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Massachusetts program

Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program

Massachusetts route through City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing, Boston Home Center. This page stays free for the core public facts. Open paid access only when you need the full state board, related paths, and the decision layer around this program.

Grant Check official rules 2026-04-21
Agency City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing, Boston Home Center
Support type Grant
Amount highlight For buyers with household income less than 100% of AMI, the grant is 3% of the purchase price up to $50,000, plus closing costs if applicable. For buyers with household income between 101% and 135% of AMI, the grant is 2% of the purchase price up to $35,000. If the qualified buyer is purchasing a deed-restricted property, the grant amount is 2% of the purchase price.
Last verified 2026-04-21

Use carefully

Asset cap and lender details come from current Boston city materials

This page stays public because the official structure is still useful, but these details should not be flattened into fake certainty.

Current Boston materials add two live details that were too soft before: households must keep assets below $100,000, and the application now clearly routes through the Boston Home Center applicant portal plus the current 1.5.2026 PDF package.

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What stays free on this program page

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Amount

For buyers with household income less than 100% of AMI, the grant is 3% of the purchase price up to $50,000, plus closing costs if applicable. For buyers with household income between 101% and 135% of AMI, the grant is 2% of the purchase price up to $35,000. If the qualified buyer is purchasing a deed-restricted property, the grant amount is 2% of the purchase price.

Type

Grant

Repayment

The official Boston materials describe the assistance as a grant toward a down payment and do not state a repayment obligation on the cited city page or current application materials.

First-time buyer

Required

Program guide

What to know before you click through

This is still the free fact layer. Open the official source when a detail affects eligibility, repayment, lender choice, or whether this path should stay on your shortlist.

Who qualifies?

Boston first-time homebuyers buying a one- to three-family home or condominium in Boston as a primary residence, Households earning less than 135% of AMI, Households with assets below $100,000, Borrowers using one of the City's participating mortgage lenders

What support do you get?

For buyers with household income less than 100% of AMI, the grant is 3% of the purchase price up to $50,000, plus closing costs if applicable. For buyers with household income between 101% and 135% of AMI, the grant is 2% of the purchase price up to $35,000. If the qualified buyer is purchasing a deed-restricted property, the grant amount is 2% of the purchase price.

Do you repay it?

The official Boston materials describe the assistance as a grant toward a down payment and do not state a repayment obligation on the cited city page or current application materials.

How do you apply?

Review the current application PDF and checklist, complete the Boston Home Center Homebuying 101 homebuyer education course, obtain a first-mortgage pre-approval from one of the City's participating mortgage lenders within Fannie Mae general loan limits, register in the Boston Home Center applicant portal, and submit the First-Time Homebuyer Financial Assistance Application with supporting documents.

Official source evidence

Current Boston Home Center materials say the First-Time Homebuyer Program provides a grant rather than a repayable second loan, requires Homebuying 101 homebuyer education plus a participating-lender preapproval, caps assets below $100,000, and now routes applicants through the live Boston Home Center portal and current 1.5.2026 application package.

View official source

Last verified

2026-04-21

Boston page last updated 1/23/26; application PDF version 1.5.2026

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Comparison preview

Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program

Amount: For buyers with household income less than 100% of AMI, the grant is 3% of the purchase price up to $50,000, plus closing costs if applicable. For buyers with household income between 101% and 135% of AMI, the grant is 2% of the purchase price up to $35,000. If the qualified buyer is purchasing a deed-restricted property, the grant amount is 2% of the purchase price.

Repayment: The official Boston materials describe the assistance as a grant toward a down payment and do not state a repayment obligation on the cited city page or current application materials.

First-time buyer: Required

Timing: Official timing is not published clearly enough yet; confirm before relying on a closing schedule.

Risk checks preview

What gets flagged before you call a lender

  • Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program requires a participating lender.
  • Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program must be paired with a specific first mortgage.

Lender questions preview

Questions tied to this exact path

  • Is your team approved to originate Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program for this household and loan setup?
  • Which first-mortgage product must be paired with Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program, and what breaks eligibility?

Action checklist preview

What you would do next

  • Confirm the first-time buyer definition before you apply
  • Review the official Program page for Boston First-Time Homebuyer Program
Open the full Massachusetts board

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What paid research already covers in Massachusetts

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city and county programs

City and county down payment or closing-cost programs that never make it into the free statewide layer.

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employer-assisted paths

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