Buy a Home – Seattle Homeownership & Downpayment Assistance | Washington grant

Buy a Home – Seattle Homeownership & Downpayment Assistance

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City of Seattle Office of HousingWAFirst-Time Homeowner

Funding: Offers downpayment assistance loans that can reach roughly 55,000 dollars for open market homes, about 70,000 dollars for smaller resale restricted homes, and up to around 90,000 dollars for larger resale restricted homes with three or more bedrooms, structured as low interest deferred second mortgages repaid according to program affordability and resale terms.City of Seattle Office of Housing downpayment assistance delivered as subordinated low interest deferred second mortgages funded primarily by the Seattle Housing Levy and local sources, administered through nonprofit partners and paired with Washington State Housing Finance Commission first mortgages.RollingScope: Localstate

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Summary

City of Seattle downpayment assistance delivered through nonprofit partners and WSHFC loans to help low-income first-time buyers purchase homes in Seattle.

Benefits

down payment assistanceclosing cost assistancelow-interest loandeferred loansecond mortgagecity programresale-restricted housingHousing Levy funded

Who Can Apply

homebuyerfirst-time homebuyerlow-income homebuyerSeattle resident

Eligible Locations

First-time income eligible homebuyers, generally at or below 80 percent of area median income, who live or work in Seattle and are purchasing an owner-occupied primary residence within Seattle city limits, work with nonprofit partners and Commission trained lenders, complete required homebuyer education, and agree to any applicable resale restrictions or covenants on assisted properties.

Eligibility

First-time, income-eligible homebuyers (generally at or below 80% AMI) purchasing a primary residence within Seattle city limits; buyers work with nonprofit partners like HomeSight and other housing providers, must complete homebuyer education, and typically pair the DPA with a WSHFC first mortgage such as Home Advantage or House Key.

Full Description

Seattle’s “Buy a Home” page explains how the Office of Housing partners with local nonprofits and lenders to provide substantial downpayment assistance to first-time buyers who live or work in the city and earn at or below 80% of area median income. Assistance comes as a subordinated, low-interest deferred loan—often ranging from tens of thousands of dollars up to about $55,000 for open-market homes and higher amounts ($70,000–$90,000) for larger resale-restricted homes that must remain affordable over time. Borrowers generally pair this DPA with a WSHFC Home Advantage or House Key first mortgage and complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course. The program is funded primarily through Seattle’s voter-approved Housing Levy and other local sources, and is designed both to increase access to ownership and to preserve long-term affordability by using resale formulas and recorded covenants on certain assisted homes.

Verification & Details

Status: Open

Source: seattle.gov

Official source → seattle.gov

Apply on official siteUpdated Dec 6, 2025

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Homeownership Down-Payment Assistance Program – City of Tacoma

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City of Tacoma – Community & Economic Development, Housing DivisionWAFirst-Time HomeownerCity of Tacoma administered zero percent interest deferred second mortgage funded through Washington State Department of Commerce Housing Trust Fund and local resources, providing substantial down payment and closing cost assistance to eligible first-time buyers.

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

City of Tacoma’s downpayment assistance loan program offering up to $80,000 in zero-interest, deferred financing to help first-time buyers purchase homes in Tacoma.

Eligible for: First-time homebuyers purchasing within eligible Tacoma city limits who have household income at or below 80% of area median income, contrib…

Funding: Provides up to 80,000 dollars in down payment and closing cost assistance as a zero percent simple interest deferred payment second mortgage with no monthly payments, repaid when the home is sold, refinanced, transferred, or is no longer the buyer's primary residence.RollingLocalhomebuyerfirst-time homebuyerlow-income homebuyerTacoma residentdown payment assistanceclosing cost assistance0% interestdeferred loansecond mortgagecity programHousing Trust Fund

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Homebuyer Programs – Home Advantage, House Key & Downpayment Assistance

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Washington State Housing Finance CommissionWAFirst-Time HomeownerWashington State Housing Finance Commission first mortgage platform that offers 30 year fixed rate Home Advantage, House Key Opportunity and related loans which can be paired with zero or low interest deferred downpayment assistance second mortgages for eligible buyers.

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Central hub for WSHFC’s Home Advantage and House Key mortgages plus linked downpayment assistance loans for Washington first-time and repeat buyers.

Eligible for: Washington homebuyers who meet program income and purchase-price limits, minimum credit-score and debt-to-income ratios, and who complete a …

Funding: Linked downpayment assistance programs typically provide about 3 to 5 percent of the first mortgage amount or fixed second loan amounts depending on the specific product, structured as low or zero interest deferred payment loans that can be used toward down payment and closing costs when paired with a Commission first mortgage.Deadline: Rolling; programs operate year-round, subject to funding and rate-sheet updates.RollingStatewidehomebuyerfirst-time homebuyerrepeat homebuyerlow-income homebuyerWashington residentdown payment assistanceclosing cost assistanceaffordable mortgagefixed-rate mortgagestate HFA loanhomebuyer education required

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Downpayment Assistance – Here to Home

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Washington State Housing Finance CommissionWAFirst-Time HomeownerWashington State Housing Finance Commission downpayment assistance second mortgage that attaches to Home Advantage or House Key first mortgages and provides a zero percent interest deferred loan equal to a percentage of the first mortgage amount.

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Statewide WSHFC downpayment assistance that attaches to Commission first mortgages to cover a significant portion of the required down payment and closing costs.

Eligible for: Homebuyers using a WSHFC first mortgage (Home Advantage or House Key) who meet program income limits (up to roughly state-set caps), minimum…

Funding: Typically offers about 3 to 5 percent of the first mortgage loan amount as a zero percent interest deferred second mortgage that can be used toward down payment and closing costs, with repayment due when the home is sold, refinanced, transferred, or the first mortgage is otherwise paid off.Deadline: Rolling; available statewide while WSHFC home loan programs remain funded.RollingStatewidehomebuyerfirst-time homebuyerrepeat homebuyerlow-income homebuyerWashington residentdown payment assistanceclosing cost assistance0% interestdeferred loansecond mortgagestate HFA loanhomebuyer education required

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Homebuyer Downpayment Assistance Program – Clark County

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Clark County Treasurer’s Office in partnership with Washington State Housing Finance CommissionWAFirst-Time HomeownerClark County American Rescue Plan funded and Washington State Housing Finance Commission partnered downpayment assistance program that provides up to 60,000 dollars as a simple interest deferred second mortgage layered on a WSHFC first mortgage.

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

County-level DPA program in partnership with WSHFC providing up to $60,000 in low-interest, deferred assistance for income-eligible first-time buyers in Clark County.

Eligible for: First-time homebuyers (no home owned in past three years) purchasing a primary residence in Clark County with a purchase price ≤$600,000, ap…

Funding: Provides up to 60,000 dollars in total downpayment and closing cost assistance, typically structured as 45,000 dollars from Clark County and 15,000 dollars from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission in a 2 percent simple interest deferred second mortgage repaid when the primary mortgage is paid off or the home is sold, refinanced, transferred, or no longer owner-occupied.RollingLocalhomebuyerfirst-time homebuyerlow-income homebuyerClark County residentdown payment assistanceclosing cost assistance2% interestdeferred loansecond mortgagecounty programARPA funded

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