top of page
Search

First-Time Buyer in DFW? You May Have Qualified Years Ago

First-Time Buyer in DFW? You May Have Qualified Years Ago

Most renters I meet in DFW assume homeownership is years away. Then we run the numbers and discover they could have qualified years ago. Texas quietly runs some of the strongest first-time buyer programs in the country — here is what actually exists in 2026 and how people use it.


You Might Be a “First-Time Buyer” Even If You Owned Before

Texas defines a first-time buyer as anyone who has not owned a primary residence in the past three years. Owned a condo in 2020 and rented since 2022? You qualify. Divorced and your ex kept the house? You likely qualify. Veterans often skip the three-year rule entirely.


The Money on the Table

  • TSAHC Home Sweet Texas — up to 5% of your loan amount as a grant (never repaid) or a forgivable second lien, with a 620 minimum credit score. On a $300K purchase, that's up to $15,000.

  • TSAHC Homes for Texas Heroes — the same up-to-5% assistance for teachers, firefighters, EMS, police, correctional officers, and veterans, plus a free Mortgage Credit Certificate.

  • TDHCA My First Texas Home — a 30-year fixed loan at a below-market rate with down payment and closing cost help.

  • The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) — a federal tax credit on your mortgage interest worth up to $2,000 back every single year you own the home.


The Two Levers Most Buyers Don't Know

First: household income combining. Programs qualify your household, and lenders can consider multiple incomes under one roof — which is how many families cross the qualifying line. Second: credit repair is a starting point, not a disqualifier. FHA accepts scores from 580, most Texas programs from 620, and I've walked clients from the low 500s to closing day. We start where you are.


Why 2026 Is Actually a Good Year to Be a First-Time Buyer

Rates in the low-to-mid 6s, inventory up, 41% of DFW listings cutting price, and sellers negotiating again — including covering closing costs and rate buydowns. Late summer through December is historically the best buying window, when supply is high and competition thins.


Your First Step Costs Nothing

One free consultation tells you exactly which programs you qualify for, what your real monthly payment looks like, and — if the answer is not yet — the precise plan to get there. No pressure, no obligation, just the map.


Albert Angarita

REALTOR® · Texava | Amazing Brokerage · License #0773351

5 Cowboys Way, Suite 300, Frisco, TX 75035

Comments

bottom of page