Distinguish Virginia Housing grants from assistance loans and local-provider applications
Virginia Housing and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development offer different homebuyer resources. Use the directories above to research mortgage providers, then identify the administrator and application route for each source of assistance. Directory inclusion does not establish participation, eligibility or available funding.
Match the grant to the mortgage before combining assistance
Virginia Housing describes its Down Payment Assistance Grant as a grant that does not require repayment, used with eligible Virginia Housing bond FHA or conventional loans. Its eligibility page covers qualified first-time buyers and eligible repeat buyers purchasing in Areas of Economic Opportunity. Ask the approved lender to check the property, ownership history and applicable income and sales-price limits rather than treating every Virginia Housing mortgage as grant-eligible.
The separate Closing Cost Assistance Grant is tied to Virginia Housing bond Rural Housing Service or Veterans Affairs loans. The agency says this grant does not require repayment and may accompany non-Virginia Housing grants. Have the lender identify which costs it can cover and review the rules of any additional assistance provider. Permission to combine outside assistance does not establish that two Virginia Housing products can be paired or that another program has funds.
Review Plus Second as another mortgage payment
Virginia Housing's Plus Second Mortgage pairs an eligible first mortgage with a second mortgage for the down payment and, for some qualified borrowers, part of closing costs. It serves qualified first-time and repeat buyers and is described as a 30-year fixed-rate loan. Request separate payment and balance figures for both mortgages, along with the payoff terms. Assistance through this loan should not be budgeted as a nonrepayable grant.
The agency's lender finder searches by ZIP code and includes a Spanish-speaking lender filter. Use it to locate an approved contact, then confirm which Virginia Housing product the loan officer can handle for your property. Ask for the total monthly housing payment, remaining buyer funds and a written explanation of each assistance source. The finder and this directory are starting points for those conversations, rather than a funding reservation or approval.
Apply for DHCD assistance through the provider serving the property
DHCD's down payment assistance page directs buyers to local providers working regionally. Its provider list is organized by city or county, so confirm the property's jurisdiction and the administrator currently serving it. DHCD describes assistance as a deferred loan with no payments or interest accruing during a required primary-residence period. Ask for the actual period and sale, refinancing, repayment and lien-release conditions; deferred payments should not be assumed to mean unconditional forgiveness.
The page distinguishes its HOMEownership assistance from a Virginia Pilot program with separate guidelines and agencies. Ask the provider which named program it administers and whether it is accepting borrower files. DHCD's linked qualifications sheet calls for housing counseling and homebuyer education with a certificate showing completion and expiration dates. Have the provider confirm the applicable course, counseling appointment and buyer-contribution documents before arranging closing or assuming the pilot uses identical rules.
Choose a learning format and complete the right file
Virginia Housing offers free homebuyer education with in-person classes, virtual sessions and a self-paced online route. Its education page also links a spending and savings plan and a mortgage-readiness worksheet. Use those materials to organize your budget questions before comparing mortgage offers, then confirm with the lender which completion document and deadline apply to your selected product.
If DHCD or a local assistance provider is involved, ask whether you also need individual counseling and a certificate with specific dates. Virginia Housing's education page links a HUD-approved counselor finder for buyers needing preparation beyond a class. Confirm appointment availability, service scope and any counseling fee with the agency; the free course description does not establish that every separate counseling service is free.
Published by Mortgage Firm, an independent directory. Program administrators and lenders determine current availability and eligibility. Our editorial approach