Owned before?Still counts.
My Choice Texas Home gives 2% to 5% of the loan in down payment help with no first-time rule, no price limit and no recapture tax. The catch is the rate, and this page shows it in dollars.
Our comparative assessment: cash saved 40%, ease 25%, speed 15%, fewer strings 20%. Full rankings
My Choice Texas Home is the TDHCA program for buyers who may have owned before. It is a 30-year fixed FHA, VA, USDA or conventional (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage) loan with 2% to 5% of the loan in down payment help, funding permitting. There is no first-time requirement, no purchase price limit and no recapture tax. The help is a 0% second lien, and each extra percent of help raises the rate.
Who qualifies.
- First-time and repeat buyers both qualify.
- Income limits effective July 13, 2026, Collin, Dallas and Denton: FHA, VA and USDA $205,870; conventional over 80% AMFI $199,750; conventional at 80% AMFI and below $94,000.
- Tarrant County, effective July 13, 2026: FHA, VA and USDA $187,510; conventional over 80% AMFI $199,750; conventional at 80% AMFI and below $94,000.
- Minimum credit score 620. DTI per automated underwriting; FHA, VA and USDA manual underwrites capped at 45%.
- Every borrower completes HUD-certified homebuyer education.
- Primary residence: single-family, condo, PUD, manufactured home on real property, or duplex under program rules.
How it works.
Match the income limit to the loan type
The limit depends on whether the loan is government or conventional, and for conventional, whether income is above or below 80% AMFI.
Work with a TDHCA approved lender
Only approved lenders can originate the loan and reserve the assistance.
Choose the DPA level and form
2% to 5% as a 30-year repayable second or a 3-year forgivable second. Each level has its own rate.
Complete education for every borrower
HUD-certified homebuyer education is required for all borrowers before closing.
Close on a 30-year fixed
The assistance funds at closing as a 0% second lien on the primary residence.
Example: October 9, 2026 My Choice rates
Example only. Rates are from TDHCA's My Choice Texas Home government rate sheet effective October 9, 2026; rates change. 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. The 3-year forgivable second is forgiven after 36 months only if the loan is current and the home is still the primary residence.
The packet includes the official TDHCA links, the income limit for your loan type and county, and a match with a vetted TDHCA approved lender.
What works
- No first-time buyer requirement.
- No purchase price limit.
- No recapture tax.
- Government and conventional loans (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage).
- Higher income limits than My First Texas Home.
What it costs you
- Rates rise with each level of help: 7.625% at 2%, 8.000% at 3%, 8.625% at 4% on the October 9, 2026 government sheet.
- The help is a second lien, not a grant.
- Does not work with the McKinney HFC $5,000 gift.
- Conventional at 80% AMFI and below carries a $94,000 income limit.
- Assistance depends on available funding.
The part nobody explains.
The 4% option in the example costs $236.41 a month more than 2% for $6,755 more in help. The added cash is used up by the higher payment in about 29 months.
No recapture tax and no price limit make My Choice the cleaner TDHCA option for a buyer who expects to sell within a few years or is shopping above $589,596.
A first-time buyer who qualifies for both programs gives up the MCC combo and the McKinney gift by choosing My Choice.
The forgivable second needs 36 months of on-time payments and occupancy. Moving out or refinancing early makes it due.
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 TDHCA links, the income limit for your loan type and county, and a match with a vetted TDHCA approved 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.
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.
Can someone who owned a home before use it?+
Yes. My Choice Texas Home has no first-time buyer requirement.
Is there a maximum purchase price?+
No. My Choice Texas Home has no purchase price limit.
Does recapture tax apply?+
No. Recapture applies to My First Texas Home and the MCC, not to My Choice.
What are the income limits in DFW?+
Effective July 13, 2026: FHA, VA and USDA $205,870 in Collin, Dallas and Denton, $187,510 in Tarrant. Conventional over 80% AMFI $199,750. Conventional at 80% AMFI and below $94,000.
Can it be combined with an MCC?+
The TDHCA MCC combo is with My First Texas Home. The standalone TDHCA MCC is used with an outside first lien.
The value compounds.
2% to 5% DPA for first-time buyers
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