NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment
Deferred second loan · Forgiven over 15 yrs · Income limits
Down payment assistance
68 programs a Hays buyer could use — grants, forgivable loans, and tax credits. Free to explore, no SSN, no credit pull.
Free forever · No credit pull · 90 seconds
Programs available
Open to first-time buyers
Forgivable
Largest award
Deferred second loan · Forgiven over 15 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant · New construction · Income limits
Deferred second loan · New construction · Income limits
Assistance grant · New construction · Income limits
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 15 yrs · Income limits
Self-Help Credit Union
First mortgage · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
First mortgage
Assistance grant · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 5 yrs · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 5 yrs · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · New construction
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · New construction · Income limits
Assistance grant
Deferred second loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant
Assistance grant
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Shared-appreciation loan · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Deferred second loan · Income limits
Forgivable loan · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant
Assistance grant · New construction · Income limits
Assistance grant
Assistance grant
Assistance grant · Forgiven over 3 yrs · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
First mortgage · Income limits
Assistance grant · Income limits
What’s local to Hays
There are no programs run by Hays or by Wilkes County. A Hays buyer uses North Carolina statewide and federal programs, which are the ones listed above.
The closest city that runs its own program is Winston-Salem, about 50 miles away. City programs usually require the home to be inside that city’s limits — worth checking if you’re still choosing where to buy.
HUD puts the 2026 area median income for Wilkes County at $67,400 for a four-person household. 12 of the programs listed here set an income limit as a percentage of that figure, which is why the same program admits a different income in a different county. Published limits for North Carolina →
90-second match
Answer 9 questions and we'll match you to every program you can actually use — in about 90 seconds. No SSN, no credit pull.
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