Match the Missouri program to your household and purchase address
The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) offers homebuyer programs through certified lenders. Use the city directories above to research mortgage providers, then check MHDC participation separately. A provider's inclusion in Mortgage Firm's independent directory does not establish approval to offer a state program.
Compare First Place and Next Step with a certified lender
First Place is directed toward eligible first-time buyers and qualified veterans. Next Step serves both first-time and repeat buyers, including households outside First Place's income limits. Both describe financing for eligible homes throughout Missouri and offer a cash-assistance option. Being outside one program's limits is a reason to ask about the other, rather than assuming all MHDC financing is unavailable.
Applications go through MHDC-certified lenders. The agency's locator accepts a city or ZIP code; use it to identify a program contact, then confirm that the loan officer handles the specific product you are considering. Ask for current household-income and purchase-price limits, the lender's underwriting requirements and a written cost estimate.
MHDC's First Place FAQ defines a first-time buyer using ownership or an ownership interest in a primary residence during the preceding three years. Explain your actual ownership history to the lender, including any jointly owned property. The lender must review the program rules and any applicable exception; a directory search or general preapproval does not make that determination.
Check the census tract, including the correct St. Louis jurisdiction
MHDC's targeted-area pathway removes the first-time-buyer requirement for qualifying purchases and provides higher income and purchase-price limits. The designation attaches to specific areas, not to every home in a city or county. Other program and mortgage requirements still need review.
The agency's published tract list treats St. Louis City and St. Louis County separately and also identifies individual tracts in counties such as Greene and Jackson. A metro name or mailing address is not enough to establish targeted status. Give the lender the complete property address and ask it to confirm both jurisdiction and census tract against the program's current list.
MHDC links to the FFIEC geocoding tool to locate tract numbers. Use the targeted-area page as the starting point for that check, and ask the lender to resolve any mismatch between a map result and program documents before relying on an exception.
Include the second loan in a comparison of assistance options
MHDC's First Place and Next Step consumer explanations describe down payment assistance as a second loan with forgiveness conditions. Continued residence in the home and retention of the original mortgage matter to that forgiveness. Request the agreement and its schedule before treating the assistance as money you will never have to repay.
The programs also describe options without cash assistance. Ask the lender for comparable proposals with and without assistance, using the same purchase price and mortgage type. Review the cash needed at closing, first-mortgage payment and any remaining second-loan obligation together. A smaller upfront payment alone does not establish the lowest total cost.
Questions to take with you
- What assistance balance would remain if I sold or refinanced at the time I currently expect?
- What happens to forgiveness if the home stops being my primary residence?
- Which current program terms and funding reservation apply to this written proposal?
Bring counseling and application preparation into the timeline
MHDC's homeowner resources point prospective buyers to HUD-sponsored housing counseling for help with buying, credit and other housing questions. A counselor can help organize questions about your budget and readiness before a lender reviews the mortgage application. Ask the chosen agency about pre-purchase services, appointments and any charges.
The First Place application guidance asks borrowers to prepare employment and pay information and details of outstanding debts and monthly payments. Have those records ready for the certified lender, and ask what additional household or property documents are needed. Counseling and loan underwriting serve different purposes; participation in one does not establish approval for the other.
Before paying for a homebuyer course, give the lender and any local assistance administrator the provider's name. Ask whether the proposed mortgage or funding source requires that course, an individual counseling session or a particular completion certificate. City and county assistance may add steps beyond the state mortgage process.
Published by Mortgage Firm, an independent directory. Program administrators and lenders determine current availability and eligibility. Our editorial approach