You Need Less Cash Than You Think.

How it works

Three options: up to $30,000 at 0% deferred until you sell, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage; or up to $25,000 at 2% or 3% repaid over 15 years.

Who qualifies

First-time buyers in any city or town in Massachusetts, using a MassHousing first mortgage on a 1 to 4 family home or condo you live in. Income limits run to roughly $205,000 in Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties.

Homes for sale: Methuen, Lawrence, Haverhill, Andover, North Andover, Lowell

How it works

A 30-year fixed mortgage with no private mortgage insurance ever, which is worth hundreds of dollars a month. Qualified borrowers also get a state interest subsidy that steps down over the first seven years.

Who qualifies

First-time buyers under the program income and asset limits, buying a single family, condo, or two family as a primary residence. Offered through more than 40 participating lenders. Homebuyer education is required.

How it works

Adds down payment and closing cost assistance to a ONE Mortgage, so you keep the 3% down and the no-PMI benefit and add the cash on top.

Who qualifies

You must currently live in one of 29 eligible communities. In our market that means Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill, Methuen, Lynn, Peabody, and Salem. The full list also covers Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Holyoke, Leominster, Malden, New Bedford, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, Worcester, Attleboro, Barnstable, Chicopee, and Pittsfield.

Homes for sale: Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill, Methuen

How it works

A closing cost credit of up to $2,500, plus a second down payment loan of 3% of the purchase price or up to $12,000, which can get you to 100% financing.

Who qualifies

Veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and Gold Star families. You do not have to be a first-time buyer.

How it works

A grant, not a loan, for buyers in the 29 communities hit hardest by COVID-19. It did not have to be repaid.

Who qualifies

Income-eligible first-time buyers living in one of the 29 designated communities.

Closed. All funds have been committed and MassDREAMS is not accepting new applications. If you were counting on it, ONE+ is the closest replacement.

How it works

A grant toward down payment, closing costs, and homebuyer counseling. Not a loan, so there is nothing to pay back if you stay put through the retention period.

Who qualifies

Household income at or under 80% of area median income, working with a participating FHLBank Boston member lender. Funds are released in a short annual application window and run out fast.

Applications run through your lender in a short window each year. Line the lender up months ahead, not the week it opens.

How it works

A grant toward down payment and closing costs, aimed at buyers who earn too much for the Equity Builder Program but still cannot clear the down payment.

Who qualifies

Household income at or under 120% of area median income, through a participating FHLBank Boston member lender, with homebuyer counseling.

Same short annual window as the Equity Builder Program, same advice: get your lender in place early.

How it works

Government-insured, so lenders accept lower credit scores and a smaller down payment. Mortgage insurance applies for the life of most FHA loans.

Who qualifies

Open to repeat buyers, not just first-timers. Most state and city assistance above can be layered on top of an FHA first mortgage.

How it works

No down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. There is a one-time funding fee, waived for many veterans with a service-connected disability.

Who qualifies

Veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve, and some surviving spouses. In Massachusetts it stacks with Operation Welcome Home.

How it works

No down payment at all, with lower guarantee fees than FHA mortgage insurance.

Who qualifies

The address has to sit in a USDA-eligible area and your household income has to fall under the county limit. Plenty of towns just outside Lowell, Haverhill, and across southern New Hampshire still qualify, so check the map before you rule it out.

How it works

Conventional loans with 3% down and reduced mortgage insurance that cancels once you reach 20% equity, unlike FHA.

Who qualifies

Household income at or under 80% of area median income for the area you are buying in. Gift funds and assistance from the programs above can cover the entire 3%.

How it works

A 0% deferred second lien with no monthly payment, forgiven if you stay. Awards under $15,000 carry a 5-year restriction, awards of $15,000 to $25,000 carry 10 years. Due if you sell, take cash out in a refinance, or default.

Who qualifies

Buying in Lawrence and living there. First-time buyer, HUD HOME income and value limits, a CHAPA-approved education certificate, city inspection, cash assets under $25,000 outside retirement, and at least 1.5% of the price or $2,000 of your own money. Priority to Lawrence residents and workers. Allow up to 45 days.

Homes for sale: Lawrence

How it works

A federally funded zero-interest deferred loan against down payment and closing costs. Lowell buyers can also stack ONE+Lowell, which combines a rate discount with assistance for a package worth about $25,000.

Who qualifies

First-time buyers purchasing in Lowell as a primary residence, under HUD HOME income limits, with homebuyer education. Administered with the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership.

Homes for sale: Lowell

How it works

A zero-interest loan forgiven after five years, covering up to half of the required down payment plus closing costs.

