Who’s a Good Fit
Buyers who have not owned recently (definitions vary by program — we check), or who still qualify as first-time under a specific assistance program’s rules. People who need a lower down payment, gift help, or a state/local assistance layer. Occupancy is almost always primary residence.
If you are eligible for VA, start there — often the cleanest zero-down story. If USDA’s map likes the house, that is another zero-down conversation. Otherwise FHA’s 3.5% (with HUD’s credit bands) or conventional with assistance/gift is the usual fork.
Down payment and assistance
Down-payment assistance (DPA) is layered on top of a first mortgage, not a magic fourth government loan. Programs change by state and city. Some are forgiven over time; some are seconds that get repaid. I will not print a Phoenix-only DPA menu that will be wrong next quarter. We look up what is open for your county and your income.
Gifts from eligible donors are common on FHA and many conventional files. We document them. No payback.
Low down payment is folded here and on the government pages — we are not inventing a separate low-down page.
Credit — honest ceilings, not targets
FHA: a 580 score can use 3.5% down; 500–579 can still be an option at 10% down per HUD’s bands; under 500 HUD will not insure. Those are HUD’s bands — a lender can still ask for more. Conventional does not get a printed score floor on my pages. VA does not publish a VA-wide minimum the way people expect. None of those numbers is a pre-approval.
Related reading
FHA · VA · USDA · conventional.
Seller or builder temporary buydown → buydown.
More specialty situations → more programs.
What I need from you
Apply first. You don’t have to research which of these you are. Shortly after, I’ll tell you what documentation I need. Once I have those, we hop on a call and walk FHA vs VA vs USDA vs conventional + DPA in plain language.
Purchase, refinance, and most programs: Apply opens my Bevri application. Prefer to talk first? Use Talk to Michael. I’ll walk you through the program and the guidelines.