Indiana First-Time Home Buyer Programs of 2024
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If you’re a first-time home buyer in Indiana, the state’s housing authority wants to help with what’s likely going to be the biggest purchase you’ll ever make.
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, or IHCDA, offers mortgage programs for qualified first-time home buyers. You're considered a first-time buyer if you have not owned your primary residence in the past three years.
The requirement to be a first-time home buyer is waived for military veterans and for people who buy in economically disadvantaged "target areas." Some of the programs are open to repeat buyers who meet income guidelines.
IHCDA highlights and eligibility requirements
HIGHLIGHTS
Some programs offer down payment assistance.
Loans can be used to buy single-family houses, manufactured homes, townhouses and condominiums.
All qualified loans are 30-year fixed-rate mortgages.
ELIGIBILITY
Income limits vary by county and depend on family size.
Borrower pays a nonrefundable $100 "reservation fee."
Choosing the right home loan can boost your chances of approval and may save you thousands in the long run.
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Indiana first-time home buyer loan programs
First Place
Best for:
Low mortgage rates
What you need to know:
The First Place program provides conventional and FHA loans with down payment assistance for home buyers. FHA loans are mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
Down payment assistance is provided as a forgivable second mortgage and can be up to 6% of the home’s purchase price. Maximum home prices vary by county. The minimum credit score is 640.
Next Home
Best for:
Down payment assistance
What you need to know:
Next Home provides down payment assistance in the form of a second mortgage to borrowers who get conventional or FHA mortgages. The maximum down payment assistance for FHA loans is 3.5%. The assistance must be repaid if the buyer refinances or sells the home, or goes into foreclosure, within the program’s forgiveness period.
The minimum credit score is 640.
The IHCDA website has brief summaries of each loan program and related links to dig deeper, including a list of participating lenders, organized by county.
First-time home buyer programs near Indiana
Illinois first-time home buyer programs Kentucky first-time home buyer programs Michigan first-time home buyer programs Missouri first-time home buyer programs Ohio first-time home buyer programs
National first-time home buyer programs
Conventional mortgage
Best for:
Low down payments, limited mortgage insurance premiums
What you need to know:
A conventional mortgage is a home loan that isn’t guaranteed or insured by the federal government. Conventional mortgages that conform to the requirements set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow down payments as low as 3% for first-time buyers or lower-income home buyers. Unlike FHA loans, conventional loans allow borrowers to eventually cancel their mortgage insurance or avoid mortgage insurance altogether if they put at least 20% down.
VA loans
Best for:
Military, low down payments
What you need to know:
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs helps service members, veterans and surviving spouses buy homes. VA loans are especially generous, providing competitive interest rates, often requiring no down payment or mortgage insurance. Although there is no official minimum credit score, most VA-approved lenders require scores of at least 640.
FHA loans
Best for:
Low credit score, low down payments
What you need to know:
This is the go-to program for many first-time home buyers with lower credit scores. The Federal Housing Administration allows down payments as low as 3.5% for those with credit scores of 580 or higher. The FHA will insure loans for borrowers with scores as low as 500 but requires a 10% down payment for a score that low. Mortgage insurance is required for the life of an FHA loan and cannot be canceled.
USDA loans
Best for:
Low down payments, rural home buyers
What you need to know:
A USDA home loan is a zero-down-payment mortgage for eligible rural and suburban home buyers. USDA loans are issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the USDA Rural Development Guaranteed Housing Loan Program. There are income limitations, which vary by region. Applicants with credit scores of 640 or higher receive streamlined processing. Those with scores below that must meet more stringent underwriting standards.
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