Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program

What is Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program?

Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program is a deferred second loan for homebuyers in Woodbridge, Virginia, administered by Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development.

• Prince William County's FTHB Program provides down payment and closing cost assistance to low- and moderate-income first-time buyers who live or work in the Prince William Area (the county and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park). Assistance is a 30-year deferred second-trust loan with shared market appreciation, funded by federal HOME dollars. Buyers complete three financial education/counseling sessions and contribute at least 1% of their own funds.
• Down payment & closing cost assistance.
• 0% interest, no monthly payments.
• 30-year deferred.
• Available to buyers who work (not just live) in the area.
• This is a federal program, so it is available beyond a single state or city.
• Funding comes from Federal HOME Investment Partnerships allocation.

Do you have to pay it back?

Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) 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 Due and payable if property no longer principal residence, sold, transferred, or first loan refinanced to remove equity; includes shared market appreciation.
• The assistance is recorded in Second (subordinate) 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?

Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program is open to first-time homebuyers and buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence.

What are the income limits?

Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program limits household income to 80% of the area median income, which varies by county and household size.

• Combined gross household income at/below 80% AMI (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria HUD area) by household size. 4-person 80% = $106,800 (eff 6/1/2026); 1-person $74,800 to 8-person $141,000.
• The limit applies to total household income, not only the borrower’s.
• The program lists a maximum household size of 8.
• 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?

Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program caps the purchase price at $399,000.

Where does it apply?

Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program is a federal program, so it is not limited to Virginia.

How do you apply?

Applications for Prince William County First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Program go through Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development, 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 Virginia Cooperative Extension (Smart Money Management + HUD-certified counseling) plus Virginia Housing Home Ownership Seminar.

2. 2

   Contact Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development to reserve funds

   Funds are reserved through First-come, first-served during open application periods (Neighborly portal); waitlist when funds depleted, 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.