Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL)

What is Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL)?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) is a deferred second loan for homebuyers in Statewide, Minnesota.

• Minnesota Housing's $11,000 deferred 0% second mortgage DPA paired with Start Up first mortgage. Statewide. 640 FICO. FTHB required. 80% AMI / Start Up income limits. $13,000 max liquid assets at closing. Lower-income tier (companion to DPL+ and MPL).
• Minnesota Housing's Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) provides up to $11,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance, structured as a 0% interest deferred second mortgage with no monthly payments. The loan is interest-free and the principal is repaid as a lump-sum balloon at maturity - triggered by sale, refinance of first mortgage, transfer of title, payoff, or when the property ceases to be the borrower's primary residence. DPL pairs only with Minnesota Housing's Start Up first mortgage (first-time homebuyer product), available as FHA, VA, USDA-RD, Conv HFA Preferred, or Fannie Mae HFA Preferred Risk Sharing. Statewide eligibility - all 87 Minnesota counties. DPL is targeted at the lower-income segment of MN Housing's borrower base: household income limited to roughly $75,000 (1-2 person Greater MN) up to $146,000 (3+ person high-income census tracts in 11-county Twin Cities metro), generally aligned with 80% AMI by area. Liquid assets at closing capped at $13,000. 640 minimum FICO across all eligible first-mortgage products. First-time homebuyer required (no ownership of primary residence in prior 3 years), with target-area waivers. Pre-purchase Qualified Homebuyer Education required for at least one borrower. Maximum purchase price $604,400 (Greater MN 1-unit) up to $659,550 (11-county metro 1-unit) per MN Housing's Start Up sales price limits. Effective February 2025, the DPL maximum was reduced from $14,000 to $11,000 in coordination with the introduction of expanded DPL+ targeting.
• Funding comes from State and Bond.

How much assistance does it provide?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) offers up to $14,000 in assistance.

• The program asks buyers to contribute $1,000 minimum borrower contribution from own funds (cannot be from gift or DPA itself).
• The program can be combined with other assistance, subject to the rules of each.
• Amounts are the program's published maximums, not an offer — the administering agency determines any individual award.

Do you have to pay it back?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) is deferred, so no payments are due until the home is sold, refinanced, or the first mortgage is paid off.

• Repayment is triggered by 0% interest deferred second mortgage. No monthly payments. Full $11,000 balance due as lump-sum balloon upon sale, refinance of first mortgage, transfer of title, payoff of first mortgage, or when property ceases to be borrower's primary residence.
• The assistance is recorded in 2nd Lien position.
• Forgiveness and repayment terms are set by the program and can change — confirm them on the official program page before applying.

Who qualifies?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) is open to first-time homebuyers and buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence.

What are the income limits?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

• Minnesota Housing 2026 Start Up income limits (combined household gross income, all earners): roughly $75,000 (1-2 person Greater Minnesota lower-cost counties) up to $146,000 (3+ person high-income 11-county Twin Cities metro). Limits vary by county and household size and adjust annually with HUD AMI updates. Verify current limits on Minnesota Housing Homeownership Income Limits page.
• The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower’s.
• Area median income figures are published by HUD and updated annually, so check the current table for the county before relying on a number.

What kind of home can it be used for?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) caps the purchase price at $659,550.

• Eligible property types include Single-family detached, condominium (Fannie/Freddie/FHA project-approved), townhouse, PUD, manufactured home (real-property-titled, permanent foundation, meeting MN Housing manufactured-home overlay), 2-unit owner-occupied (1-unit owner-occupied required). Per Start Up first-mortgage overlays.
• New construction is eligible.
• Manufactured homes are eligible.

Is there eligibility for specific groups?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) names veterans, active-duty service members, reservists and National Guard members, surviving spouses, American Indian and Alaska Native buyers, and buyers with disabilities among the groups it serves.

• Being named here means the program mentions the group, not that membership alone qualifies an applicant — the rest of the eligibility rules still apply.

Where does it apply?

Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) serves buyers purchasing in Statewide, Minnesota.

• The program targets specific areas: Minnesota Housing-designated federally targeted census tracts (per IRS Section 143(j) and HUD distressed-area lists) where FTHB requirement is waived and (for some MN Housing tiers) higher income/sales price limits apply. Includes parts of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Duluth, Iron Range, and rural distressed counties. Verify by census tract on MN Housing target-area list.

How do you apply?

Applications for Minnesota Housing - Deferred Payment Loan (DPL) go through the administering agency, which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site.

1. 1

   Take a homebuyer education course

   Required by the program, through Minnesota Homeownership Center HUD-approved Home Stretch and Framework / eHome America counseling providers, plus tribal and culturally-specific HUD-approved counseling agencies. Pre-purchase Qualified Homebuyer Education (workshop or online) is required for at least one of the borrowers receiving a DPL, DPL+, or MPL..

2. 2

   Contact the administering agency to reserve funds

   Funds are reserved through Reserved through Minnesota Housing's Lender Online Loan Commitment System at time of rate lock by MN Housing-approved lender., and are subject to availability.

3. 3

   Work with a lender who handles the program

   Hey Prescott is not a lender and does not accept applications; this page describes the program so a buyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.