Who Qualifies as a First-Time Home Buyer? | Programs 2025

You may be. But not if you currently own your own home. Many lenders and assistance programs apply a three-year rule. You count as a first-time buyer if you haven’t owned a home or had your name on a mortgage agreement within the previous three years.

You may still count as a first-time buyer. Most lenders and DPA programs follow the policy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD says a first-time buyer is an individual who has had no ownership in a principal residence during the 3-year period ending on the date of purchase of the property. This includes a spouse (if either meets the above test, they are considered first-time homebuyers). So you should be fine.

There’s no minimum income required to buy a house. But lenders will closely examine your personal finances to ensure you can manage the mortgage payments along with your other financial obligations. How much you have to earn will depend on your existing debts, your down payment, and the home price you hope to afford.

It’s rare, but not impossible. You’d probably need help from a down payment assistance program or your family to cover everything you need. Remember, you have to pay closing costs as well as the down payment. So even borrowers with zero-down-payment mortgages often need some help—or savings.

Technically, it’s 500. But that’s an FHA loan with a down payment of 10% or higher. With a 3.5% down payment, you’d need a score of at least 580. Other types of mortgages typically require higher minimum scores, around 620 or 640. And some individual lenders may want higher FICO scores than those minimums.

Minimum down payments are typically 3–5% of the home purchase price. But you need to budget another 2-5% of the purchase price for other home-buying expenses. Those include upfront fees, closing costs, earnest money, prepaid property taxes, and homeowners insurance. Don’t forget: Some down payment assistance programs can help with these other costs. So search out the best one in the area where you’re buying.

It depends on what you mean by hard. Most lenders love first-time buyers and will do all they can to help. Plus, down payment and closing cost assistance can lower your out-of-pocket costs. The hard part is often finding the right home for your price point and doing all the administrative work required. However, millions have successfully bought their own homes in the past, so don’t lose heart; the process might be tough, but it’s certainly not impossible!