To qualify for TSAHC down payment assistance, you generally need a 620 credit score for a government loan (640 for HFA conventional), household income within your county’s limit, and a Texas home you will live in as your primary residence. Both first-time and repeat buyers are eligible. Here is exactly how each requirement works and how to check where you land.
Most buyers who assume they earn too much for down payment assistance have never checked the real number. TSAHC limits are set county by county and run well above what people expect. Below is every eligibility rule, what it means in practice, and how to find out where you land. For the full program structure and current rates, see our TSAHC overview.
TSAHC Credit Score Requirements
The credit minimum depends on which loan you pair with the assistance, not on the assistance itself.
| Loan type | Minimum credit score |
|---|---|
| FHA, VA, USDA | 620 |
| HFA conventional (Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) | 640 |
| Manufactured homes (government loans) | 640 |
| FHA manual underwrite | 640, with debt-to-income allowed up to 43% |
Most buyers qualify at 620. If you are close to the line, it is worth knowing that moving from 620 to 640 opens up HFA conventional financing, which changes how your assistance is structured and can change your total cost. That comparison is worth running before you settle on a loan type.
There is no maximum credit score, and a higher score does not disqualify you from assistance. Strong credit simply gives you more loan options to pair with the funds.
TSAHC Income Limits: Higher Than Most Buyers Expect
This is where most people count themselves out too early. TSAHC income limits are set county by county, based on area median family income, and they are considerably more generous than the income caps buyers tend to assume apply to assistance programs.
Three things determine your limit:
- Your county. Limits are published per county and vary across the state.
- Which program you use. The Homes for Texas Heroes limit is set higher than the Home Sweet Texas limit, so hero-profession buyers get more room.
- Whether the home is in a targeted area. TSAHC designates certain areas where expanded income limits apply.
TSAHC counts total household income when it tests the limit, so a two-earner household is measured together. That cuts both ways: it can push a household over a limit it would clear on one income, and it is also why checking the actual county figure matters more than guessing.
The practical move is to look up your county rather than estimate. We can pull your county’s current limit and run your income against it in a few minutes.
Do You Have to Be a First-Time Buyer?
No, and this is the single most common misconception about TSAHC. Both programs serve first-time and repeat buyers. If you have owned a home before, you can still receive down payment assistance as long as you meet the income and credit requirements.
First-time status matters in exactly one place: the Mortgage Credit Certificate.
Mortgage Credit Certificate eligibility
The MCC is a federal tax credit that reduces your income tax liability each year you live in the home, based on a portion of the mortgage interest you pay. It is a separate eligibility test layered on top of the assistance:
- Limited to first-time buyers, defined as not having owned a primary residence in the past three years
- Also available to qualified veterans and to buyers purchasing in a TSAHC-designated targeted area, regardless of prior ownership
- Subject to both income limits and sales price limits, which vary by county
- Must be combined with TSAHC down payment assistance, since TSAHC no longer offers the MCC on its own
For buyers in a hero profession, the MCC is free when paired with the assistance, which is a meaningful saving on top of the credit itself. Tax treatment depends on your situation, so confirm the benefit with a tax professional before counting on it.
Property and Occupancy Requirements
The rules on the property side are short and strict.
- Primary residence only. Investment properties, second homes, and vacation properties do not qualify. You must occupy the home as your principal residence.
- The home must be in Texas. TSAHC serves buyers statewide, in urban and rural counties alike.
- No purchase price limit on the assistance itself. Price limits apply only when you add an MCC.
- Home buyer education is required. You must complete an approved course before closing. Build the timing into your schedule rather than leaving it to the last week.
If you chose the forgivable second lien rather than the grant, occupancy carries a second obligation: selling, refinancing, or moving out before the three-year forgiveness period ends triggers repayment. That is a planning question worth settling before you pick your assistance structure.
Heroes or Home Sweet Texas: Which Pool Are You In?
