First Time Home Buyer Loan Program
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program is a deferred second loan for homebuyers in Billings, Montana.
The program asks for
- First-time homebuyer — with exceptions: No exceptions to the 3-year FTHB requirement.
- The home is occupied as a primary residence
- On credit: No published minimum FICO; per first-mortgage lender requirements.
- A completed homebuyer education course, through HUD-approved homebuyer education required (NeighborWorks Montana, HRDC, NeighborWorks Great Falls, or other HUD-approved counseling agency).
- Residency: Property must be located within City of Billings limits, Yellowstone County, Montana, and serve as borrower's primary residence.
- Citizenship or immigration status: Per HUD eligibility: U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Property must be located within City of Billings limits and be a residentially zoned single-family home. Borrower must be a first-time homebuyer (no ownership of principal residence in past 3 years). Owner-occupied principal residence; cannot be rented out. Annual household income at or below 80% Area Median Income for Yellowstone County / Billings MSA per HUD ($35,580 1p up to $89,400 8p). Maximum purchase price $262,000 (95% of HUD area median sales price; historically published as low as $209,000 - subject to annual update). Preference given to households of 5+ persons and households including a person with a disability.
- A home inside Billings city limits
It doesn’t cover
- Manufactured homes
- Purchases above the $262,000 price cap
- Households above 80% of area median income
- Homes outside Billings
These are the program's own published rules, not a decision about any individual — the administering agency and a lender determine who actually qualifies.
Income limit
80% of Yellowstone County’s area median income
HUD sets the area median income each year. The limit changes with household size, so a family of five has a higher limit than a single homebuyer.
Where it applies
Billings’s homesBillings’s homes, and the ones this program accepts
- 62.5% single-familysingle-family
- 6.8% townhousetownhouse
- 10.1% 2–4 units2–4 units
- 14.4% 5+ unitscondo & apartment buildings (5+ units)
- 6.1% mobile & othermobile home & other
A tick marks a kind of home the program’s record lists. The agency confirms it for the home you choose.
$343,400
Billings median home value
50.3%
built before 1980
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year. More about buying in Billings
How to apply
How to applyThree steps, in this order
Take a homebuyer education course
Required by the program, through HUD-approved homebuyer education required (NeighborWorks Montana, HRDC, NeighborWorks Great Falls, or other HUD-approved counseling agency)..
Contact the administering agency to reserve funds
Funds are reserved through Direct application to City of Billings Community Development; first-come, first-served while funds last., and are subject to availability.
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 homebuyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.
Questions about this program
What is First Time Home Buyer Loan Program?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program is a deferred second loan for homebuyers in Billings, Montana. City of Billings 0% deferred-payment second mortgage up to $15,000 for FTHB at <=80% AMI purchasing within Billings city limits. HUD HOME-funded. The City of Billings First Time Home Buyer Loan Program offers zero-interest, deferred-payment loans of up to $15,000 to assist low-income households purchase their first home within Billings city limits. Funds may be applied to down payment and closing costs. The loan is at 0% interest with no monthly payments. the full balance is due on sale, refinance, transfer, or when the home is no longer the borrower's primary residence (not put up for rent). Funded through HUD HOME / CDBG programs administered by the Billings Community Development Division. As of April 9, 2026, funding remains available on a first-come, first-served basis. Preference is given to applicants with families of five or more individuals and households that include a person with a disability. Funding comes from Federal and HOME.
Do you have to pay it back?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program is deferred, so no payments are due until the home is sold, refinanced, or the first mortgage is paid off. Repayment is triggered by Full balance due on sale, refinance, transfer of title, or when home is no longer borrower's primary residence (e.g., put up for rent). 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?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program is open to first-time homebuyers and homebuyers who will live in the home as their primary residence. "First-time" has exceptions here: No exceptions to the 3-year FTHB requirement. On credit, the program states: No published minimum FICO; per first-mortgage lender requirements. A homebuyer education course is required, through HUD-approved homebuyer education required (NeighborWorks Montana, HRDC, NeighborWorks Great Falls, or other HUD-approved counseling agency). Residency requirement: Property must be located within City of Billings limits, Yellowstone County, Montana, and serve as borrower's primary residence. Citizenship or immigration status: Per HUD eligibility: U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. Property must be located within City of Billings limits and be a residentially zoned single-family home. Borrower must be a first-time homebuyer (no ownership of principal residence in past 3 years). Owner-occupied principal residence; cannot be rented out. Annual household income at or below 80% Area Median Income for Yellowstone County / Billings MSA per HUD ($35,580 1p up to $89,400 8p). Maximum purchase price $262,000 (95% of HUD area median sales price; historically published as low as $209,000 - subject to annual update). Preference given to households of 5+ persons and households including a person with a disability.
What are the income limits?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size. 80% AMI for Yellowstone County (Billings MSA) per HUD income limits. Per seed: $35,580 (1p) up to $89,400 (8p). 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?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program caps the purchase price at $262,000. Eligible property types include Single-family detached residentially zoned homes within City of Billings city limits. New construction is eligible. Manufactured homes are not eligible.
Is there eligibility for specific groups?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program names veterans, active-duty service members, reservists and National Guard members, surviving spouses, and homebuyers with disabilities among the groups it serves. Being named here means the program mentions the group, not that membership alone qualifies an applicant — the rest of the eligibility rules still apply.
Where does it apply?
First Time Home Buyer Loan Program serves homebuyers purchasing in Billings, Montana.
How do you apply?
Applications for First Time Home Buyer Loan Program go through the administering agency, which publishes the current terms and the application steps on its own site. Funds are reserved through Direct application to City of Billings Community Development; first-come, first-served while funds last. Hey Prescott is not a lender and does not accept applications; this page describes the program so a homebuyer can take it to a lender or housing counselor.
Also for Billings homebuyersOther programs open to Billings homebuyers
- Home$tart PlusUp to $15,000
- Home$tartUp to $7,500
- Habitat for Humanity Mid-Yellowstone Valley Homeownership ProgramFirst mortgage
Whether two programs can be combined is up to each agency. Ask before you apply.
All 77 programs for BillingsProgram terms are set by the administering agency and can change; confirm on the official site before you apply.