finance Authority. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Iowa
- Verified programs
- 2
- from Iowa Finance Authority
- First-time buyers only
- 1
- 1 does not require it or its page does not say
- Accept an ITIN
- 0
- per their own site · no: 0 · unconfirmed: 2
- Last checked
- November 5, 2026
- against each program’s official page
How to read the list
Not all help is the same
Amounts, limits and funding change: confirm with a participating lender.
Before you compare amounts, look at the kind of help: it changes what you pay later. These are the kinds the programs on this page use.
On ITIN, each card says what the program itself publishes: yes, no, or not confirmed on its site.
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Deferred
Second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance
The full list
Programs in Iowa
Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.
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With the Iowa state authority's FirstHome mortgage, a first-time buyer can get a second loan of up to 3% of the price (maximum $10,000) or up to 5% (maximum $15,000), with no monthly payments, repaid when you sell, refinance or pay off the mortgage
What it gives, per the source
3% Second Mortgage Homebuyers may receive assistance up to 3% of the purchase price, up to $10,000. … 5% Second Mortgage Homebuyers may receive assistance up to 5% of the purchase price, up to $15,000. … No monthly payments are required. … Repayment is due when the home is sold, refinanced or the first mortgage is paid in full.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Iowa Finance Authority (IFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
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Iowa state authority second loan, with the Homes for Iowans mortgage, of up to 3% of the price (maximum $10,000) or 5% (maximum $15,000) for the down payment and closing costs; no monthly payments, and for any buyer
What it gives, per the source
3% Second Mortgage … Homebuyers may receive assistance up to 3% of the purchase price, up to $10,000.* … 5% Second Mortgage … Homebuyers may receive assistance up to 5% of the purchase price, up to $15,000.* … No monthly payments are required. … Repayment is due when the home is sold, refinanced or the first mortgage is paid in full.
- First-time buyer?
- No first-time requirement
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Iowa Finance Authority (IFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
Help to repair your home
Repair programs in Iowa
One program we checked in Iowa to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what its page says.
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Weatherization Assistance Program
Run by Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Iowa weatherization program: upgrades that cut energy use in low-income homes, through local agencies
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is down payment assistance?
Money from a public or nonprofit program for the down payment or closing costs. It can be a grant you never repay, a second loan forgiven if you stay in the home for some years, a second loan repaid when you sell or refinance, or a tax credit (MCC) that lowers your federal taxes.
Do I need to be a first-time buyer in Iowa?
Of the 2 programs on this page, 1 requires it; the rest do not, or their page does not say. In general, “first-time buyer” means not having owned a home in the last three years.
Can I use these programs with an ITIN?
What each program’s own site says: accept an ITIN, 0; do not accept one, 0; not confirmed on its site, 2. Ask the participating lender directly before you start, and ask for it in writing.