June is National Homeownership Month, and if you have been sitting on the fence about buying your first home in the Washington DC, Maryland, or Northern Virginia area, there has never been a better time to understand what financial help is available to you. The DMV market is competitive, but it also has some of the most generous first-time homebuyer programs in the entire country.
This guide breaks down every major first-time homebuyer program in the DMV, who qualifies, how much assistance you can receive, and the exact steps to access it. Whether you are eyeing a rowhouse in DC, a townhome in Gaithersburg, or a single-family home in Manassas, there is likely a program designed specifically for someone in your situation.
In most DMV assistance programs, a first-time homebuyer is defined as someone who has not owned a primary residence in the past three years. Even if you owned a home a decade ago, you may still qualify today. Divorced individuals, recent renters, and people who have only owned mobile homes often qualify as well.
Washington DC First-Time Homebuyer Programs
DC offers some of the most robust assistance available anywhere in the United States, which is particularly important given that the median home price in the District hovers around $600,000.
Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP)
HPAP is the District's flagship down payment and closing cost assistance program, administered by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). It is one of the most substantial grant-adjacent programs available to first-time buyers in any major American city.
Interest-free deferred loan. No monthly payments until you sell, refinance, or no longer use the home as your primary residence.
0% interest deferred second mortgage from DCHFA. Available at higher income limits than HPAP, paired with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage.
DC's primary programs — HPAP and DC Open Doors — are structured as deferred loans rather than outright grants, but they function like grants for most buyers because repayment is only triggered upon sale or refinance, not monthly. For true forgivable assistance, DC buyers should also explore Employer-Assisted Housing programs through their employer, the Nehemiah Program for nonprofit-backed gift funds, and DC's Inclusionary Zoning program which makes below-market-rate units available in new developments.
Maryland First-Time Homebuyer Programs
Maryland offers layered assistance through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development as well as county-specific programs that vary significantly by jurisdiction.
Maryland is the only state in the country that will pay off your student loans at closing when you buy your first home.
Maryland SmartBuy 3.0 — Up to $30,000 in student loan payoffNorthern Virginia First-Time Homebuyer Programs
Northern Virginia's programs are administered through Virginia Housing at the state level and through individual jurisdictions, particularly Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun counties.
How to Stack Multiple Programs for Maximum Benefit
Here is what many first-time buyers do not realize: these programs are often stackable. A buyer in Northern Virginia, for example, might combine a Virginia Housing mortgage, a Virginia Housing Down Payment Assistance Grant, a Fairfax County deferred loan, and a Mortgage Credit Certificate for annual tax savings.
Common Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make
- Waiting too long to apply. Many programs are first-come, first-served and have funding caps that exhaust mid-year.
- Not completing required homebuyer education. Most DMV programs require a HUD-approved course before closing.
- Working with an unapproved lender. Not every lender is approved for HPAP, MMP, or VHDA loans.
- Assuming they do not qualify. Income limits are higher than most people expect in the DMV.
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