TSAHC runs two programs with the same assistance options but different eligibility pools. You do not choose freely between them. Your profession determines whether the Heroes program is open to you.
Homes for Texas Heroes covers specific public service roles:
- Professional educators in a public school district, including full-time teachers, teacher aides, school librarians, school counselors, and school nurses
- Police officers and correctional officers, including county jailers
- Firefighters and EMS personnel
- Veterans, as defined by TSAHC guidelines
Home Sweet Texas is open to any Texas buyer who meets the income and credit requirements, whatever your occupation. If you are not in a hero profession, this is your program, and it is not a lesser one. The assistance tiers are the same.
The reason the distinction matters for eligibility is the income limit. Heroes carries the higher limit, so a teacher and a non-hero buyer with identical incomes in the same county can get different answers. If you are in a hero profession, it is worth confirming both programs side by side, because the first-mortgage rate can differ between them and that changes which one costs less overall.
What Does Not Affect Your Eligibility
A few things buyers worry about that do not disqualify them:
- Owning a home in the past. Only the MCC has a first-time requirement.
- A high credit score. There is no upper limit.
- Needing a larger assistance tier. The 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% options are a choice, not an eligibility test, though the tier you pick affects your first-mortgage rate.
What does affect it: income above your county limit, a score below the minimum for your loan type, buying a property you will not live in, or skipping the education requirement.
How to Check If You Qualify for TSAHC
The sequence is straightforward, and the order saves you time.
- Take TSAHC’s online eligibility quiz to confirm which program you fall under.
- Have a participating lender verify your county income limit against your actual household income, then confirm your credit and debt-to-income for the loan type you want.
- Compare your assistance options, since the tier and the grant-versus-forgivable-lien choice both affect your rate and your obligations.
- Complete the approved home buyer education course before closing.
You cannot apply to TSAHC directly. The assistance is delivered through approved lenders, who originate the first mortgage and fund the assistance at closing. As an approved TSAHC lender, we handle that coordination and can tell you quickly whether you clear the limits and which program and tier leaves you with the lowest total cost.
Keep in mind that a modestly higher rate is not automatically the worse deal. When the assistance covers thousands toward your down payment and closing costs, the payment math often still favors the program, and we can model both so you see the comparison rather than guess at it.
TSAHC Eligibility FAQ
What are the income limits for TSAHC?
TSAHC income limits are set county by county as a share of area median family income, and they count total household income. Limits are higher for the Homes for Texas Heroes program than for Home Sweet Texas, and higher still in TSAHC-designated targeted areas. Check the current limit for your county before assuming you earn too much.
What credit score do you need to qualify for TSAHC?
You need a 620 minimum credit score for FHA, VA, and USDA loans, and 640 for HFA conventional loans and for manufactured homes. FHA manual underwrites require a 640 score and allow debt-to-income up to 43%.
Do you have to be a first-time buyer to qualify for TSAHC?
No. Both Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas are open to first-time and repeat buyers who meet the income and credit requirements. First-time status only matters for the Mortgage Credit Certificate, which is limited to first-time buyers, qualified veterans, or buyers in targeted areas.
Is there a purchase price limit for TSAHC down payment assistance?
The down payment assistance itself has no purchase price limit. Price limits apply only if you add a Mortgage Credit Certificate, which has both income and sales price restrictions that vary by county.
How do I find out if I qualify for TSAHC?
Take TSAHC’s online eligibility quiz to confirm which program fits, then work with an approved lender to verify your county income limit, credit, and debt-to-income. You apply through a participating lender, never directly with TSAHC, and you must finish an approved home buyer education course before closing.
Check Your Eligibility Before You Rule Yourself Out
The income limits are the piece buyers get wrong most often, and it costs them thousands. If you are buying in Texas and your credit is at or above 620, it is worth ten minutes to confirm your county limit rather than assuming the answer.
Contact JVM Lending to check your TSAHC eligibility and find out how much assistance you qualify for.
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