🤝 Down Payment Assistance
The help most buyers never hear about
Every year, down payment assistance goes unused because buyers don’t know it exists. Kansas Housing Resources Corporation and the Missouri Housing Development Commission both offer programs that can cover a chunk of your down payment and closing costs for eligible buyers — and they can pair with FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional first mortgages. Income and purchase-price limits apply.
Is this you?
Down Payment Assistance tend to be a great fit for…
- Buyers with steady income but limited savings
- Households within the program income limits for their county
- First-time buyers (usually defined as not owning a home in the last three years)
- Buyers who want to keep cash in reserve after closing
Tanner · The Garver GroupQuestions KC buyers actually ask
Down Payment Assistance: straight answers
How does down payment assistance work in Kansas and Missouri?
Both states offer assistance as a second loan alongside your mortgage. Some versions are forgiven over time if you stay in the home; others are deferred until you sell or refinance. Program terms, income limits, and purchase-price limits change and vary by county — Tanner checks the current rules for your address.
Do I have to be a first-time buyer to get assistance?
Many programs define “first-time” as not owning a home in the last three years, so plenty of previous owners qualify. Some Missouri programs (like MHDC Next Step) serve repeat buyers too. Income and purchase-price limits apply either way.
Is the assistance a grant or a loan?
It’s typically a loan — but often a deferred or forgivable one with no monthly payment. Tanner will walk you through exactly what your version costs, in plain English, before you commit to anything. Nothing about it is free money, and we’ll never describe it that way.
Keep exploring
Conventional Loans
The workhorse of home financing — flexible terms, competitive costs, and down payments as low as 3% for first-time buyers.
Learn more →FHA Loans
The first-time buyer favorite — 3.5% down, friendlier credit requirements, and forgiving guidelines for real-life finances.
Learn more →VA Loans
For those who served — $0 down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and some of the strongest terms in all of lending.
Learn more →Say hi
That’s literally what the Garver Group is for. One conversation, all your options side by side, zero pressure to move forward.
Replies usually land within minutes during the day.