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Down Payment Assistance

This is the real deal.

10,000 since 2006. That's how many rural Nevada families have experienced the feeling of closing days, keys finally in their hands, and home at last.

Our programs provide customized loan options with or without down payment assistance. There is NO interest and there are NO payments on down payment assistance provided. And there are NO separate applications to fill out for the assistance, so it’s easy and doesn’t slow down closing!

Before we take you into the nitty gritty of the programs below, here are some of the most important stepping stones of NRH Homeownership Programs:

All Homeownership Program Info.

Home At Last™

This is the original sauce here, folks. Our "flagship program." The one that started it all. HAL, as we like to call 'er for short, has helped thousands and thousands of families since 2006, and the flag continues to fly with a generous income maximum, no first-time homebuyer requirement and customizable loan options for all kinds of homebuyers.

Loan types include FHA (requires 3.5% down), VA and USDA (no down payment required), and conventional (requires a minimum of 3% down). All borrowers must meet normal loan underwriting requirements for the type of financing being used to purchase the home. Down payment assistance provided by the Home At Last program can be used to cover all or a portion of the down payment required for your loan, and the assistance can even be used to help cover closing costs.

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Home At Last™ Program Details

Income Limits

Maximum Income: $165,000

Note: For Conventional loans, if borrowers have income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), the income limits are determined by the county where the home is being purchased. For USDA RD Guaranteed loans, all income that meets the USDA guidelines will meet the income eligibility requirements for the Home At Last program. Visit our options page to review more details on the current income limits. 

Debt-to-Income Ratio

DTI limits depend on the loan type and credit score. Consult with a lender for details. If debt ratios are too high to qualify,  check out the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC). For eligible homebuyers, the MCC provides additional qualifying income to lower debt ratios and boost purchasing power - it will totally knock your socks off!

Minimum Credit Score

Minimum credit score is 640 (or 680 for manufactured homes).

First-Time Homebuyer

There is NO first-time homebuyer requirement to participate in the Home At Last™ down payment assistance program. Note: If pairing Home At Last with the MCC, homebuyers will need to meet the first-time homebuyer requirement, which is simply to not have owned a home within the previous 3 years. Qualified Veterans are exempt from first-time buyer requirements. 

Residency Requirement

There is no requirement to be a current Nevada resident to qualify for the program.

The home must be occupied as a primary residence within 60 days of closing.

Homebuyer Education

Homebuyer education is required. Check out the options for education here.

Homeownership, you're cleared for takeoff.

Launchpad takes flight.

First introduced in 2024, Launchpad's first mission helped 79 rural Nevada families with $25 million in mortgage volume and $1 million in down payment assistance, and our next mission is poised to help even more Nevadans! Learn more below and reach out to a participating lender today!

Life takes flight with the power of homeownership.

Launchpad is designed to deliver a stellar below-market rate with up to 5% assistance to help our lenders and their borrowers make affordable, rural homeownership happen!

  • Launchpad for First-Time Homebuyers provides 2% and 4% down payment assistance options 
  • Launchpad provides 3% and 5% down payment assistance
  • 30-year fixed-rate government loans (FHA, VA, USDA-RD) and conventional loans (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac)
  • Income limits apply - check 'em out below
  • Launchpad is available in all 15 rural counties, plus the rural parts of Clark and Washoe counties. Visit HALMap.org to verify property eligibility in Clark and Washoe.  
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Launchpad Program Details

Income and Purchase Price Limits

Launchpad: $165,000

Launchpad for First-Time Homebuyers:
Non-Targeted Area Purchase Price and Income Limits
Effective May 19, 2025

CountyMax. Purchase Price

Max. Income for Households
with 1 or 2 People

Max. Income for Households
with 3+ People
Carson City$596,945$109,121$125,489
Churchill$544,232$101,900$117,185
Clark$544,232$102,000$117,300
Douglas$746,181$130,560$152,320
Elko$544,232$110,300$126,845
Esmerelda$544,232$103,500$119,025
Eureka$544,232$97,834$112,509
Humboldt$544,232$97,500$112,125
Lander$544,232$107,600$123,740
Lincoln$544,232$97,500$112,125
Lyon$544,232$97,614$112,256
Mineral$544,232$97,834$112,509
Nye$544,232$97,834$112,509
Pershing$544,232$100,800$115,920
Storey$656,640$118,503$136,279
Washoe$656,640$118,503$136,279
White Pine$544,232$103,900$119,485
Targeted Area Information, Income and Purchase Price Limits

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Qualified Census Tracts, also known as targeted areas, allow for a higher purchase price and increased income limits and waives first-time homebuyer requirements. 

Targeted Area Purchase Price and Income Limits
Effective May 19, 2025

CountyMax. Purchase Price

Max. Income for Households
with 1 or 2 People

Max. Income for Households
with 3+ People
Clark$665,173$122,400$142,800
Lyon$665,173$117,000$136,500
Nye$665,173$117,000$136,500
Washoe$802,560$132,600$154,700

Qualified Census Tracts (also known as targeted areas)

CountyTracts   
Clark57.0457.0360.01*22.01*
 22.0750.10*78.01* 
Lyon9602.069609.01  
Nye9604.119604.139604.14 
Washoe19.0119.0327.03* 


Find an Address in a Targeted Area

  1. Access the FFIEC Geocoding System to find information about a specific address by clicking this link: https://geomap.ffiec.gov/FFIECGeocMap/GeocodeMap1.aspx
  2. Enter complete address. Select the address from the list that appears or click on the image of the magnifying glass to search the address as entered. 
  3. Compare the "Track Code" with the Qualified Census Tracts chart above.

