Your real Ohio affordability, the OHFA Down Payment Assistance match, and a step-by-step plan — in 30 seconds. No email required.
Calculate your Ohio number — free →OHFA lets homebuyers choose 3% of the home’s purchase price on conventional loans, or 3.5% on government loans (FHA, VA, USDA), applied to the down payment, closing costs or other pre-closing expenses. The assistance is forgiven after seven years.
Official Ohio program page →Ohio's main statewide option is OHFA Down Payment Assistance, a forgivable second loan from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) worth 3% of the home's purchase price on a conventional loan, or 3.5% on an FHA, VA or USDA loan, forgiven after seven years. Many cities and counties in Ohio add their own programs on top, so it is worth checking all three levels.
It depends on your income, debts and credit. The calculator applies the FHA 31%/43% debt-to-income rule to estimate your price, then shows how much of your down-payment gap Ohio assistance could cover. Most buyers pair it with a 3% conventional or 3.5% FHA down payment.
OHFA sets its minimum at 640 or higher for conventional, USDA and VA loans, and 650 or higher for FHA loans, alongside county-level income and purchase-price limits. Requirements are set by the agency — verify current terms on the official OHFA Down Payment Assistance page before applying.