NC Home Advantage Mortgage™

First-Time and Move-Up Home Buyers

Purchasing a home can be overwhelming and complicated. It is our goal to make it simpler by offering affordable mortgage options and connecting you with experienced home buying partners.

Down Payment Assistance

For both first-time and move-up home buyers, our NC Home Advantage Mortgage™ provides qualified individuals with stable, fixed-rate mortgages and down payment assistance up to 3% of the loan amount. The Agency also offers an $15,000 down payment assistance option—the NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment—just for first-time buyers and military veterans who meet additional eligibility criteria.

Repayment of all of our down payment options is required only if you sell, refinance or transfer your home before year 15—the down payment assistance is forgiven at 20% per year at the end of years 11–15, with complete forgiveness at the end of year 15.

As an added bonus, if you are a first-time buyer or a military veteran, you may also be eligible to combine the NC Home Advantage Mortgage™ with the NC Home Advantage Tax Credit which could save you up to $2,000 per year on your federal taxes if you apply and are approved for a Mortgage Credit Certificate by the NC Housing Finance Agency prior to your home purchase. (This cannot be combined with the NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment.)

We offer these products through participating lenders statewide.

Find a Lender

Want to learn more first? Watch the video below about how the NC Home Advantage Mortgage™ may be your perfect mortgage match. And then see the eligibility requirements on this page to see if you might qualify and to learn how to get started.

 

Am I eligible?

You may be eligible for an NC Home Advantage Mortgage™ if:

  • You are purchasing a home in North Carolina.
  • You occupy the home as your principal residence within 60 days of closing.
  • Your annual income doesn’t exceed $134,000.
  • Your credit score is 640 or higher.
  • You are applying for an FHA, USDA, VA or conventional loan through a participating lender and meet the sales price limits of the loan type.
  • You are a legal resident of the United States.

What properties are eligible?

  • Single-family homes.
  • Townhouses.
  • Condominiums.
  • Duplexes.
  • New manufactured homes (660 credit score required).

Get started

    1. If you are eligible for the NC Home Advantage Mortgage™, download our home buyer certificate to take to a participating lender!

      Download Home Buyer Certificate

    2. Ready for the next step? Browse our list of participating lenders to find one near you!

      Find a Lender