*Indicates a census tract with eligible and ineligible property addresses based on Nevada Rural Housing's rural jurisdiction. Please verify the property address in this census tract is eligible at HALMap.org. 

Debt-to-Income Ratio

DTI limits depend on the loan type and credit score. Consult with a lender for details. If debt ratios are too high to qualify,  check out the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC). For eligible homebuyers, the MCC provides additional qualifying income to lower debt ratios and boost purchasing power - it will totally knock your socks off!

Minimum Credit Score

Minimum credit score is 640 (or 680 for manufactured homes).

Homebuyer Education

Homebuyer education is required. Check out the options for education here.

Other Borrower Requirements
  • Launchpad for First-time Homebuyers: For those who have not had an ownership interest in a primary residence in the past three years and meet the income and purchase price limits. The first-time homebuyer requirement is waived for those who are qualified Veterans, and for those purchasing in a targeted area, which also allows higher income and purchase price limits.
  • The property must be a single-family one- or two-unit home, condominium, townhome, modular, or manufactured home converted to real property.
  • New and existing properties are eligible.
  • The property must be the borrower’s primary residence.
  • The borrower must occupy the property within 60 days after closing.
  • The property must be in a rural area with population under 150,000 within the State of Nevada. Not eligible: The City limits of Reno, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson and the unincorporated township limits of Enterprise, Paradise, Spring Valley, and Sunrise Manor. To verify eligibility, use HALMap.org.

Rural Rocks $20K Coming December 1, 2025!

The Rural Rocks $20K program helps Nevada homebuyers get closer to homeownership with up to $20,000 in assistance toward down payment and closing costs. Designed for today’s essential workers, the program requires at least one borrower work in a qualifying essential worker industry and has been a Nevada resident for six months or more. First-time and repeat borrowers are eligible.

Rural Rocks $20K's minimum credit score of 640 expands affordable credit access, giving buyers with lower scores the opportunity of homeownership without high interest rates. In fact, this program offers permanent rate reductions with down payment/closing cost assistance OR standalone down payment/closing cost assistance! Income limits apply and vary by county and can be viewed in program guidelines. The funds of this program are limited so be sure to reach out to one of our trusted lending partners to check your eligibility status before it is gone!

*Funds may be used for down payment/closing costs or combined with a permanent interest rate reduction.

Check Out Today's Rates

Rural Rocks $20K Program Details

Income and Purchase Price Limits

Maximum Purchase Price Limit: $806,500

Maximum Income Limits (the Borrower(s) household income must not exceed 150% AMI):

COUNTY:150% AMI:
Carson City$139,050
Churchill County$152,850
Clark County

$142,350

Douglas County

$163,200

Elko County$165,450
Esmeralda County$158,850
Eureka County$120,750
Humboldt County

$146,250

Lander County

$161,400

Lincoln County

$142,950

Lyon County

$141,900

Mineral County

$96,150

Nye County

$109,500

Pershing County

$154,200

Storey County

$167,700

Washoe County

$167,700

White Pine County

$156,750

Debt-to-Income Ratio

DTI limits depend on the loan type and credit score. Consult with a lender for details. If debt ratios are too high to qualify,  check out the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC). For eligible homebuyers, the MCC provides additional qualifying income to lower debt ratios and boost purchasing power - it will totally knock your socks off!

Minimum Credit Score

Minimum credit score is 640 (or 680 for manufactured homes).

First-Time Homebuyer

There is NO first-time homebuyer requirement to participate in the Rural Rocks $20K down payment assistance program. Note: If pairing Rural Rocks $20K with the MCC, homebuyers will need to meet the first-time homebuyer requirement, which is simply to not have owned a home within the previous 3 years. Qualified Veterans are exempt from first-time buyer requirements. 

Residency Requirement

At least one borrower must be a resident of Nevada for a minimum of 6 months prior to reservation.

Essential Worker Requirement
One of the borrowers must be employed under one of the listed “essential worker” categories.
Homebuyer Education

Homebuyer education is required. Check out the options for education here.

Other Borrower Requirements
  • The property must be a single-family home, a condominium unit, a townhome, or manufactured home.
  • Must be the borrower’s primary residence.
  • Property must be located in the State of Nevada
  • New and existing properties are eligible.
  • Borrowers who have previously used a Nevada Rural Housing homeownership program are not eligible.
  • Meet all applicable Program Guidelines and Ginnie Mae (FHA, VA, USDA-RD), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac underwriting guidelines.

How to Apply for Nevada Rural Housing Homeownership Programs

Step 1: Contact an approved lender.

Step 2: Tell your lender that you want to buy a home using a Nevada Rural Housing homeownership program. 
Pro-tip: Ask your lender if you also qualify for the MCC!

If you need support please reach out!

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We love what we do and who we do it for – you, our partners, and the people of rural Nevada. We have a heckuva lot of fun doing it, too.

If you have a question, need some training, want to partner or just have something awesome to say (we'll adore those kinds of messages, too!), let us know.

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