Who qualifies

The property must be in the Mount Washington or Lower Acre neighborhoods and pass federal Housing Quality Standards. No ownership in the last three years, you live there, and at least 1.5% of the price comes from your own savings. Confirm the address with Community Development first.

Homes for sale: Haverhill

How it works

A grant of 3% of the purchase price up to $50,000 if you earn under 100% of area median income, or 2% up to $35,000 between 101% and 135%. Closing costs on top where they apply.

Who qualifies

First-time buyers purchasing in Boston through the Boston Home Center, with required homebuyer education. ONE+Boston pairs the same assistance with a discounted ONE Mortgage rate.

Boston has changes to this program taking effect on September 15, 2026. Confirm the current amounts with the Boston Home Center before you write an offer.

How it works

Down payment and closing cost assistance funded through the city, raised from the historic $5,000 cap.

Who qualifies

First-time buyers by the HUD definition, purchasing in Worcester, with household income at or under 80% of area median income.

How it works

A 0% interest second mortgage with no monthly payment and a 30-year term. Due in full if you sell, refinance, file bankruptcy, stop living there, or reach 30 years.

Who qualifies

You must take your first mortgage through New Hampshire Housing, on a Home First, First Plus, Home Flex Plus, or Home Preferred Plus loan. Income limits vary by product, roughly $184,500 on Flex Plus and 80% of area median income on Preferred Plus.

Homes for sale: Nashua, Manchester, Salem

How it works

A conventional loan with as little as 3% down, 5% on a 2 to 4 unit, and reduced mortgage insurance, with the cash assistance layered on top.

Who qualifies

Household income up to 80% of area median income as set by Fannie Mae. Owner-occupied primary residence, including manufactured homes in resident-owned communities. Homebuyer education required.

How it works

$10,000 toward down payment, closing costs, and prepaid escrows, on top of any other cash assistance you qualify for.

Who qualifies

First-generation buyers: neither you nor your parents have owned a home. Buyers who spent time in foster care or arrived as refugees also qualify. One to four unit primary residence, and face to face homebuyer education is required.

Pilot funding, and New Hampshire Housing can suspend it at any time. Two out of three New Hampshire buyers have never heard of it, so ask your lender by name.

How it works

A Mortgage Credit Certificate cuts your federal tax bill by up to $2,000 every year for the life of the loan. It is a credit, not a deduction, so it comes straight off what you owe.

Who qualifies

First-time buyer unless the home is in a targeted area, single-unit primary residence in New Hampshire, a new fixed-rate purchase loan, and household income and purchase price under the program limits.

How it works

A grant toward down payment, closing costs, and homebuyer counseling. Not a loan, so there is nothing to pay back if you stay put through the retention period.

Who qualifies

Household income at or under 80% of area median income, working with a participating FHLBank Boston member lender. Funds are released in a short annual application window and run out fast.

Applications run through your lender in a short window each year. Line the lender up months ahead, not the week it opens.

How it works

A grant toward down payment and closing costs, aimed at buyers who earn too much for the Equity Builder Program but still cannot clear the down payment.

Who qualifies

Household income at or under 120% of area median income, through a participating FHLBank Boston member lender, with homebuyer counseling.

Same short annual window as the Equity Builder Program, same advice: get your lender in place early.

How it works

Government-insured, so lenders accept lower credit scores and a smaller down payment. Mortgage insurance applies for the life of most FHA loans.

Who qualifies

Open to repeat buyers, not just first-timers. Most state and city assistance above can be layered on top of an FHA first mortgage.

How it works

No down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. There is a one-time funding fee, waived for many veterans with a service-connected disability.

Who qualifies

Veterans, active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve, and some surviving spouses. In Massachusetts it stacks with Operation Welcome Home.

How it works

No down payment at all, with lower guarantee fees than FHA mortgage insurance.

Who qualifies

The address has to sit in a USDA-eligible area and your household income has to fall under the county limit. Plenty of towns just outside Lowell, Haverhill, and across southern New Hampshire still qualify, so check the map before you rule it out.

How it works

Conventional loans with 3% down and reduced mortgage insurance that cancels once you reach 20% equity, unlike FHA.

Who qualifies

Household income at or under 80% of area median income for the area you are buying in. Gift funds and assistance from the programs above can cover the entire 3%.

How it works

A deferred, no-interest loan with a term of up to 10 years, forgiven after the required period as long as you keep living in the home.

Who qualifies

First-time buyers purchasing in Nashua with household income at or under 80% of the city's area median income, adjusted for household size. A HUD-certified homebuyer counseling workshop must be completed before funds are released.

Homes for sale: Nashua