Not a hero job?Still eligible.
Home Sweet Texas gives buyers in any line of work up to 5% of the loan in down payment help. Here is the part most people miss: what each version costs in rate and when it gets repaid.
Our comparative assessment: cash saved 40%, ease 25%, speed 15%, fewer strings 20%. Full rankings
Home Sweet Texas is the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) program for buyers who do not work in a Heroes profession. It is the same structure as Homes for Texas Heroes: a 30-year fixed mortgage plus 2% to 5% of the loan amount as a grant, a 3-year forgivable second, or a 30-year repayable Bond second. The main difference is the income limit: $181,650 in Collin, Dallas and Denton, $165,450 in Tarrant. Repeat buyers qualify for the non-bond options.
Who qualifies.
- Any profession. No hero job is required.
- Household income at or below the current TSAHC limit as of October 2026: $181,650 in Collin, Dallas and Denton counties, $165,450 in Tarrant County.
- Lower limits apply to conventional loans at 80% AMFI and below ($94,000) and to Bond DPA ($96,880 in Collin, Dallas, Denton; $88,240 in Tarrant).
- Credit score of 620 for FHA, VA and USDA, 640 for conventional.
- First-time buyer status is not required, except for Bond DPA or the MCC.
- Primary residence: single-family, condo, townhome or eligible manufactured home.
How it works.
Check income against the county limit
The limit depends on county and option. Bond DPA and lower-income conventional carry much lower limits than the standard Home Sweet Texas limit.
Work with a participating lender
TSAHC does not lend directly. A TSAHC participating lender runs the file and locks the rate.
Compare the options side by side
Grant (FHA, VA, USDA), 3-year forgivable second (all loan types), Bond DPA (FHA, VA, USDA), or no assistance. Each option has its own rate.
Finish homebuyer education
At least one borrower completes a homebuyer education course before closing.
Close on a 30-year fixed
Purchases only. The assistance is applied at closing as a grant or a 0% second lien, depending on the option.
Example: the 2% vs 3% decision
Example only. Rates are from the TSAHC government rate sheet effective October 9, 2026; rates change daily. Payments are principal and interest on a $337,750 base loan, 30-year fixed, standard amortization, excluding taxes, insurance and FHA mortgage insurance, which vary. Both forgivable amounts are repaid in full on a sale, refinance, payoff or move-out before year 3.
The packet includes the official TSAHC links, the income limit for your county and option, and a match with a vetted TSAHC participating lender.
What works
- Open to any profession.
- Repeat buyers qualify for the grant and the forgivable second.
- Up to 5% of the loan amount toward the purchase.
- No purchase price limit with non-bond assistance alone.
- No maximum DTI with automated underwriting approval.
What it costs you
- Assistance usually raises the rate. On October 9, 2026, 3% forgivable priced at 7.625% vs 7.250% with no help.
- Lower income limit than Heroes ($181,650 vs $205,870 in Collin, Dallas and Denton).
- The $400 MCC issuance fee applies (it is waived only for Heroes).
- Fees: $250 funding, $85 tax service, $200 compliance review, plus a possible 1% lender origination.
- 30-year fixed purchase loans only.
The part nobody explains.
Only the grant is truly free (never repaid after the first 6 months), and it works only with FHA, VA and USDA. Conventional buyers get the forgivable second, which becomes free at year 3.
In the example, going from 2% to 3% adds $3,377.50 in help but raises the payment by about $58 a month. The last 1% is the expensive one.
The Bond DPA on the October 9, 2026 sheet priced 5% at 7.250%, the same as no assistance, but it is a loan repaid on sale or refinance and requires a first-time buyer under a much lower income limit ($96,880 in Collin, Dallas, Denton).
A buyer who also works in a listed hero profession gets a higher income limit and a waived MCC fee under Homes for Texas Heroes instead.
Get the packet.
The official links are not on this page on purpose. They come in one email, organized, with what to do with each one and in what order.
- The packet includes the official TSAHC links, the income limit for your county and option, and a match with a vetted TSAHC participating lender.
- Every official link for this program, plus the links for every guide you explored here
- A match with a Texava-vetted lender who closes this program
- A direct reply from Albert in English or Spanish
Where should I send it?
Your packet is on its way.
Every guide you explore before you leave gets added to the next packet. Keep reading below.
Programs stack.
First-time buyers can add a 15% mortgage interest tax credit to the No DPA or non-bond options.
Federal / HUD6.9FHA home loanThe usual first lien for the grant option.
Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac7.0Conventional loanFannie Mae HFA Preferred and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage work with the forgivable second at 640+.
Side by side.
The Texava Score weighs what matters to a buyer: cash saved 40%, ease to qualify 25%, speed and paperwork 15%, fewer strings 20%.
Asked most.
How is this different from Homes for Texas Heroes?+
Same assistance forms and loan rules. Heroes requires a listed profession or veteran status and has a higher income limit and a waived MCC fee. Home Sweet Texas is open to everyone else.
Can a repeat buyer use it?+
Yes, with the grant, the forgivable second or no assistance. Bond DPA and the MCC require a first-time buyer.
What happens if I refinance in year 2?+
The 3-year forgivable second is repaid in full. A grant is not repaid. A Bond second is repaid on any refinance.
What fees does TSAHC charge?+
$250 funding, $85 tax service and $200 compliance review. The MCC adds $400. The lender may charge a 1% origination, and scores from 620 to 639 pay a 0.25% origination charge.
Is there a price limit?+
Not for non-bond assistance used alone.
The value compounds.
Up to 5% of the loan for Texas heroes
Read nextMy Choice Texas HomeDPA with no first-time rule