Down Payment Assistance in Georgia and Nevada: Programs I Use & Math

"Randi, I'd buy, but I just don't have the down payment saved." I hear that almost every week.

Here's the good news: both states where I work, Georgia and Nevada, have real money set aside to help with down payment and closing costs. The catch is that every program has its own rules, its own map, and its own fine print.

So let me walk you through the main programs I talk about with clients, and then the one comparison I want every buyer to run before choosing one.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤

For context, Mortgage News Daily's daily index had the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.18% on November 9, 2026. That's down 0.30% from a month earlier and down 0.09% from a week earlier. The same index had the 30-year FHA average at 6.82% that day.

𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐚: 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐬

𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐚 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 (𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞)

Georgia Dream is run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Effective July 8, 2026, DCA lists these down payment assistance amounts:

1. Standard: 5% of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is less, for any eligible buyer.

2. PEN (Protectors, Educators and Nurses, which also covers healthcare workers and active military): 6% of the purchase price or $12,500, whichever is less.

3. Choice (a household member has an eligible disability): 6% of the purchase price or $12,500, whichever is less.

The assistance is a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments and deferred repayment. It's for first-time buyers or anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past three years (plus buyers in certain targeted areas), and you'll need to stay under DCA's income and sales price limits. In the Atlanta metro counties, DCA lists a $625,000 sales price limit, and it caps how much cash you can have left after closing.

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 (𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬)

If the home is inside the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta's ATL HomeNOW program offers up to $20,000 that can go toward the down payment, closing costs, a permanent rate reduction, or all three. Invest Atlanta lists a 620 minimum credit score, a $35,000 cap on liquid assets, a $1,500 contribution from your own funds, and a 10-year affordability period. Live in the home as your primary residence for 10 years and the assistance is forgiven.

New this year is the Atlanta Beltline Mortgage Assistance Program, launched July 22, 2026. It offers up to $30,000 for eligible legacy residents and public-sector employees and up to $20,000 for other qualified buyers, for homes in specific Beltline Tax Allocation District subareas on the south and west sides. It's a 0% soft second with a 15-year affordability period, and it can even be used on 2-4 unit properties, which is worth a look if you're a first-time buyer who wants to house hack.

𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐎𝐏 (𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚)

The Fulton County Homeownership Program covers Fulton County homes outside the City of Atlanta. Fulton County's program page lists up to $25,000, based on need, for down payment, closing costs, or a rate buydown. No repayment is required if the home stays your primary residence through the five-year affordability period. Expect first-time buyer rules, HUD-approved counseling, and county income and price limits.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐩

Invest Atlanta has said its assistance can't be combined with Georgia Dream, Fulton County, DeKalb County, or NACA assistance. So the address decides a lot. Inside city limits, I usually start with Invest Atlanta. In Fulton County outside the city, I compare HOP and Georgia Dream. Everywhere else in Georgia, Georgia Dream is my starting point. Always confirm stacking rules with the program before you count on two sources of money.

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐝𝐚: 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞

In Nevada, the Nevada Housing Division runs Home Is Possible (HIP). The first-time buyer version offers:

1. Down payment assistance of up to 4% of the total loan amount, usable for down payment and closing costs.

2. A 0%, no-payment second mortgage that is never forgiven. You repay it when you sell, refinance, or at the end of 30 years.

3. A 640 minimum credit score (660 for manufactured homes).

4. First-time buyer status (no primary residence in the past three years), homebuyer education, and county income and price limits.

The Housing Division posts its rates online. As of November 9, 2026, it listed 6.750% for an FHA, VA, or USDA first mortgage paired with 4% assistance, and 6.500% with 2% assistance. Notice the trade-off: more assistance, higher rate. That's exactly why the math below matters.

Not a first-time buyer? HIP also has an option for repeat buyers with up to 5% assistance.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐩

Program first mortgages can carry a different rate than a standard loan, and some seconds must be paid back. So compare the full picture, not just the cash you save at closing.

Hypothetical example (made-up rates for illustration, ignoring mortgage insurance, taxes, and insurance): a Las Vegas buyer is purchasing a $400,000 home with FHA financing. The 3.5% down payment is $14,000, and the base loan is $386,000.

1. Option A: a standard FHA loan at a hypothetical 6.75%. Principal and interest is about $2,504 per month, and the buyer brings the full $14,000 plus closing costs.

2. Option B: a program first mortgage at a hypothetical 7.00%, with 4% assistance of $15,440 as a 0% second. Principal and interest on the first is about $2,568 per month.

Option B costs about $64 more per month, roughly $3,870 over five years. But it covers the entire $14,000 down payment and $1,440 of closing costs on day one. On the flip side, that $15,440 comes due when the buyer sells or refinances.

Here's where a blended rate helps. Option B's combined rate (the $386,000 first at 7.00% plus the $15,440 second at 0%) works out to about 6.73%. That looks better than Option A's 6.75% on paper, but only because the second is interest-free until it comes due. Neither option is automatically better. It depends on how long you'll keep the home, whether you'll want to refinance if rates fall, and how much cash you want in reserve.

𝐀 𝐅𝐞𝐰 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲

1. Take the homebuyer education class early, since almost every program requires it.

2. Check the address before you fall in love with a house. City limits and county lines decide which programs you can use.

3. Watch the asset limits. Several programs cap how much cash you can have left after closing.

4. Funds run out and terms change, so confirm current numbers before you write an offer.

𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬

If you're thinking about buying in Georgia or Nevada, I'm happy to go through which programs fit your situation and compare them side by side with you. You can also plug a first mortgage and a 0% second into my free blended rate calculator at https://randi-orzoff-blended-rate.netlify.app to see the combined rate for yourself.

Or just message me here on BiggerPockets anytime. Want to talk it through? Grab a time on my calendar: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/qTzc5DEnobnl9SeQEviG?utm_source=biggerpockets&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=dpa-nov-2026

- Randi Orzoff

Randi Orzoff, NMLS #2058648. Barrett Financial LLC, NMLS #181106. Randi is also a licensed real estate agent in Georgia, Nevada, and California. This article is for educational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend. All rates, terms, and programs are subject to change without notice and subject to borrower qualification, underwriting, property eligibility, and program funding availability. All examples are hypothetical and for illustration only; they are not quotes or offers of credit. Market rates cited are from Mortgage News Daily (November 9, 2026). Program details are from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Invest Atlanta, Fulton County, and the Nevada Housing Division as published in 2026 and may have changed. Equal Housing Opportunity.