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Help to buy in Minnesota

Home-buying assistance programs in Minnesota

2 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Minnesota, from Minnesota Housing. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.

Key numbers in Minnesota

Verified programs
2
from Minnesota Housing
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.

  • Deferred

    Second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance

  • Repayable

    Second loan with monthly payments

The full list

Programs in Minnesota

Filter by who qualifies, by ITIN or by kind of help. Each card quotes the source and the date we checked it.

Type of help
  • Minnesota state agency loan for the down payment and closing costs alongside the Start Up mortgage for first-time buyers: up to $14,000 (or $18,000 in the Plus version), with no interest or monthly payments, repaid at the end of the mortgage

    What it gives, per the source

    Up to $14,000. … No interest, no monthly payments. Balloon payment due in full at the end of the mortgage term. … Up to $18,000. … These loans, with amounts up to $18,000, are not grants.
    First-time buyer?
    First-time buyers only
    Accepts ITIN?
    Its site does not confirm

    Run by Minnesota Housing (Minnesota Housing Finance Agency)

    Verified November 5, 2026

  • Minnesota Housing loan of up to $14,000 for the down payment and closing costs, which you repay over 15 years at the same rate as your Minnesota Housing mortgage; it works with Start Up (first-time buyers) or Step Up

    What it gives, per the source

    Monthly Payment Loan … Available with Start Up or Step Up … Up to $14,000 … 15 year repayment term … Equal to your first mortgage rate … Each loan program has eligibility requirements and can only be used with a Minnesota Housing first mortgage.
    First-time buyer?
    No first-time requirement
    Accepts ITIN?
    Its site does not confirm

    Run by Minnesota Housing (Minnesota Housing Finance Agency)

    Verified November 5, 2026

Programs in other states

Rent help

Help with rent and utility bills in Minnesota

One program we checked in Minnesota to pay rent, power or gas, or avoid an eviction, with what its page says.

Help to repair your home

Repair programs in Minnesota

One program we checked in Minnesota to repair your home or make it more efficient, with what its page says.

Get free help applying A HUD-approved counseling agency can go over the requirements with you, free or at low cost. See the 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 Minnesota?

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.