Help to buy in Ohio
Home-buying assistance programs in Ohio
2 official programs for down payment and closing cost help in Ohio, from Ohio Housing Finance Agency. We show what each program says on its own page, with the date we checked it.
Key numbers in Ohio
- Verified programs
- 2
- from Ohio Housing Finance Agency
- 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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Forgivable
Second loan forgiven if you stay in the home
-
Tax credit
Federal tax credit (MCC)
The full list
Programs in Ohio
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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- Forgivable
Ohio state agency help of 2.5% or 5% of the price for the down payment, closing costs or other costs before closing, forgiven after seven years; if you sell sooner, you repay all of it
What it gives, per the source
Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance allows homebuyers to choose either 2.5% or 5% of the home’s purchase price. Assistance can be applied toward your down payment, closing costs or other pre-closing expenses. Down payment assistance is forgiven after seven years. If you sell your home within seven years, you must repay all of the assistance provided.
- First-time buyer?
- The source does not say whether you must be a first-time buyer
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
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- Tax credit
Ohio state agency certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return, up to $2,000 a year: 40% with an OHFA mortgage (MTC Plus) or 15% to 20% with another mortgage (MTC Basic)
What it gives, per the source
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency's Mortgage Tax Credit provides homebuyers with a direct federal tax credit on a portion of mortgage interest paid, which could provide up to a $2,000 tax savings per year. … If you use the tax credit with a loan through OHFA's MTC Plus Program, you receive a tax credit of 40 percent of the home mortgage interest. The maximum annual tax credit is $2,000. … If you use the tax credit with a different mortgage option from your lender, your tax credit percentage is 20 percent for a property located in a target area and 15 percent for all other properties.
- First-time buyer?
- First-time buyers only
- Accepts ITIN?
- Its site does not confirm
Run by Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA)
Verified November 5, 2026
No program matches your search.
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 Ohio?
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.